Dripping tap? What it is, and what to do tonight
No call-out fee · Usually same-day · 180+ five-star reviews
Step 1 — right now
Do this before you do anything else
This costs nothing and doesn’t need us. It’s the difference between a mop and an insurance claim.
- 1
Don’t force it shut
Cranking a dripping tap harder destroys the seat it closes onto, which turns a washer replacement into a bigger repair. Firm is enough.
- 2
Isolate under the sink if you can
Most kitchen and bathroom taps have small isolation valves on the flexible hoses beneath them. Turning one clockwise stops the drip tonight without shutting off the house.
- 3
Put a bucket under it and note the rate
Half a bucket overnight tells you this is worth doing now, not next month. It also tells us how far gone the washer is.
- 4
If it’s spraying rather than dripping, shut the mains
A tap body that has split is a different problem to a worn washer. The isolation tap is at the water meter, turned clockwise.
Step 2 — what it probably is
The usual causes, in plain English
A perished washer, and a scored seat
The classic. Replacing the washer alone is why some taps start dripping again within a year — the seat needs re-cutting too.
A worn ceramic disc cartridge
What mixers use instead of washers. Replaceable, and far cheaper than replacing a good mixer.
A seized spindle
Usually a laundry or garden tap nobody has turned in years. Forcing it snaps the body, which is why we’d rather you didn’t.
Step 3 — what it costs
So you know before you ring
A small job, and cheaper in batches.
What drives it is which part has failed and how many taps you have doing it — a washer and a re-seat is the cheap end, a specialty imported mixer cartridge that has to be ordered in is the other. The thing worth knowing is that doing four taps in one visit costs far less per tap than four separate visits, so it’s worth walking the house before you call.
- No call-out fee
- Fixed price before we start
- Lifetime labour warranty
Step 4 — get it fixed
Ring us, or we’ll ring you
Calling gets you an answer fastest. If you’d rather not wait on the phone, leave your details and we’ll call you back.
Call 0406 711 214Lifetime labour warranty
Every job we do is backed for as long as you own the property.
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NSW Licence NSW LICENCE PENDING. Compliance certificates on every job.
No call-out fee
We don’t charge to turn up, and we don’t charge to quote.
Fixed price up front
You approve the price before we start. It doesn’t move afterwards.
Book a plumber
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What people say
5.0 from 180+ Google reviews“Excellent service, very friendly and went above and beyond to get what was needed done.”
Google reviewReviewer name not published “Great communication, Colin was professional, polite and friendly and did a magnificent job. Highly recommend for any plumbing needs.”
Google reviewReviewer name not published
Still wondering
Common questions
A steady drip is roughly 20,000 litres a year — enough to matter on a bill, and more than enough to stain a basin. A tap that runs a fine stream rather than dripping wastes several times that.
Plenty of people do, and on a simple tap it’s a reasonable job. Two things catch people out: the seat the washer closes onto is often scored and needs re-cutting with a proper tool, and older spindles seize hard enough that removing them snaps the tap body. If it drips again within months after a new washer, that’s the seat.
No. Mixers use a ceramic disc cartridge rather than a washer, and the repair is replacing that cartridge with the correct one for the brand and model. Generic near-enough cartridges are a common cause of a mixer that starts leaking again a few months later.
That’s not my problem
Pick whichever is closest.
- Burst pipe or water everywhereSpraying, flooding, or water where it shouldn’t be
- I can smell gasGet out first, then read this from outside
- No hot waterCold shower, or it runs out too fast
- Blocked drain or toiletBacking up, draining slowly, or gurgling
- No water at allNothing from any tap in the house
- Sewage or drain smellInside, or over the drains outside
- Huge water bill, no visible leakOr damp patches you can’t explain
- Water pressure has droppedOne tap, or the whole house
- Tap dripping or won’t turn offIncluding mixers that won’t seal
- Toilet keeps runningOr refilling by itself when nobody’s used it