A dripping tap is more than an irritant — a single dripping tap can waste over 5,000 litres of water per year and add meaningfully to your water bill. In Bristol's older properties, worn tap seats, deteriorated washers, and failed ceramic disc cartridges are the most common causes of dripping taps. Hard water deposits can also cause tap handles to stiffen and ceramic cartridges to fail prematurely. Our plumbers repair or replace all types of taps including traditional pillar taps with rubber washers, modern single and double-lever mixer taps with ceramic cartridges, and thermostatic bar mixer showers. We carry a wide range of replacement cartridges, washers, and O-rings, and can also supply and fit a full tap replacement where the existing tap is beyond economic repair.
We identify the tap mechanism — pillar tap, ceramic disc, quarter-turn, or mixer — to source the correct replacement part.
We isolate the water supply to the tap, either at the service valve under the sink or at the stopcock.
The tap is disassembled and the fault identified — worn washer, failed ceramic disc, damaged O-ring, or corroded tap seat.
We replace the faulty component or, where the tap body is corroded beyond repair, supply and fit a new tap of equivalent quality.
Water is restored and the tap tested at full pressure to confirm the drip or leak has been resolved.
Tap washer or cartridge replacement from £65 including labour. New tap supply and installation from £110 plus the cost of the tap. We can advise on tap selection if you need a replacement.
Replacing a washer on a traditional pillar tap is a manageable DIY job if you can isolate the water. Ceramic disc cartridges and mixer tap repairs are more complex and may require specialist cartridges — we can source and fit these.
Dripping that worsens at night is often caused by higher mains pressure overnight when demand is low. A worn washer that copes during the day may fail under the elevated night pressure.
We can often source replacement cartridges that restore existing taps. Where you want a full replacement, we'll suggest options that match your current bathroom or kitchen style.