Taps & sinks

Taps and hard water

Bristol Water classes all the water in its area as moderately hard to very hard. Over time that means limescale on tap aerators, cartridges and valve seats. Flow drops, taps get stiff, and ceramic cartridges stop sealing properly. Sometimes cleaning or replacing a cartridge is all that’s needed. Sometimes the tap has had its day.

What we do

• Repair dripping taps: washers, cartridges and valves
• Fix leaks from tap bases and under-sink connections
• Fit new kitchen, basin and bath taps
• Repair or replace leaking wastes, traps and overflows
• Fit isolation valves so you can turn off one tap without the whole house

Under the sink

A damp cupboard under the sink is usually a waste or trap joint that has slipped or perished, or a flexible tap connector that’s starting to fail. Catch it early. A failed connector under pressure can let go suddenly.

Source: Bristol Water, water hardness guidance.

Which kind of tap do you have?

Older taps usually work on a rubber washer pressed down onto a seat. You turn the handle several times from off to full on. When they drip, it’s normally the washer, and the fix is quick. Most newer taps use ceramic discs and go from off to on in a quarter or half turn. They don’t use washers, and when they drip, the cartridge usually needs replacing. Mixer taps can have either type, and many single-lever mixers use one cartridge that controls both flow and temperature.

If you can find the make and model of your tap, often printed on the body or the box it came in, that makes getting the right cartridge much easier.

Looking after your taps

With hard water, the aerator on the end of the spout collects scale and grit. Unscrewing it and soaking it in diluted white vinegar every few months keeps the flow even. Avoid overtightening taps to stop a drip, as that wears the washer or cartridge faster. A tap that drips however hard you turn it needs a repair, not more force.