Steps To Fix A Leaking Tap

By Scott Rodgers

One of the most common plumbing problem faced at home is leaking taps. But you need not always call a plumber to fix it. You can easily fix it on your own. Below are some simple instructions for fixing a leaky tap.

Before working on the leaking tap, you have to turn off the water supply first. Be careful when turning the valve off so that it won't break apart.

To avoid your screws, washers and other small materials from falling down the drain, don't forget to cover the sink hole prior to working. Using a screwdriver, unscrew the cover of the tap to expose the retaining screw. Remove this screw and put it in a safe place. After that, you may now remove the head of the tap.

Once you have removed all the other screws, its now time to remove the larger headgear nut using a spanner. But make sure that you do not cause any damage to the pipe work attached to it otherwise you will be in a bigger problem and will have to take some experts help to get out of it.

If the headgear nut is still difficult to turn, you could apply some oil around the joint and wait for about 5-10 minutes for it to soak in the oil before trying to remove it again. You could also try to apply some heat to it by using an electric paint stripper or a blow torch but always remember to be careful when using such equipments.

After removing the headgear nut, remove the washer using a screwdriver. You can apply oil here also to make your work easier.

After fitting the new washer, grease the base of the tap before putting everything back into place. Put everything back into place using a screwdriver and a spanner. Turn on the water supply and check if the problem was solved.

If you are not able to fix the problem after trying out the above steps, call a plumber without any delay as there might be some other complicated problem which can lead to serious and costly damage later on if not taken care of now. - 30517

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