How to Fix a Leaking Tap: Mixer, Handle and Outside Taps

Quick answer

To fix a leaking tap, turn off the water to that tap, work out whether it uses a rubber washer or a ceramic cartridge, then replace the worn part. Old style taps with separate hot and cold handles usually need a new washer or O-ring. Single lever mixers usually need a new cartridge matched to the brand and model. Most drips are fixed in under an hour once you have the right part.

A dripping tap is rarely urgent, but it is never free. Watercare says a dripping tap can waste up to 33 litres of water a day, and if it is the hot tap you are paying to heat that water too. Leaks from the base of a mixer can also soak into the bench or vanity without you noticing.

The fix depends almost entirely on what is inside the tap, so this guide starts there. It covers isolating the water safely, the common leak points on mixers and handles, outside taps, and when a repair stops making sense.

How do I fix a leaking tap?

Isolate the water, take the handle off, remove the headwork or cartridge, and replace the worn washer, O-ring or cartridge with a matching part. The isolation step comes first because a tap opened under mains pressure will flood a kitchen in seconds.

Most modern kitchens and bathrooms have small isolation valves on the flexible hoses under the bench, which you turn a quarter turn with a flat screwdriver. If there are none, shut the whole house off at the toby. Our guide to finding your water toby shows where to look. Then open the tap to drain what is left in the pipe and put the plug in so small parts cannot fall down the waste.

Turn off the isolation valve or the toby
Open the tap to release pressure and plug the waste
Prise off the cap and remove the handle screw
Unscrew the headwork or cartridge retaining nut
Take the old part to a plumbing supplier to match it
Refit, turn the water on slowly and check for drips

Washer or cartridge: what is inside my tap?

If the handle turns several times from off to full flow, it is almost certainly a traditional jumper valve with a rubber washer. If it goes from off to full in a quarter or half turn, or it is a single lever mixer, it uses a ceramic disc cartridge.

Washer taps are the cheapest and simplest to fix. The washer sits on the bottom of a jumper valve and presses down on a seat inside the tap body. Over time the rubber hardens and the seat can wear a groove, which is when the spout starts to drip. Ceramic cartridges use two polished discs that slide over each other. They last a long time, but grit or scale can scratch the discs and stop them sealing.

Cartridges are specific to the brand, model and sometimes the year, so taking the old one to the shop is the best way to get a match.

Where it leaks	Tap type	Usual cause	Usual fix
Spout drips when off	Washer tap	Hard or split washer, worn seat	New washer, reseat if needed
Spout drips when off	Mixer or quarter turn	Worn or scratched cartridge	New cartridge
Around the handle	Washer tap	Worn O-ring or gland	New O-ring
Around the base	Mixer	Worn base O-rings	New O-rings
Under the bench	Any	Old flexible hose or loose connection	New hose

Why is my mixer tap leaking from the base?

A mixer that leaks around its base or under the swivel spout almost always has worn O-rings. Those rubber rings seal the spout to the body, and every time the spout is swung across the sink they wear a little more.

Replacing them means taking the spout off, which on most kitchen mixers is a grub screw at the back or underneath. If water is appearing under the bench rather than on top, check the flexible hoses first. Braided hoses age, and an old one can burst without warning, so they are worth replacing whenever the tap is being worked on.

Tap still dripping?

Cheeky's Plumbers fixes washers, cartridges and leaking mixers across Auckland, with the price agreed before any work starts.

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Why is my tap leaking from the handle?

Water seeping out around the handle while the tap is running means the seal around the spindle has worn. On washer taps that is an O-ring or gland packing on the headwork; on mixers it can be the cartridge seals.

This is different from a drip at the spout. A spout drip means the tap is not shutting off. A handle leak means water is escaping past the stem while the tap is open. The parts are cheap, but because the handle has to come off, the water still needs to be isolated first.

How do I fix a leaking outside tap?

Most outside taps are simple washer taps, so the fix is the same as an indoor one: isolate the water, replace the washer and check the O-ring. Many outside taps have no separate isolation valve, so you will usually need to shut off at the toby.

Outside taps have their own problems. A hose left connected with a trigger nozzle keeps the tap under pressure all the time, which wears the washer faster. Water leaking from behind the tap, where it meets the wall, is more serious, because it can mean a cracked fitting inside the cladding. That needs a plumber, as water inside a wall can do damage long before you see it. Cheeky's Plumbers can open up the minimum needed, replace the fitting and check nothing else is wet.

How much water does a dripping tap waste?

Watercare puts the figure at up to 33 litres a day for a dripping tap. Over a year that adds up to thousands of litres, which shows up on an Auckland water bill because Watercare calculates the wastewater charge from the water you use as well.

A fast drip from a hot tap costs twice: once for the water and again for the power used to heat it. Fixing the washer or cartridge is usually the cheapest saving in the house.

When should you call a plumber instead?

Call a plumber if the tap body is cracked, the leak is coming from inside a wall, the isolation valve will not turn, or you cannot identify the cartridge. Forcing a seized valve or a corroded headwork can snap old fittings and turn a drip into a flood.

Older homes need the most care. Mt Eden has Victorian villas and interwar bungalows with original or long replaced tapware where headworks can be seized solid. In newer suburbs like Silverdale, where most Millwater homes date from the 2010s, mixers are the norm and the job is mostly about finding the right cartridge. Cheeky's Plumbers works across both. If you are replacing old tapware during a renovation, every new tap sold in New Zealand must carry a water efficiency label under the WELS scheme, and that can be planned with your bathroom renovation plumbing. You can book online whenever suits you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I fix a dripping tap without turning off the water?

No. Even a small tap is under full mains pressure once the headwork is loosened, and water will spray out with real force. Always close the isolation valve under the bench or the toby first, then open the tap to release what is left in the pipe.

Why does my tap still drip after I changed the washer?

The seat inside the tap body is probably worn or pitted, so the new washer has nothing smooth to seal against. A plumber can recut the seat or fit a seat insert. On ceramic taps, the replacement cartridge may also be the wrong model or not fully seated.

How long should a tap cartridge last?

There is no fixed lifespan. Cartridges in good water conditions can last many years, while grit from mains repairs or scale build up can damage the discs much sooner. If a mixer becomes stiff, will not hold its temperature or drips, the cartridge is usually the cause.

Is a dripping tap a sign of high water pressure?

Sometimes. If several taps start dripping, valves on the hot water cylinder discharge often, or pipes bang when taps shut off, the incoming pressure may be too high. A plumber can measure it at the meter and fit a pressure limiting valve if it is needed.

Should I repair or replace an old mixer?

Repair it if the body is sound and the cartridge is still available. Replace it if the body is cracked or corroded, the parts are discontinued, the finish is failing, or a genuine cartridge costs close to a new mixer. A new tap also lets you choose a better water efficiency rating.

Who fixes a leak between the toby and the house?

In Auckland, Watercare owns the network up to the outlet of your water meter and you own the pipe from the meter to the house. A leak on your side of the meter is yours to fix. A leak in the street or before the meter should be reported to Watercare.