Dripping Tap

[The Central Scrutinizer]

I have had a dripping mixer tap on the kitchen sink for a few months now and have decided to tackle the job myself rather than pay a plumber do do it.
I have looked at different webpages and you tube videos and it looks pretty straightforward.I mean what could go wrong⁉️.
A few questions to ask you lovely people.Should i turn the water off from the stopcock(Haven't got a stopcock so i will have to turn the water off from the meter on the outside path)or will it be okay just to use the isolators underneath the sink?
I'm not sure whether it's the hot or cold tap which is leaking so should i just take both cartridges out and take them down to the diy shop?

 

[Drago]

Turn the tap on and while it's running turn the isolator on the appropriate pipe under the sink. If that cuts the flow then you're sorted. If not turn it off at the meter.

Mixers these days generally have a cartridge that isn't serviceable. Whip it out and fit a new one, they're inexpensive. Make sure you get one that turns the right way ie, anticlockwise or clockwise to open.

Good luck.

 

[annedonnelly]

I can't answer your isolaters question, but in my experience it's the cold water that goes first. Cartridges are pretty cheap online so I'd buy both. The problem I always have is getting the old one out - I usually need a stronger friend to do it for me.

 

[Mr Celine]

Turn off one of the isolators. Has the drip stopped? If yes, that's the faulty one. If not, try the other one. If neither stops the drip, turning the water off at the meter will stop the cold water and will also stop the hot if it's supplied by a combi boiler. If it's the hot that's dripping and you have a hot water cylinder you'll need to find the gate valve and turn that off.
I replaced one last week. Top tip is fill the kettle before you turn off the water and start taking things to bits.

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Turn off one of the isolators. Has the drip stopped? If yes, that's the faulty one. If not, try the other one. If neither stops the drip, turning the water off at the meter will stop the cold water and will also stop the hot if it's supplied by a combi boiler. If it's the hot that's dripping and you have a hot water cylinder you'll need to find the gate valve and turn that off.
I replaced one last week. Top tip is fill the kettle before you turn off the water and start taking things to bits.

Thanks for that tip It's the cold one.

 

[Jotheboat]

I was sitting in the boozer with a couple of mates who were discussing a central heating boiler problem. Round and round it went, each of them getting more irate. I put a smug look on my face, 'I know what to do. It's straightforward for anybody with any sense.'
That shut them up. Until.....
'Go on then clever dick, pray tell tell us how to sort it.'
'Call a plumber.'

 

[Kevberlin]

I did this very same job last week. Rather than buy a new cartridge, I simply cleaned the cartridge by dismantling it and soaking for 30 mins in a mix of white vinegar and bicarbonate. This removes offending limescale. It also saves trying to assess what cartridge you need to buy, as there are a myriad of options.
There are good videos on You Tube to assist.
Heres one:

View: https://youtu.be/cmvH9Koc0OI?feature=shared

 

[fossyant]

Be aware not all cartridges are the same, so I'd isolate the tap, remove cartridge and pop to the shops with it. The splines for the tap lever can be different as can the height of the cartridge.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I had this problem a few weeks ago
dithered and dallied for a week or mor ethen just decided to do it

As said above - I turned each tap on in turn then turned the isolator valve for it until the water stopped
on mine one just turned to a stop - the other would just spin but the water was off at a specific position - just different types of isolator

anyway - once you have done that then you should be safe

I found a small screw on the back of the handle - loosened that and I could take the handle off
There was then a nut to take off - took a lot of force and there was a risk of bending the drainer as it was quite thin so I had to brace it with one hand and turn it with the other
Then I could take the cassette out

Now I was planning on taking it to a plumbing supplier and acting dumb (not a big ask!)
but I had read that they should last many many years but can get get bits of grit in them which allows water to get past
so I tried just giving it a damn good wipe out all over

did that to both taps (it was the cold one that was leaking but may as well do both while it was out)
put it all back together and it has been fine ever since

By the way - I checked the prices of the cassettes - I could get an original from the makers - but it was twice the price of the DIY shops

 

[figbat]

I did this very same job last week. Rather than buy a new cartridge, I simply cleaned the cartridge by dismantling it and soaking for 30 mins in a mix of white vinegar and bicarbonate. This removes offending limescale. It also saves trying to assess what cartridge you need to buy, as there are a myriad of options.
There are good videos on You Tube to assist.
Heres one:

View: https://youtu.be/cmvH9Koc0OI?feature=shared

Why white vinegar and bicarbonate? Pure white vinegar I can see, since the acetic (ethanoic) acid will react with the limescale (calcium carbonate) and dissolve it away.

Adding bicarb (sodium bicarbonate) just neutralises some or all of the acid (depending on the amount you add).

 

[fossyant]

I ended up butchering the new cartridge and using some of the internals in the existing cartridge for my kitchen tap. To make things worse, the builders never fitted isolating valves on any of the taps when our house was built, so a full drain down is needed if the hot tap goes. Let's just say, when replacing the downstairs loo taps and sink recently, I took the opportunity to fit isolator valves.

 

[Profpointy]

Be aware not all cartridges are the same, so I'd isolate the tap, remove cartridge and pop to the shops with it. The splines for the tap lever can be different as can the height of the cartridge.

Indeed, there are hundreds of slightly different ones, unlike tap washers say. The problem is identifying what you need and getting a replacement whilst the tap is unusable. With generic no-name taps it can be hopeless and you end up with a new tap which is incredibly wasteful

 

[lazybloke]

I had a tap isolator fall apart the moment i turned it.

My plumbing recommendations are therefore:
Use good quality fittings
Have a stock of spares
Find and use the stopcock
Keep a bucket and towel handy

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

All done.
The isolator screws underneath the sink turned easy enough.17mm ring spanner for the cartridges which both turned with not much effort.
When i went to the plumbing shop for the replacement he gave me two cartridges,when i said i only needed one he said most people fit the hot and cold at the same time so we only sell them in pairs.
So when i got home i fitted both.
Maybe i was lucky that i didn't have no problems but i did find it quite straightforward and certainly saved some dosh in not calling a plumber out.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Isolate, and if the cartridge is not very old, take it apart, clean, reassemble and refit.

Can save a lot of messing about at plumbers merchants who say things like "never seen that one before" or "not in stock will order it and let you know when it is here" or give you a box of mixed cartridges for you to sort through yourself.

IME.