Plumbing care and
repair
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A tap that continues to drip requires
rewashering. You will have to remove the headgear mechanism to replace it.
However, when water is leaking from the tap spindle, just below the head, it is
a sign that the gland packing has failed, if this is the case see 'Replacing gland packing'
Step: 1 Turn off
the water supply.
Step: 2 For a
traditional capstan-head pillar tap, first remove the cross head by releasing
its retaining screw. Next, unscrew the bulbous shroud below the head to expose
the tap mechanism.
• On modern taps, the
head and shroud are one-piece mouldings. Simply pull off the push-fit types or
remove the fixing screw hidden beneath the coloured hot or cold identification
disc. Use a thin blade to prise out the disc.
Step: 3 Just
above the tap body is the headgear nut. Holding the tap firmly, unscrew the nut
and lift the headgear assembly out of the tap body.
Step: 4 You will
find the worn washer at the base of the assembly attached to the 'jumper'. With
some taps, the washer fits over a stud in the centre of the jumper, and is
simply prised off and replaced.
• Other washers are
held in place with a retaining nut.
Bath-tap washers are larger than those required for sink and basin
taps - replace a worn washer with a new one of the correct size.
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Step: 5 Before you replace the headgear assembly,
check the condition of the seat inside the tap body. The washer is compressed
against the seat, and if the metal is pitted, a new tap washer may not prevent
the tap leaking.
Step: 6 Buy a
reseating tool to smooth the seat. Fit the tool in the tap body and adjust the
cutter until it begins to remove the pitted metal as you turn the
handle.
• Alternatively, fit a
new plastic seat over the old one. These are supplied as a kit, complete with
new jumper and washer.
The latest type of taps use
ceramic discs in place of traditional rubber washers. These hard-wearing units
last longer, but in the event of a leak, it is necessary to replace the whole
disc cartridge.
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