Taps are essential items in a home, so they must remain in good working condition. Leaky faucets are quite annoying and, if left unattended for a long time, can lead to significant wastage of water. Reduced water flow or continuous dripping from your tap could be because of various reasons that you can quickly fix without hiring a plumbing service. Before fixing your leaking tap, you need to check the type of tap valve you are dealing with because they come in different types. If you are not sure about the valve type you have, you can check the user manual. Here are some of the reasons you might be experiencing a leaking tap in your house or business premises.

1. Damaged or loose washer

If your tap is dripping some water after being shut off, that might be a sign of a damaged or loose seating washer. Problems with washers are common in sinks with faucets leaks. The screw of the seat washer can become loose due to repeated use, which can cause the tap to chatter or drip water. Most of the newer faucets on the market come with plastic valve cartridges that require occasional replacement. The seats for these faucets are usually made from plastic and come with springs, which mean they might also need replacements to prevent a leaking tap in Geelong.

2. Corroded valve seat

Generally, a valve seat is located underneath the tap valve, and its role is to create a watertight seal. However, if your taps are a bit old and have started dripping off late, you might be tempted to replace the washers, but it is worth checking the present condition of your valve seat too. If the valve seat is not secure, a new washer cannot be effective. A valve seat can corrode and become slightly worn out or rough with time, and once it begins to deteriorate, it will not provide a completely secure seal. Therefore, the water will easily escape leading to a leak. You need to replace the valve seat to make sure you have a tight water seal.

3. Scratched ceramic discs

Most of the modern taps on the market today utilize disc cartridges instead of rubber washers to avoid dripping. These ceramic disc taps come with two ceramic discs within the cartridge. One of the discs remains in a fixed position all the time while the other rotates each time the handle is operated. When you install taps that feature ceramic disc technology, you will be subject to few or no leaks. But if you experience dripping, then that is typically caused by scratched ceramic discs. To rectify the tap leak, you need to contact Geelong 24 Hour Plumbing to replace the whole cartridge for you.

4. Damaged or loose O-rings

One of the common things you need to check when you experience a leaking tap in Geelong is the O-rings of the tap. An O-ring refers to a small rubber ring that is situated around the stem of the valve. These rings can become damaged or loose over time due to the regular use of the faucet. If the O-ring is the issue, you will see the leakage from underneath the handle of the faucet, and you only need a simple O-ring replacement to fix that.

If your sink faucets are leaking around the base of the spout, you need to remove the spout and replace the two O-rings. If the tap is not badly pitted, replacing the O-ring will resolve the leak. However, if your faucet is badly pitted due to a neglected leak or hard water, the new O-rings will not seal at all. Therefore, you should consider contacting Geelong 24 Hour Plumbing to replace the entire faucet because this kind of repair requires professional skills to get it right.

Need a plumber to fix a leaking faucet?

A leaking tap, if left unattended, can become a big problem above the money it costs you on the water bill. It can also be a sign of a bigger problem that can cost you a lot of money. If you are experiencing reduced water flow or continuous dripping from any of your taps, you need to contact Geelong 24 Hour Plumbing on 1300 368 866.

Apart from fixing a leaking tap in Geelong, we also offer our clients other plumbing services such as hot water system installations and repairs, burst pipes, gas plumbing services, carbon monoxide testing, drain cleaning, and sewer line inspections among others. Our friendly team can handle any plumbing emergency for you in time and give you advice and recommendations regarding your plumbing system to prevent further damages.