A leaking tap is nothing but a nightmare, as it can make you lose your sleep. (Quite literally!) The constant and repetitive “plop” sound that it makes, is enough to drive any person insane. But that’s not the solo problem you should be concerned about! Wastage of water through a dripping tap is very harmful for the environment as well. And not to forget, the quickly escalating water and electricity bills (when it’s wastage of hot water) of yours.
But thankfully for you, repairing a dripping tap isn’t much of rocket science. In most of the cases, it’s caused by a fault washer or O-ring. This is an affordable piece, and you just have to get hold of a wrench and you are ready to be your own saviour. But in case, you aren’t confident enough, it’s best to leave the job to professionals. There are skilled and experienced service providers of leaking tap repairs. A. Able Plumbing has a team of experts that will take care of all your plumbing needs, including a leaking tap.
5 Steps to Follow For a DIY Repair of a Leaking Tap
There are just five steps that will take you from a leaking to a not-leaking tap; and yes, you can do-it-yourself (DIY)! It’s quite easy and all you have to do is to follow this manual, blindly. Well, not literally, but yes, it’s all the help you will ever need. Also, not everything is a DIY – for example, you will definitely need a gas plumber in Perth for your natural gas line installation or repair. To resume, for leaky taps, let’s see what are the golden DIY steps —
- Turn off the Water Supply: Prior to dismantling your tap, make sure that you have turned off the water supply. Or else, you are going to be responsible for the mess that’s created later. If it’s a sink tap that you are fixing, the shut-off valve is most likely to be under it, in a cabinet. Shut off both the hot and cold water valves and turn on both the taps so that you can be sure that the water supply is not in function.
- Remove the Handle Knob: Use a flat head screwdriver to pull off the decorative cap on the top of the handle knob. A small screw is then exposed, that mounts the handle to the stem. And then finally, remove the screw, after which, pull the handle off the stem.
- Remove the Stem: Using the C-wrench or the adjustable wrench, try to loosen the nut so that the stem is revealed. The stem can pop out, imagine just like the cork in a champagne bottle, try to do it in a fun way and the job won’t seem like a job. Once the stem is removed, check for any damage.
- Replace the O-rings and Washer: O-ring is a thin rubber ring that is situated at the middle of the stem while the washer is at the bottom. Either one of them can be the culprit; so, it’s better to remove both. Also, make sure the replacements are an exact fit — don’t mess up the sizes.
- Reassembling the Tap: After putting in place the new washer and O-ring, all you have to do is reassemble the tap. But, keep in mind that you have to go in the reverse order in which they were dismantled. Do not over-tighten and do not keep anything loose, as that will keep your job undone. First turn on the valves, keeping the taps in the off position, and then slowly turn on the taps, to see the water flowing perfectly.
These were the 5 crucial steps in which you can accomplish changing a leaking tap on your own. And yes! You are allowed to be proud of yourself once the job is done. But in case, it’s still leaking even after the new washer and O-ring is added, then it’s the time to call up a plumber. Worn-out seals, corroded valves, and broken plumbing are a bit too much, even for you, don’t you think?
