How to Fix a Dripping Tap
A dripping tap is almost always a worn washer or a failed ceramic cartridge. Knowing which type of tap you have tells you which part to change — and turns a nuisance drip into a ten-minute fix.
A tap that drips from the spout is wasting water and, on a hot tap, wasting energy heating water that runs straight down the drain. The cause is nearly always a worn sealing part: a rubber washer on a traditional compression tap, or a ceramic disc cartridge on a modern quarter-turn tap.
This guide covers how to tell the two tap types apart, how to isolate and strip a tap safely, and how to replace the washer or cartridge to cure a drip from the spout — plus what to do when the drip is coming from the base rather than the outlet. It is written for a clean, first-time repair without flooding the cupboard.
Key takeaways
- Most drips are a worn washer (traditional taps) or a failed ceramic cartridge (quarter-turn taps).
- A tap you turn several times is compression (washer); a tap that opens with a quarter turn uses a ceramic cartridge.
- Always isolate the supply first — service valves under the basin, or the mains stopcock — and open the tap to drain it.
- Plug the plughole before you start so dropped screws and jumper valves don't disappear down the waste.
- A drip from the base rather than the spout points to a worn O-ring or a loose gland, not the washer.
Identify the tap type
The fix depends on the tap. A traditional compression tap turns through several rotations to open and closes onto a rubber washer seated at the bottom of the headgear — when that washer perishes, the tap drips. A modern ceramic-disc tap opens with a quarter or half turn and seals with two ceramic discs inside a cartridge; when the cartridge wears, it drips instead.
Knowing which you have tells you what part to buy before you start. If in doubt, the movement is the giveaway: multiple turns means a washer, a single quick quarter-turn means a ceramic cartridge.
Isolate and strip the tap safely
Turn off the water to the tap — ideally at the service (isolation) valve on the supply pipe under the basin, or at the mains stopcock if there is no local valve. Open the tap to drain the residual water and confirm it is actually off before you undo anything. Put the plug in the basin so small parts can't drop down the waste.
Prise off the tap head cover to reach the retaining screw, remove the head, then undo the headgear or cartridge with a spanner. Support the tap body as you loosen it so you don't twist the pipework below — a stubborn tap can turn the whole assembly and stress the joints.
Plug the basin first
The washer, jumper and retaining screw are exactly the size to vanish down an open waste. Thirty seconds putting the plug in saves a dismantling job to fish them back out.
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Replace the washer or cartridge
On a compression tap, lift out the headgear and replace the washer at its base — it is either held by a small nut or push-fit onto the jumper. Fit the correct size, check the seat it closes onto is clean and not pitted (re-seat or fit a seat reface if it is), and reassemble. Smearing a little suitable grease on the threads keeps future removal easy.
On a ceramic-disc tap, lift out the old cartridge and fit a matching replacement — cartridges vary by make, spline count and hot/cold orientation, so match the part exactly. Reassemble, restore the supply slowly, and run the tap to check the drip has gone and there are no leaks at the reassembled joints.
Drips from the base, not the spout
If water is escaping around the base of the spout or the body of the tap rather than dripping from the outlet, the washer or cartridge is not the problem — it is usually a perished O-ring on a swivel spout, or a loose or worn gland nut. Replacing the O-ring or renewing the gland packing cures a base leak.
Curing drips also keeps the installation compliant with the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999, which require fittings not to waste water. A steady hot-water drip in particular is worth fixing promptly for the energy saving alone.
From guidance to action
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my tap uses a washer or a ceramic cartridge?
Feel how it opens. A tap that turns through several full rotations is a traditional compression tap sealed by a rubber washer. A tap that opens with a single quarter or half turn uses ceramic discs in a cartridge. That tells you which part to replace.
Why does my tap drip from the base instead of the spout?
A leak around the base or spout, rather than a drip from the outlet, usually means a perished O-ring on the swivel spout or a worn gland packing — not the washer or cartridge. Renewing the O-ring or gland cures it.
Do I need to turn off the whole mains to change a washer?
Not usually. If there is a service (isolation) valve on the supply pipe under the basin, turn that off to isolate just the tap. Only fall back to the main stopcock if there is no local isolation valve.
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