To fix a leaking tap, turn off the water at the isolation valve or the main, plug the drain, then unscrew the tap handle and the spindle to reach the worn washer or O-ring. Replace the perished rubber with an exact match, reseat the spindle, and test. If the leak continues after a fresh washer, the tap seat is worn and needs a plumber to re-grind or replace it.
Key takeaways
- A constant drip is almost always a perished washer or O-ring, both inexpensive parts.
- Turn the water off and plug the drain before you start, so nothing small disappears down the plughole.
- Adelaide's hard water wears tap washers and seats faster than soft-water regions.
- A leaking tap fixed early costs 140 to 280 dollars and saves a surprising volume of water over a year.
Identify what kind of tap you have
The repair depends on the tap type. Older Adelaide homes mostly have washer taps, with separate hot and cold handles you turn through several rotations. These wear at the rubber washer and are very DIY-friendly.
Newer kitchens and bathrooms often have a single mixer tap that moves a quarter turn or swings on a lever. Mixers use a ceramic disc cartridge instead of a washer. A leaking mixer needs a replacement cartridge matched to the brand, which is a slightly more involved job and often one to hand to a plumber.
Turn off the water and prepare the area
Never start a tap repair with the water still on. Look under the sink for an isolation valve on the supply line and turn it clockwise. If there is no isolation valve, turn off the main at the water meter, usually near the front boundary of the property.
Then prepare the workspace so the job stays simple.
- Plug the drain or cover it with a cloth so a dropped washer or screw cannot vanish.
- Open the tap fully to drain the residual water and confirm the supply is genuinely off.
- Lay a towel in the basin to protect the surface and to keep small parts in one place.
- Line up your tools: a flat and Phillips screwdriver, an adjustable spanner or a tap spanner, and a new washer and O-ring kit.
Replace the washer or O-ring
With the water off, work through the tap in order. Take a photo at each step so reassembly is straightforward.
- Lever off the hot or cold button on top of the handle, then undo the screw beneath it and lift the handle clear.
- Unscrew the cover or shroud, then use a spanner to undo the bonnet nut and lift out the spindle, also called the tap body or jumper valve.
- At the base of the spindle you will find the washer, held by a small brass screw. Prise off the perished washer and fit an exact-size replacement.
- Check the O-ring around the spindle. If it is flattened or cracked, replace it and add a smear of plumber's silicone grease.
- Reassemble in reverse, turn the water back on slowly, and test. Hand-tighten the bonnet nut firmly but do not overtighten.
When to call a licensed plumber
A fresh washer fixes most dripping taps. When it does not, or when the leak is somewhere other than the spout, the job has moved past a quick DIY fix. Get a licensed Adelaide plumber to take a look if any of the following is true.
- The tap still drips after you have fitted a new washer and O-ring, which usually means a worn tap seat that needs re-grinding or replacement.
- Water leaks from the base of the tap or from the wall behind it, rather than from the spout.
- The tap is a mixer and you are not confident sourcing and fitting the correct ceramic cartridge.
- The spindle, bonnet nut, or tap body is corroded solid and will not move without force.
- You can see damp patches, staining, or swelling in the cabinet or wall near the tap, which can point to a hidden leak.
Why Adelaide taps wear faster
Adelaide's mains water is hard, with a meaningful mineral content. Those minerals leave scale on tap seats, washers, and cartridges, and that scale acts like sandpaper every time the tap is turned. It is the reason Adelaide taps tend to start dripping sooner than taps in soft-water cities.
If you are replacing washers across the house every year or two, that is the hard water at work. A plumber can re-grind worn tap seats so a new washer seals properly, and for a whole-home fix some Adelaide households install a water conditioner to slow the scale build-up on taps, the hot water system, and appliances.