Everyone should know how to change a tap washer! Not everyone wants to, but its a handy skill to have.
You need a smallish shifting spanner, multi grips, long nose pliers, flat and or phillips head screwdriver and some washing up gloves.
You need tap washers most domestic taps are 1/2″ or 15mm, o-rings fibre washers and tap lubricant
Where does the water to your house, home, flat or property turn off?
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Does the water turn off? Try it! Shut down your water meter or control valve. Do not overtighten this valve! Open the taps you want to work on to see if the water has stopped. If the water has stopped, well done, you are on your way.
If you have a outside garden tap, open it to allow the water pipeline to drain outside. Put a bucket under this tap to catch the water for use on your garden.
Now, if you are working over a basin, bath or other type of sink, put the plug in , just in case you drop any small bits and they fall down the waste and get stuck in the “S” bend.
Next, begin to dismantle the tap. This is where you can put on your washing up gloves, they make it easy to unscrew the dome shaped cover plates. Then by using a shifting spanner you should be able to undo the tap spindles, depending on the tap design, however, when using your tools take care not to scratch or damage the tile, basin or work surface.
Now the tap washer can be removed by hand. Use the long nose pliers if you can’t get the washer out. With the tap spindle out, seperate the two parts of the tap spindle. (hold the main body and screw the inner part of the spindle in). The inner part of the spindle has the o-ring. Very important. Remove the o-ring. Fit a new o-ring, making sure it’s the right size, 8 or 8.5mm. Apply tap lubricant sparely. Then re-assemble the two parts of the spindle.
How are you going, dont panic, it is easy!
So, now insert a new washer into the spindle add a fibre washer and re assemble the tap.
Make sure the spindle is in the open/on position
Now put the complete spindle into the tap body. Tighten with your shifting spanner, firm, but not overtight. Now refit the cover plates/domes and handles. Now close the tap. You are nearly done so….. dont forget to breath!
Go to your water meter and turn it on say, 1 & 1/2 turns. Make sure you turn off the garden tap you opened earlier to drain the line. Go in and check your tap. Open it and let the water run through it. Open it right up and then turn the handle back and forth to work the lubricant into the o-ring and threads. Gooooood.
OK. Now turn the meter on fully, then back a little.
You are finished. Now enjoy a nice cool drink or cup of tea with the lady of the house. Well done!
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