Tap repairs and kitchen plumbing

What you might notice

A drip from the spout

A seal or cartridge may be worn. The type and condition of the tap help determine whether a repair is practical.

Water beneath the sink

Supply tails, valves, a waste joint and the tap base can all be possible sources. Tell us whether the leak appears while the tap is off, running or draining.

A tap or appliance needs connecting

Tell us what you are replacing or adding and whether suitable water and waste connections already exist.

Water around the base or handle

Notice whether the area becomes wet while the tap is running, when the spout swivels or even when the tap is off. These patterns point us towards different seals or connections.

Only one tap has weak flow

An outlet or local supply restriction may be involved. Tell us if the hot side, cold side or both are affected and whether other outlets behave normally.

An outside tap drips or leaks at the wall

Tell us whether water is coming from the outlet, around the handle or where the pipe goes indoors. If an outside tap started leaking after frost, the pipe or fitting behind it may also need checking.

The tap is loose but does not drip

The fixing beneath the sink or basin can loosen even if the valve still works. Tell us whether the entire tap moves or just the handle or swivelling spout. Movement can strain connections underneath.

Which sort of tap is it?

01Single-lever or twin-handle mixer

A single lever commonly uses a mixing cartridge. Twin-handle mixers may have separate valves. The right part depends on the make, model and fitting.

02Separate hot and cold taps

Traditional taps may use a washer and valve seat. Quarter-turn models often use ceramic valves. Both can drip from the outlet, so we check the fitting before choosing a part.

03Outside tap or appliance supply

We can assess an outside tap, a leaking isolation valve or the water and waste connections for a washing machine or dishwasher. Tell us what is leaking and whether the supply can be isolated.

What we can do

We can assess and repair suitable taps, fit replacements and outside taps, replace accessible isolation valves or stop taps, and connect washing machine or dishwasher water and waste connections to an agreed scope.

Parts we may check or replace

These are examples. We check what is fitted before choosing a replacement.

Ceramic cartridge for a kitchen mixer

We match the cartridge to the tap make and model. For example, the Bristan Axia professional mixer has a model-specific spares list. Similar-looking cartridges can have different stems and locating points.

Manufacturer details

Bath shower mixer diverter

A diverter sends water to the bath spout or the shower handset. We match the make and model before choosing a diverter, valve or seals. A new handset or hose will not fix every diverter fault.

Manufacturer details

Before you get in touch

Send a photo above and below the sink if convenient. Tell us whether you have already bought a replacement and whether the supply can be isolated.

• Washing machine and dishwasher plumbing problems
• Can I replace my kitchen sink without changing the worktop?
• Why is the water flow weak at just one tap?
• Why is my outside tap leaking after frost?
• What to do if your stop tap is stuck or leaking
• Why is there water under my kitchen sink?