Why Are My Taps Leaking?

Do you like wasting money? Now pretty much everyone would answer this question by saying no; after all, people work hard for their money, why would they waste it? Well, many people choose to basically throw money away by not fixing their leaky taps. It is understandable why many people choose to ignore leaky taps, they do not cause any real damage, and if you can put up with the annoying dripping sound, then you will barely notice that your tap is leaking at all. The average leaky tap will waste over 20,000 liters a year; depending on your local water prices, that can result in about $100 dollars in wasted water. That does not sound too bad, but consider that if one of your taps is leaky, there is a decent chance that a bunch of other taps in your house are leaky as well. The costs add up quickly, so it is in your best interests to get your tap fixed as quickly as possible.

What causes a tap to leak?

There are a bunch of different reasons why taps may leak; some are easy to enough to fix that a person could do it on their own with some store bought tools, others are more complicated and will require the services of a plumber.

Damaged cartridge

The cartridge is the part of the tap responsible for regulating the flow and temperature of the water; so in other words, it is one of the most important components of the tap. These cartridges can get damaged, either from an accident or because it has become worn out after years of use. This problem is relatively easy to fix, if you have a cartridge that fits your tap, you simply have to pop out the damaged cartridge and put in the new one. Of course, replacing a cartridge requires a bit of knowledge on how taps work, so if you do not have the required knowledge or tools to replace the cartridge, you will need to either consult a guide or call a professional.

Pipe issues

It is possible that a problem with your pipes can cause your tap to begin leaking. There are a lot of potential problems that can affect piping; pipes can corrode, they can crack, they can be damaged by outside forces like tree roots. When pipes are damaged, the water pressure in a house can begin to fluctuate rapidly, which then causes your tap to occasionally drip. Now, this is unlikely to be the source of your tap’s dripping, why? Well, damaged pipes give off a lot of warning signs, including strange smells, strange coloured water, massive leaks, etc., so if your pipes are damaged, it is far more likely that you will encounter those problems as opposed to a leaky faucet.

Excessive water pressure

If the water pressure in your home is too high, it can cause water to begin dripping out of your taps. When the water pressure in a home is too high, it can cause issues with the water flow in the pipes. So, because the water pressure is so high, water cannot effectively flow to or from its destination, which means the pipes begin to get backed up with water. The backed up water has to find another route to go, so it begins leaking out of taps. The solution in this situation is to call a plumber to have your water pressure checked out; if the water pressure is too high, the plumber should be able to easily fix the situation.

Damaged valve seat

The valve seat is the crucial piece where the spout meets the tap, unfortunately, these pieces are also very vulnerable. They can corrode very easily, they be negatively affected by mineral build up, and they can be worn out through general use. If any of these things occurs, then your tap can begin dripping because an effective seal cannot be formed. This is one of those problems that can be fixed if you are handy, and have the necessary tools. But, it is also a very easy job to screw up if you do not know what you are doing. Given how important the valve seat is, it is better to let a professional plumber replace the valve seat.

Tap type

You may not know this, but there are actually many different kinds of taps, and certain kinds of taps are more prone to leaking, because of the huge amount of working parts within the tap. The prime culprits here are ball type taps. These taps are controlled with a single handle, which manipulates a metal ball located within the tap. The metal ball determines the level of water coming out, as well as the water’s temperature. These types of taps have a lot of moving parts and seals within them, and so they tend to wear out very easily and thus begin leaking. If you have ball taps in your house, you may want to consider switching to a different kind of tap. Disc taps and compression taps tend to leak a lot less than ball taps.

There are of course other reasons why a tap may leak, but these are just a few of the common ones. If you notice your tap leaking, you will want to get a plumber in to look at the tap ASAP. A leaky tap may be a warning sign of something much bigger, like water pressure problems, or damaged pipes. Yes, it can be a hassle to have to pay for a plumber and make time in your schedule so that the plumber can come look at the tap. But, think of it this way, a leaky tap may only cost a couple hundred dollars to fix at most, but if you leave the leaky tap, and it turns out to be a symptom of a bigger issue, you could potentially end up paying thousands of dollars in plumbing bills. So, be proactive and deal with a leaky tap the moment you discover that it is leaking.

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