Top News

While leaking kitchen or toilet taps are considered minor domestic issues, such leakages consume hundreds of gallons of water annually and result in a gradual increase in water bills. Leaking mixer taps, bathroom faucets or toilet taps are mainly caused by loose connections, worn-out washers, dirt stuck inside, calcium deposits, or faulty tap cartridges. However, what makes repairing them easy and cost-free is that most common water leakage problems can be handled at home without having to call plumbers and incur additional costs. This is because most leakages can easily be stopped through the effective use of household tools and a few techniques. Therefore, there is no need for worrying about unnecessary plumbing costs and other risks associated with pipe leakages, just some simple tools available at home and these hacks served on your fingertips.


5 simple hacks to stop the tap from leaking that actually work

Here are five simple hacks to try on your own to fix the leaking tap without burning a hole in your pocket:


1. Tighten loose parts to stop water leakage

Oftentimes, simple is best. A loosened handle or nut may cause water to drip slowly out of the faucet.

First things first, you should shut off the water at the valve underneath the sink or with the stopcock. Then, you would need to use a screwdriver or adjustable spanner to loosen visible screws or fittings. Tighten without turning the tap too much to prevent damaging it.

The cartridge or a hidden grub screw helped fix the dripping tap problem immediately.


2. Clean the tap cartridge and remove trapped dirt

Most of the modern taps contain ceramic cartridges instead of rubber washers. The accumulation of dirt or small particles in the cartridge may hinder its function to seal the tap properly.

It should be taken off and rinsed with clean water. In addition, limescale or dirt can be wiped using an old toothbrush or a piece of fabric.

Afterwards, it will be mounted back to the tap, and its functioning will be tested again. This accumulation of dirt is the most common cause for taps to leak after being installed.


3. Reposition or reuse the rubber washer

The traditional compression taps often have an element of a small rubber washer used to control the water flow. With time, the washer might move out of position and wear down unevenly.

With the help of simple tools from your home, you can open the tap and check for the washer. At times, all you need to do is simply flip or move the washer.

Worn washers are one of the most frequent reasons for leaking taps.
Use plumber’s tape on minor thread leaks

In case water is dripping out of the areas around thread fittings, one can apply plumber’s tape, which can be readily available even in your toolbox, to improve the fitting.

Make sure you cover the thread well with the tape before joining the fittings. By doing this, you may fix the issue with water drips around your taps without replacing anything. Water dripping out of the tap base was stopped by tightening it.


4. Reduce pressure and check the isolation valve

High pressure of water sometimes forces water to come out of old seals and washers. Turning off the isolation valve under the sink slightly might be sufficient to decrease the pressure to a level that will help you eliminate dripping.

Open the valve slowly, then turn the tap on. You might find that the dripping is decreasing or stopping; therefore, the excess pressure was making it happen.


5. Isolation and draining the taps sufficiently before repairing, especially for ceramic disc taps.

Repairing a leaking kitchen or toilet tap is not necessarily very complicated. Oftentimes, it requires nothing more than a little tinkering, cleaning, or tightening a couple of loose pieces to eliminate dripping.

By doing it immediately, not only do you save water, but you also prevent possible damage to sinks, kitchen counters, and other bathroom facilities. However, should the leaking persist despite all these efforts, changing the washer or the cartridge may have to be considered.


Why a dripping tap should never be ignored

A leaking tap is more than just an irritating sound at night. According to the Institute of Technology & Research, Badnera’s research, a single slow-dripping tap can waste up to 75,000 litres of water every year. That is enough to fill more than one bathtub every week.

Leaking taps are commonly caused by damaged washers, worn O-rings or faulty ceramic cartridges. In many cases, the problem can be fixed at home without replacing the entire tap.