A single leaking tap can waste up to 24,000 litres of water a year. That is the number worth leading with, because a drip reads as trivial and 24,000 litres does not.
The other reason to deal with it early is less obvious: a tap that leaks around the body rather than out the spout is putting water into a vanity or a wall cavity, and that becomes a damage problem rather than a water-bill problem.
What a complete tap service involves
The majority of leaking taps can be completely serviced rather than replaced. Done properly, that is five things:
- The jumper washer changed. This is the one everybody knows about — the washer that seals against the seat when you turn the tap off.
- The O-rings changed. These seal the spindle. A tap that drips from under the handle rather than out of the spout is usually O-rings.
- The body washers changed. These seal the tap body itself.
- The spindle re-threaded and re-greased. A dry, worn thread is why a tap gets stiff and why people over-tighten it, which wears the washer faster.
- The seat reseated. And this is the one that gets skipped.
Why reseating is the part that matters
A tap that has been dripping for months has worn a groove into the brass seat that the washer presses against. Put a brand-new washer onto a damaged seat and it will seal for a few weeks, then start dripping again — because the washer is now being pressed onto an uneven surface and is wearing unevenly from the first turn.
Reseating cuts that surface flat again. It is why a proper service lasts years and a washer change lasts a month. If you have had a tap "fixed" twice and it is dripping again, this is almost certainly why.
When to replace instead
Servicing is the right answer most of the time, but not always. Replace the tapware when:
- The tap body itself is cracked or the chrome is lifting and flaking
- It is a mixer with a failed cartridge, where the cartridge costs a meaningful fraction of a new tap
- The thread in the body is stripped, so nothing will tighten against it
- You were going to change it for appearance anyway — in which case paying to service it first is money you spend twice
What it costs
| Job | Price | |---|---| | Complete service, two taps | $99 | | Ram sink or basin mixer tap, supplied and installed, replacing like for like | $189 | | Ram wall and basin chrome crosshead tapware, supplied and installed | $149 |
All prices are GST inclusive and subject to site inspection.
Two taps rather than one in the first line is deliberate — taps come in pairs, and if one is worn the other is the same age.
About the tapware we fit
Our plumbers carry a range of quality tapware to suit any bathroom, kitchen or laundry, so you can choose from the range on the van and save yourself the inconvenience of shopping around for it.
We fit Ram tapware. It is manufactured in Australia, the company has seventy years in the trade, and they back it with a 15-year warranty on their tapware and plumbing products.
The specification worth knowing about: Ram rate their tapware for pressures up to 1000 kPa, where most manufacturers limit theirs to 500 kPa. In parts of Brisbane where the mains pressure runs high, that is the difference between tapware that lasts and tapware that is back on the list in three years.
While we are there
If a tap is worn, the toilet of the same age usually is too, and most of it is the same washers. Most leaking toilets are an easy fix and a lot of the parts for most cisterns are universal — see toilet repairs. Getting both done in one visit is one call-out rather than two.
And if every tap in the house is sound but the bill is still high, the water is going somewhere you cannot see: why is my water bill suddenly so high?
More on tap repairs, or call and tell us how many taps are dripping.
More on Tap repairs, including what we charge.