Have a Leaking Tap?

Did you know that if you have a higher water bill than normal, it may mean you have a leaking tap somewhere?

We deal with Leaking taps across Melbourne every day, it’s one of the most common plumbing problems. Often people ignore it, which will only make it worse - the longer you leave it, the more of your money is going down the drain.

At Essendon Plumbing Services, our expert plumbers work with you to investigate, advise and fix leaking taps. This will decrease your water bill and increase your sanity.

We specialise in any water leak and deal with them on a daily basis 24/7, 365 days a year. We understand all the below 4 types of common residential taps you will find in your home.

The 4 Types of common residential taps you’ll find around your home:

1) Mixer Taps

2) Hot and Cold Taps

3) Half and Quarter Turn Taps

4) Garden taps or Bib taps

Mixer Taps

Mixer taps are commonly found in kitchens, laundries and bathrooms. Usually operated by a lever type handle for both hot and cold water, the water is mixed through the tap (hence why it is called a mixer tap) prior to exiting the same faucet into your sink.

These types of taps have a replaceable mixer cartridge inside them. Due to the cost of replacement cartridges it is often more cost effective to change the tap for a new one rather than replacing the cartridge.

Hot and Cold Taps (Jumper Valve Taps)

Jumper valve taps have a jumper valve washer inside them and O-ring washers on the spindle to prevent water leaking out the handle. When the jumper valve washer wears out or splits, the tap will start to leak from the faucet. Likewise, if the O-ring washer wears out or splits, the tap will leak through the handle via the spindle.

Leaking jumper valve taps can be repaired by replacing the jumper valve washer, the O-rings, lubricating the spindle and tap body and grinding or replacing the tapware seat. Often once serviced the tap will operate like new again.

Half and Quarter Turn Taps

This type of tapware regulates the flow of water by rotating the tap handle either a quarter of a turn (90 degrees) or half a turn (180 degrees). Flow of water is controlled by ceramic discs and rubber O-rings.

Like a jumper valve tap, this type of tap can be repaired by replacing the ceramic disks and O-rings. Washer kits need to be purchased specific to the make and model of the tapware, they are not universal and can often be very temperamental to replace. Depending on the age of the tap, washer kits are sometimes discontinued.

Garden Taps

As the name suggests, these are your common garden variety taps, usually with a thread on the outlet side so you can connect a garden hose or sprinkler. Always found around the exterior of your home, they operate on a jumper valve system with generally only cold water passing through them. When the jumper valve washer wears out or splits, the tap will start to leak from the outlet. Likewise, if the O-ring washer wears out or splits the tap will leak through the handle via the spindle.

Leaking garden taps can be repaired by replacing the jumper valve washer, the O-ring, lubricating the spindle and tap body and grinding or replacing the tapware seat.

Common Causes of leaking taps:

Below is a common list of problems that may be causing your taps to drip and leak.

• Split Jumper Valve, also known as ‘Washers’
• Worn Ceramic disk
• Leaking Mixer Tap Cartridge.
• Sensor Tap
• Time Flow Tap
• Running Garden tap
• Rusted Tap

How to know you have a leaking tap:

• Dripping Taps
• Taps continually running
• Taps not turning off
• Tap Handles jammed
• Loose kitchen mixer taps
• Water Hammer
• Tap leaking trough handle
• Noisy Taps

Whether it’s a leaking hot water or cold water tap, or an outdoor or indoor tap, we have a leak detection service to locate and fix your problem quickly and efficiently and we’ll walk you through the process the entire way.

We can fix your dripping shower tap, kitchen tap or leaking hot water service.  No matter how small or large the job is, we can provide new taps and installation, repair old and existing taps and advice on suitable tapware for individual needs.

Contact us at Essendon Plumbing Services or watch our video where big Seano will take you through the steps of how we find and fix a tap leak.