Dripping tap: causes and fixes

A dripping tap is a small job, but it is one of the most common in Bristol. The city’s hard water is a big part of the reason. This guide explains why taps drip, how to identify yours, and when it is worth calling a plumber.

Why Bristol taps drip

Bristol Water says all water in its area is moderately hard to very hard, because the local rock is mostly limestone. It lists limescale on and around taps as one of the main effects. Inside a tap, that scale:

• builds up on the ceramic discs in cartridge taps, so they no longer close flat
• hardens rubber washers and O rings, so they crack and stop sealing
• grinds against seals each time the tap turns, wearing them faster
• clogs aerators and makes taps spit or splash

Hot taps tend to scale faster, because heat makes limescale form more quickly.

Identify the tap type

Tap type	How it feels	Common cause of a drip	Usual fix
Traditional pillar tap with washer	Several full turns from off to on	Worn rubber washer	New washer, sometimes reseat the valve seat
Quarter turn tap	Quarter or half turn from off to on	Worn or scaled ceramic cartridge	Matching cartridge
Single lever mixer	One lever for hot and cold	Worn cartridge	Matching cartridge
Bath or shower mixer	Lever or dual handles	Cartridge or diverter seals	Cartridge or seal kit
Outside tap	Several turns	Washer, often split by frost	New washer or new tap

Dripping from the spout is usually the washer or cartridge. Water seeping round the handle or base is usually an O ring or gland.

What you can safely do

1. Find the isolating valve on the pipe under the sink and turn it a quarter with a flat screwdriver. If there is no valve, turn off the stop tap.
2. Open the tap to drain it.
3. Put the plug in so small parts cannot fall down the waste.
4. Remove the handle cover and handle, then the headgear or cartridge.
5. Take the old part to a merchant to match it exactly. Cartridges vary a lot between makes.

Hold the tap body steady when undoing the headgear. Old taps can twist and loosen the pipe joint underneath.

If the tap is scaled solid, stop. Forcing it can crack the body or the sink. A plumber has the right tools to free it, and it may be better to replace the tap.

When to replace instead of repair

Replacement often makes more sense when:

• the cartridge is no longer made
• the tap body is badly scaled or pitted
• the valve seat in an old washer tap is worn, so a new washer only helps for a short time
• the tap is loose in the sink or worktop
• you want an isolating valve fitted at the same time

In older Bristol terraces, kitchen taps are often fed by old copper or even lead pipes. If you see dull grey pipe under the sink, our guide on how to tell if you have lead pipes is worth a read before the tap is changed.

What a drip costs you

On a water meter, you pay for every drip. A dripping hot tap also wastes the energy used to heat the water. During Bristol Water’s hosepipe ban from 27 August 2026, Bristol Water is asking customers to save water wherever they can, and small leaks add up over weeks.

If you have fixed all visible drips and your meter still moves with every tap off, there may be a hidden leak. Bristol Water’s help with leaks page explains how to test.

Outside taps

Outside taps drip for a different reason. A hard frost can split the washer or the tap body. Bristol Water’s winter advice includes lagging pipes in gardens and outside spaces. If your outside tap has an isolating valve inside, turn it off and drain the tap before winter. Our guide to frozen pipes covers this.

Bath and shower mixers

A drip from a bath spout when the shower is on usually means the diverter is worn, not the tap. The diverter sends water up to the shower head. In hard water it scales and stops sealing. On many bath shower mixers it can be replaced on its own. A thermostatic shower valve that drips from the head after use often has a worn cartridge or a scaled check valve. These are matched parts, so note the brand.

Flats and shared buildings

In a converted house in Redland or Cotham, the isolating valve or stop tap for your kitchen might not be where you expect. Some flats have no isolating valves at all, and the only stop tap is in a shared space. If you cannot isolate the tap, do not start taking it apart.

How a plumber helps

Our tap and toilet repairs page explains what a visit covers. A plumber will identify the tap, fit the right washer or cartridge, fit an isolating valve if you do not have one, and descale or replace the aerator. Bringing the old part, or a photo of the tap and its brand, means the right part is more likely to be on the van.

Keeping scale down

• wipe taps dry after use to slow surface scale
• soak aerators in descaler every few months
• consider scale protection or a softener for the whole home, keeping one tap on unsoftened water for drinking, as Bristol Water advises
• turn taps off gently; overtightening wears washers and cartridges faster