How to Fix a Dripping Tap
A dripping tap is the most fixable fault in the house once you know which part has failed. How to fix a dripping tap comes down to the tap type, because a washer tap and a mixer seal in different ways, and Queensland law reserves most tap work for a licensed plumber.
If we're late, $100 comes off your bill
- Licensed and InsuredEvery job done by a licensed plumber. QBCC No: 15024607
- Fixed Quote FirstFlat-rate pricing, agreed before any work starts
- Lifetime Labour WarrantyBacked by our Fix-It-or-It's-Free guarantee (T&Cs apply)
- $0 Call-Out FeesNo extra charge for nights, weekends or public holidays
Windsor Plumbing Services wrote this guide for the pre-war cottages on the hills and the unit blocks along the main roads that make up Windsor. Here is what seals, what the law lets you touch, and what a drip costs if you let it run.
What Seals Inside a Tap That Drips
Two tap types cover almost every sink in the country. A compression washer tap presses a rubber washer against a machined seat to close, while a mixer usually closes on a cartridge holding two ceramic discs.
The washer rides on a jumper valve at the foot of the spindle. Each turn of the handle drives the spindle further in, until the washer meets the seat and the flow stops.
The quick test takes one hand:
- Separate hot and cold handles that need several turns mark a washer tap.
- One lever that moves about a quarter turn marks a mixer.
A drip means the sealing component inside has worn. An O-ring past its best or a seat gone rough produces the same symptom, and a mixer built around a washer follows the washer rules below.
Can You Change a Tap Washer Yourself
Yes, for the washer and nothing else. Queensland's building regulator puts a washer or jumper valve swap outside licensed plumbing, so a householder with the knowledge and skill the job calls for needs no licence, no approval and no report.
The finished job still has to meet the minimum standards the legislation and codes set. Any other part of the tap is licensed territory. A cartridge of ceramic discs never appears on the QBCC's do-it-yourself list, and the QBCC's guide for owners uses a full tap replacement to show what a licence covers.
Isolation comes before anything comes apart. Close the tap's own isolation valve first, or the stop tap by the meter when the fixture has none, and leave the rest to someone who knows the make.
We give no repair steps here, because parts and pitfalls differ with every brand and model.
Why a Small Drip Is Worth Fixing
Left running, a slow drip wastes thousands of litres over the years. Whoever owns the property is billed for every litre the dial records, drips included, so the cost of a drip reaches the owner even when a tenant is the one using the tap.
Urban Utilities adjusts bills for concealed leaks, but a leaking tap is excluded from that adjustment, along with cisterns and other appliances. A drip is billed like ordinary use.
Census figures explain why this bites here: most homes are rented, so the water account for a dripping tap usually reaches an owner who lives elsewhere. A tap fixed early stays a small job on a flat-rate quote.
When the Drip Is Not the Washer
Three signs point past the washer: a drip that survives a fresh washer, water where the handle meets the body, and a mixer weeping from the spout.
The likely culprits are:
- a seat worn rough or pitted
- a spindle seal or its O-ring worn out
- a loose connection under or inside the fixture
- a worn cartridge of ceramic discs
- a tap body cracked or heavily corroded
Repairing or replacing any of them sits with a QBCC licensee as minor work, without needing a permit or lodging a Form 4. Forcing a tap shut never cures a drip; cranking the handle only wears the washer and the seat faster.
When to Hand the Tap to Us
Ring us when the drip outlives a washer swap, when water pools at the handle, or when a mixer needs its cartridge matched to the make. The practical answer is to identify the failed part, then let the right person swap it.
Our tap and mixer repairs service covers the lot. Windsor Plumbing Services identifies the fault, gives you a fixed quote before any work starts, and finishes with the tap tested under pressure.
Dripping Tap Questions From Windsor Homes
Call (07) 3523 7121How do I tell a washer tap from a mixer?
A washer tap has separate hot and cold handles that each turn several times. A mixer has one lever that usually moves about a quarter turn and closes on a pair of ceramic discs rather than a washer.
Do I need a licence to change a tap washer in Windsor?
No, not for the washer or jumper valve. The QBCC leaves that swap unregulated, so no licence or approval is needed if the work meets the minimum standards. Other tap repairs sit with a licensed plumber.
Why does my tap leak around the base?
Water at the handle or the base points to the O-ring or spindle seal wearing out, a loose connection or a cracked body, not the washer. A licensed plumber repairs any of these as minor work.
Who repairs a dripping tap in a Windsor rental?
Queensland tenancy law puts the repair duty on the owner or manager, and the tenant should report the drip as soon as possible. A dripping tap is a routine repair, so it is fixed within a reasonable time.
Talk to Us About the DripWe'll call you back.
Phone (07) 3523 7121 for a licensed plumber in Windsor. We work under QBCC No: 15024607, with flat-rate pricing, no hidden fees and same-day where we can.
To claim your $0 call-out fee, call (07) 3523 7121 today.