Leaky tap help

[shrops-paul]

Hi. 
 

I have a recently new (like 3 months) tap which has been fine upto this week. It’s developed an intermittent leak where the arrow points in the photo. Do I just need to undo and remove the lever and tighten something up? There’s access for one screw beneath that looks to hold the lever on. 
 

Thanks. 
 

 

[Quinten]

I'm no plumber, but it looks like the cartridge (seal) is leaking.  I would turn of the mains to that tap, remove the lever and the cartridge, clean up and re-fit.

[Stuart]

Quinten I thought that but if the cartridge was leaking wouldn't it just cause a dripping tap?

[Quinten]

Not the cartridge itself, but the seal around it.  Maybe it wasn't fitted well (twisted)?

[shrops-paul]

I found a great picture online. I think I might strip it like you say. I’ve also contacted the seller/manufacturer for comment as it’s only 3 months old. 
 

 

[aeg]

Same thing happened to me , tap that was 6 months  old , just get a new cartridge mine was £10 ( make sure it’s the right one, loads of different ones.)I think it’s ceramic discs inside them? That fail.
Cheers Andy

[shrops-paul]

Hi.

 

I took it apart today (felt more confident with the above diagram ) and there was no visible faults or damage. Only real thing was the screw ring covering and holding in the cartidge was not particularly tight and probably not pushing the O rings in the cartrige up tight to the tap block. Ive cleaned and replaced everyting now and tightened the covering ring so will see how it goes. Meanwhile Ive whinged at the manufacturer so may get a spare cartridge out of them just in case 😄

 

Thanks for the help.

[Lyonspride]

Check the specs on it for the maximum standing pressure, a lot of the ceramic mixer taps are borderline with coping with UK water pressures, especially at night, and the solution is a PRV such as https://www.screwfix.com/p/honeywell-home-pressure-reducing-valve-15mm-x-15mm/7978j

Installed immediately aftre the stopcock.

Typically you want no more than around 3 bar, but at night when nobody is using water, it can rise to nearly 6 bar. I have a PRV set for 2.5 bar, I get full flow when I need it and I don't get leaking mixer taps.

Now this is normally where people start talking about turning down the stopcock, in the misguided belief that this will reduce the pressure, but it doesn't, flow and pressure are two entirely different things.
 

[Man On The Clapham Omnibus]

17 hours ago, Lyonspride said:

Now this is normally where people start talking about turning down the stopcock, in the misguided belief that this will reduce the pressure, but it doesn't, flow and pressure are two entirely different things.
 

I could never get that over to my Dad. He always throttled back the stopcock when he went on holiday, but demonstrated the error in his ways by putting my thumb over the tap spout after he'd turned the stopcock almost off. Opened the tap...   He was quite good about it once he'd dried his specs! 

[corsechris]

I'm surprised no-one has pointed out the obvious - everyone knows that once the tap starts dripping, the only correct solution is an entire new kitchen. 😄

 

Mind you, I have the same kitchen tap I bought about 25 years back and brought with me when I moved house (I did put a new one in its place when I left...)  Was going to buy a new one for the new place but no longer available...so I took it with.

[shrops-paul]

On 22/08/2020 at 09:44, corsechris said:

I'm surprised no-one has pointed out the obvious - everyone knows that once the tap starts dripping, the only correct solution is an entire new kitchen. 😄

 

Mind you, I have the same kitchen tap I bought about 25 years back and brought with me when I moved house (I did put a new one in its place when I left...)  Was going to buy a new one for the new place but no longer available...so I took it with.

Ive replaced the entire tap now, with a Carbon Fibre one with titanium alloy internal components and a ceramic coated internal pipe 😄

[shrops-paul]

Quick update. The tightening of the ring that retains the cartridge seems to have fixed it thanks. Probably not tignened up enough in the factory. However meanwhile,  the manufacturer also sent me an entire new tap! Great service from them (Gavaer, via Amazon).