Julian Cassell's DIY Blog

To fix a leaking kitchen tap, or indeed any leaking tap, you must know where to turn off the water supply to the tap. First, check for isolation valves close to the tap, on its supply pipes. If you cannot find one, you will have to turn off the supply with a stop tap further down the pipe run. The main stopcock for a house is often found under the kitchen sink. It’s important to know where these taps are to turn off water supply if a leak is severe. If your kitchen tap is constantly dripping, then you should check the guide ‘Fixing leaking bathroom taps’ which although primarily shows bathroom taps, the technique for replacing tap washers is much the same for all. If your kitchen tap is leaking from the base of the spout around the tap body, it is normally the case that an O-ring in the spout has worn and needs replacing, and this repair is shown below.

	1. Turn off the water supply – easiest when isolation valves are located close to the tap. Run the tap to remove water from the pipes.
	2. In most cases you will need to remove a grub screw – normally found behind the spout. You can then twist and lift the spout to release it.
	3. When you have lifted the spout away, you will be able to access the O-ring(s) at the base of the spout.
	4. It may be necessary to cut out the worn O-ring, or to prise it off carefully with a slot- head screwdriver
	5. Roll on a replacement O-ring to renew the seal. Reposition the spout and retighten the grub screw.

Leaking tap tips

• If you are in any doubt about the technique for repairing a leaking tap, it is best to seek professional help.
• There may be more than one O-ring on the tap spout – more than one may need replacing.
• Because O-rings come in different sizes, pick up a small selection pack the next time you’re in a DIY store – they’re literally a few pounds, and you’ll then be ready for any eventuality, as it occurs.

Tags: kitchen, taps

This entry was posted on Monday, August 9th, 2010 at 3:21 pm and is filed under 'How-to' Guides, Kitchens. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.