A dripping tap is easy to ignore for a while. It’s just a drip. But that drip runs all day, all night, every day. Over a month it adds up to a surprising amount of wasted water. Over a year it shows up on the bill. And the longer it drips, the more likely it is that what started as a simple washer replacement turns into a bigger repair.
Leaking taps in North Shore homes deal with are almost always caused by one of two things. Either the washer has worn out or the valve seat underneath it has deteriorated. Knowing which one it is before calling a plumber saves time, saves money and means the right fix happens on the first visit.
Here’s how to tell the difference.
How a Tap Actually Works
Understanding the problem starts with understanding how the tap is built. It’s simpler than most people think.
When you turn a standard tap on, the handle lifts a spindle. At the bottom of that spindle sits a small rubber washer. When the tap is off, that washer presses down against a brass ring called the valve seat, creating a seal that stops water flowing.
When either surface is damaged, the seal breaks and the tap drips. Two surfaces pressing together. When one isn’t smooth anymore, water gets through.
Signs It’s the Washer
The washer is the most common cause of leaking taps in North Shore plumbers get called out for. It’s a small rubber disc about the size of a five-cent coin and it wears out over time from being compressed against the seat every time the tap gets turned off.
A worn washer usually shows up like this:
- The tap drips from the spout when turned off. Slow at first, getting worse over weeks.
- Turning the tap handle harder stops the drip temporarily but it comes back.
- There’s no grinding or vibrating when you turn the tap. Just a drip.
- The tap has been working fine for years and the drip has only recently started.
Washer replacements are about as straightforward as plumbing gets. Turn off the water, pull the tap apart, swap the old washer for a new one, reassemble. A plumber does it in fifteen to twenty minutes. Parts cost next to nothing.
If the tap stops dripping after a washer change and stays dry, the job’s done. But if it starts dripping again within a few days or weeks, the problem isn’t the washer. It’s what the washer sits on.
Signs It’s the Valve Seat
This is the one that catches people out. They change the washer, the tap still drips, and they can’t figure out why.
The valve seat is the brass ring inside the tap body that the washer presses against. Over years of use, it develops pitting, corrosion or scoring. The surface gets rough. A new washer against a damaged seat can’t seal properly and water sneaks through the imperfections.
Leaking taps in North Shore properties in older suburbs deal with often come down to seats rather than washers. The houses are older and the brass has had decades to deteriorate.
Signs the valve seat is the problem:
- A new washer was just fitted but the tap is still dripping.
- The washer wore out unusually fast. A washer that should last a couple of years wore through in a few months because it’s being chewed up by a rough seat.
- There’s a grinding or chattering noise when you turn the tap off. That’s the washer catching on an uneven seat surface.
- The drip is worse from one tap but the other tap on the same set is fine. The seats wear independently so one can go while the other is still smooth.
A damaged seat gets reground using a seat reseating tool. It shaves the surface smooth again. Once flat, a new washer seals properly and the drip stops.
If the seat is too far gone, the whole tap body might need replacing. Less common but it happens on taps left dripping for a long time. Leaking taps in North Shore homeowners leave for months tend to need more than just a washer because constant water flow accelerates seat damage.
Mixer Taps Are Different
Everything above applies to traditional taps with separate hot and cold handles. Mixer taps with a single lever use ceramic disc cartridges instead. Two flat discs slide against each other to control flow. When they wear out or crack, the tap drips.
Leaking taps in North Shore kitchens and bathrooms that use mixers need a cartridge replacement. Cartridges are brand-specific, so a Methven won’t fit a Grohe. Check under the handle or on the base for a logo before calling.
When It’s More Than the Tap
Sometimes what looks like a leaking tap is actually a leak from somewhere else.
Water around the base of the tap could be coming from a worn O-ring on the spindle rather than the washer or seat. The tap turns on and off fine but water seeps up around the handle.
Water under the sink might be a leaking supply line or a loose compression fitting rather than the tap itself. Before assuming the tap is the problem, dry everything off, turn the tap on and watch where the water actually appears. Leaking taps in North Shore plumbers investigate sometimes turn out to be supply line issues that look like tap problems from above.
Getting It Fixed Properly
A washer change is quick and cheap. A valve seat recut adds a bit more time but still gets done in a single visit. A cartridge replacement on a mixer depends on parts availability.
The main thing is getting the diagnosis right the first time. A plumber who changes the washer without checking the seat might solve the problem temporarily. A few weeks later it’s dripping again and you’re paying for another callout.
Leaking taps in North Shore homes put up with too long waste water, damage finishes around the sink and can stain benchtops and basins. The repair is almost always simple and affordable when it’s done early.
Ask the plumber to check the seat when they change the washer. If it’s rough, recut it while the tap is apart. That way both wear surfaces are fresh and the repair holds for years instead of months.
Don’t Wait on It
A dripping tap doesn’t fix itself. It gets worse. The washer wears faster, the seat deteriorates further, and what would have been a twenty-minute repair turns into a tap replacement.
Leaking taps in North Shore residents call about are almost always fixable on the spot when caught early. Washer, seat, cartridge. One of those three is the problem. A good plumber identifies which one, fixes it and moves on.
The drip stops. The water bill drops. And that sound at 2am finally goes away.