How to fix your leaky tap

This year’s drought hit water supplies hard and really drove home the importance of conserving this precious resource. And if your council charges for the water that you use, then you’ll know how expensive wasting it can be.

Household leaks can account for up to 38,000 litres of wasted water over a year, with dripping taps playing a significant role. These days most taps are mixers (where hot and cold water comes from one spout) and leaks in this kind of tap are almost always because of a faulty cartridge inside the mixer.

To fix a dripping mixer tap, just follow the simple steps below.

You’ll need

• A flathead screwdriver
• A set of allen keys
• A replacement cartridge

Step-by-step guide

Step 1: Buy a replacement cartridge

You will have to look up the brand of your mixer and purchase a new cartridge. If you can go without water from one set of taps for a while, then it may be best to take the faulty cartridge with you to the shop. If you’re lucky your local hardware store will have the unit you need – otherwise try a specialty plumbing store.

Step 2: Turn off the mains

Your water mains are usually located on the street outside your house/building. Pry the cover off with a flathead screwdriver and turn the tap underneath anti-clockwise as far as it will go. It is a good idea to open a tap inside and check that the flow has stopped.

Step 3: Turn off the hot water tank

Next, find your hot water tank and turn it off.

Step 4: Find the screw that holds your tap together

Make sure the plug is in so you don’t lose little pieces. Most mixers will have a small bung covering a hole that gives access to an allen screw that holds the whole thing together.

Step 5: Unfasten the mixer

Remove the allen screw with an allen key.

Step 6: Open the mixer, replace cartridge

Pull off or unscrew the mixer to expose the cartridge (usually made of plastic and/or rubber), replace it with your new one, then backtrack through the steps above to reassemble the tap and turn your water back on. It’s wise to have someone watching the repaired tap as you turn the mains back on. That way if you haven’t put the bits back together properly they can yell out and save you from flooding the kitchen!