Leaking Taps – How To Change A Tap Washer

The How To Series: Leaking Taps – How To Change A Tap Washer..

So many customers think…leaking taps…how do I change a tap washer? It’s not that straight forward. There are 4 important steps that must be taken to carry out the perfect tap service and it needs to be done properly.

Step One – Leaking taps

Reseat the tap body. Shut the water off and remove the taps carefully. Don’t scratch the chrome surfaces; use a cloth in between any rough wrench and the chrome surfaces. Use a reseating tool and grind the tap seat till it is perfectly clean and free of any cracks. We do this step with a custom drill attachment to make sure it’s perfect.

Step Two – Leaking Taps

Turn the water back on briefly and flush out all of the brass filings that were just grinded. If left, they will stick under the washer and cause the taps to leak. Make sure no mess is made. We recommend re-inserting the tap spindle without a washer for this step.

Step Three – Leaking Taps

Service the spindle. The spindle is in two parts. It must be separated manually by twisting the central section out. Once it is out the black rubber O ring must be removed. Clean the spindle with some paper, then put a new O ring on. Some spindles have 2 O rings. Once this is done you need to apply a generous amount of tap grease to the spindle. This is what makes the tap easy to turn.

Note: This is not a step to skip! If you do, the tap will still be stiff to operate and may even leak out of the centre.

Step Four – Leaking Taps

Test and clean up! Put the spindle back into the wall, replace the fibre washer on the tap body and turn the water supply back on. When testing we are looking for the tap to shut off instantly when the spout is fitted with a aerator and within thirty seconds if the spout is open. Now clean all of that grease off the clean surfaces. We recommend using toilet paper, don’t wipe it on your shorts, trust us, it won’t come out.

Note: Make sure the hot and cold buttons go on the right tap! The hot should always be on the left, some houses, for some reason were installed the wrong way around…so double check!

We hope you found “how to change a tap washer” informative, if you still have leaking taps contact us online or call us in on 1300 362 250