How to look after leaking taps yourself

Dripping taps aren’t just annoying – they have the potential to add as much as £100 onto the cost of your water bill and waste up to 5,300 litres of water a year!

If you take out Premium Complete Home Emergency Cover, we won’t just help in the event of emergencies – we’ll help with dripping taps, and other non-emergency problems too.

Find out how to look after some of the basic problems yourself with our guide below. If you don’t have the right tools, or you’re unsure of how to carry out the work, it’s important to call in a qualified plumber.

Turning off your water supply

Before you start working on your taps, you’ll need to turn off your water supply.

1. You might be able to turn off the water to specific areas of your home (therefore you won’t have to turn your water off at the mains). Looks for a shut-off valve close to the area you want to turn the water off for. These are usually hidden behind – or under – fixtures.

2. If you can’t turn off the water for a specific area, you’ll need to locate the stopcock. These are typically found under the kitchen sink, but if you’re having trouble locating it, simply trace the pipes back from your tap until you find a valve on the main water supply.

3. Turn the stopcock clockwise to turn the water supply off.

Before you start

• Put the plug into the sink so you don’t lose any small parts down the plughole

• Take care not to scratch your chrome taps with any of the tools you use – where you can, use a soft cloth to protect the finish

• Don’t over-tighten washers or valves when reassembling, as this may damage the joint

• Make sure you have the right tools for the job and use protective equipment to avoid injury

Fix a dripping tap

You can then check to see the reason why you have a leaking tap by opening up the tap and inspecting the washer (only do this if you feel comfortable doing so).

If you can see a build-up of debris, clean this away, close up the tap and see if this resolves the issue.

Alternatively, you may see that the washer has become damaged. If this is the case, it’ll need to be replaced. You can read how to do this in our step-by-step guide to replacing a washer.

Take out a Home Emergency plan

Keep on top of emergencies – and non-emergencies too – by taking out Premium Complete Home Emergency Cover. As well as sending out a plumber in the event your plumbing and/or drainage system fails, we’ll also help with clearing blockages, repairing your taps and storing toilet facilities too.

Don’t let a plumbing mishap disrupt your day! Check out our plumbing and drainage cover, or take out a Complete home emergency plan for total peace of mind. Get a quick, free quote online to keep your water running. Or explore our full range of plans, including boiler and heating, and appliance cover.