A dripping tap is almost always a worn washer — a cheap part and a ten-minute fix. Here's how to do it cleanly, in order, without a plumber.
That steady tap… tap… tap isn't just annoying — a single dripping tap can waste thousands of litres a year. The good news: in most homes the cause is a worn rubber washer or O-ring, and replacing one costs less than a coffee.
The trick is doing things in the right order and turning the water off first. Work through the five steps below and you'll have it sealed and silent.
Find the isolation valve on the pipe under the sink and turn it clockwise to close. No isolation valve? Shut off the main water supply for the house instead.
Then open the tap and let it run until it stops. That drains the pressure left in the pipe, so nothing sprays you when you take the tap apart.
Plug the drain or lay a cloth over it before you start. Tap repairs involve tiny screws and washers, and a plughole swallows them instantly.
Most taps hide the screw under a small decorative cap on top — often marked hot or cold. Gently pry it off with a flat-head screwdriver, working around the edge so you don't scratch the finish.
Underneath is a retaining screw. Undo it, then lift the handle straight up and off. If it's stuck from age, a little wiggle usually frees it.
Lay every part out in the order you remove it, left to right. Reassembly is just the same line read backwards — no guessing what goes where.
With the handle off you'll see the spindle — the brass valve body that screws down into the tap. Fit your adjustable spanner snugly onto its hex nut and turn anticlockwise to loosen.
Once it's free, lift the whole spindle out. The worn washer you're hunting is fixed to the very bottom of it.
Wrap a cloth around the chrome before the spanner touches it. The cloth grips and stops the jaws leaving scratch marks on a visible finish.
At the base of the spindle is the rubber washer, usually held by a small nut or just pushed on. Pick off the old one and fit a new washer of the exact same size. While you're there, check the O-ring around the spindle — if it's cracked or flattened, replace that too.
A smear of plumber's grease on the O-ring and threads helps everything seal and turn smoothly for years.
Take the old washer to the hardware store and match it exactly. Washers come in several sizes, and a close-but-wrong one will start dripping again within weeks.
Work back through your line of parts in reverse. Screw the spindle in hand-tight, then just nip it firm with the spanner — don't overdo it or you'll crush the new washer. Refit the handle, the retaining screw and the cap.
Turn the isolation valve back on slowly, then run the tap. Let it flow, then shut it firmly and watch the spout for a full minute. No drip means you're done.
Open the tap before you turn the water back on. Air escapes first instead of hammering the pipes, and you avoid the bang and sputter of trapped air.
// New washer in and still leaking? Work down this list.
If the leak keeps coming back or the tap body's worn out, The Helpful Bloke covers tap repairs across Canberra & ACT — from $120, free quote up front.