How to Fix a Leaking Tap in Ringwood

Published August 2026 | Leaking Tap Repair Guide

This guide covers everything you need to diagnose and repair a dripping or leaking tap in your home, from identifying which type of tap you have to replacing worn internal parts. It is aimed at confident DIYers in Ringwood and across Hampshire who want a practical, no-nonsense walkthrough before deciding whether to call in a plumber.

Before You Start - Safety First

Before you touch anything under the sink or behind the tap, the single most important step is locating your water supply. Every tap in your home is fed from either the mains or a cold water storage tank, and you need to isolate that supply before you start work.

Look for an isolator valve on the pipe feeding the tap. It is a small inline valve with a flat-head screw slot. Turn that screw so it runs across the pipe rather than along it and the supply to that tap should be cut. If there is no isolator valve, you will need to turn off the main stop tap, which is typically found under the kitchen sink or where the mains enters the property. In older properties across Ringwood and rural Hampshire, the stop tap can sometimes be in a utility room or even an outbuilding, so it is worth finding it before you need it in a hurry.

Once the supply is off, turn the tap on fully to release residual pressure and drain the water sitting in the pipe. Put a towel or small bucket under the sink before you begin. Even with the supply isolated, there is often a small amount of water left in the pipework that will drain out when you open things up.

Never work on a tap without isolating the supply first. A pressurised water line can release a significant volume of water very quickly, and you risk turning a ten pound repair into a five hundred pound water damage claim.

What You Will Need

The parts and tools you need depend on the type of tap you have, but the following list covers most common repairs.

Tools:

• Adjustable spanner or basin spanner
• Flathead and Phillips screwdrivers
• Allen key set (commonly needed for modern monobloc taps)
• Pipe wrench or grips, padded with a cloth to avoid scratching chrome finishes
• PTFE tape

Materials (depending on tap type):

• Tap washers - rubber or synthetic, typically 50p to £2 for a pack
• O-ring seals - various sizes, budget around £1 to £3
• Ceramic disc cartridge - for cartridge-style taps, typically £5 to £20 depending on the brand
• Valve seat re-facing tool - optional, only needed if the seat is damaged

Time estimate:

A basic washer replacement on a traditional pillar tap will typically take 30 to 60 minutes for someone doing it for the first time. A cartridge replacement on a monobloc or mixer tap takes a similar amount of time, though sourcing the right cartridge can add to that if you need to visit a trade counter. If you are not sure what you are dealing with, the Voltrade GoFIX diagnostic tool can help you identify your tap type and the most likely fault before you start dismantling things.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Identify the type of tap you have

There are two main types of household tap you will encounter in most homes in Ringwood: traditional compression taps, also called pillar taps, and cartridge taps, which include ceramic disc taps and ball-type mixer taps. The fix is different for each type, so it is worth identifying which you have before buying any parts.

Traditional compression taps have a rubber washer that presses against a valve seat to stop the flow of water. They are more common in older properties and usually come in pairs - separate hot and cold taps on a basin or bath. Cartridge taps use a replaceable self-contained cartridge that houses all the moving parts in a single unit. These are common in newer builds and in single-lever mixer configurations.

To check which type you have, unscrew the handle cap, which is the small decorative cover on top of the tap handle, remove the screw underneath, and pull the handle off. If you see a rubber washer at the end of the spindle, it is a compression tap. If you see a ceramic or plastic cartridge, you have a cartridge tap.

Step 2: Remove the tap handle

With the water supply isolated and the tap drained, remove the decorative cover or cap on top of the tap handle. This is usually held in by friction and can be levered off gently with a flathead screwdriver. Protect the chrome finish with a cloth if you want to avoid scratching it.

Underneath the cap you will find a retaining screw. Remove it and pull the handle free. Some handles twist off with a quarter turn; others lift straight up. Modern lever-style taps often use an Allen bolt rather than a Phillips screw, which is why an Allen key set is worth having to hand.

Step 3: Remove the packing nut or cartridge retaining nut

Below the handle you will find either a packing nut on a compression tap or a cartridge retaining nut on a cartridge tap. Use an adjustable spanner to loosen this - turn it anti-clockwise when viewed from above.

On compression taps, once the packing nut is removed you can unscrew the spindle from the tap body. The worn washer will be at the bottom of the spindle, held in place by a small brass nut. On cartridge taps, once the retaining nut is off, the cartridge will either lift straight out or require a gentle twist before pulling free.

Step 4: Replace the washer or cartridge

For compression taps, undo the small nut at the base of the spindle and replace the washer with a new one of the same size. Rubber washers are the most common type in older UK homes and they degrade over time from heat and use. While you have the spindle out, check the O-ring on the shaft. If it looks cracked, flattened, or worn, replace that too. These seals cost very little and replacing them now avoids a second visit later.

For cartridge taps, take the old cartridge to a plumbing merchant or take a clear photo of the make and model number stamped on the cartridge body. Replacement cartridges for common brands such as Bristan, Pegler, or Hansgrohe are available online or from a local trade counter. In Ringwood there are several plumbing merchants nearby who can often match a cartridge from the tap brand alone, which saves a lot of guesswork.

Step 5: Check the valve seat

This step is commonly skipped, but it matters. The valve seat is the surface inside the tap body that the washer presses against to form a seal. If the seat is pitted or corroded - which is more likely in areas with hard water, and parts of Hampshire have moderately hard water - a new washer will not last long because it cannot form a proper seal against a rough surface.

Run your fingertip around the valve seat. It should feel smooth. If it feels rough or you can see visible pitting, you can re-face the seat using an inexpensive valve seat re-facing tool that threads into the tap body, or you can fit a rubber seat liner over the existing seat. If the seat is badly damaged, the realistic options are a full tap replacement or a call to a plumber who carries the right tooling.

Step 6: Reassemble the tap

Reassembly is the reverse of disassembly. Wrap a couple of turns of PTFE tape around any threaded connections before you put things back together to ensure a good seal. Do not overtighten. Hand-tight plus a quarter to half turn with the spanner is enough. Overtightening can crack older fittings, particularly on vintage taps in period properties, which are common throughout Ringwood and the surrounding villages.

Refit the packing nut or retaining nut, reattach the handle, replace the screw, and press the decorative cap back into place.

Step 7: Restore the water supply and test

Slowly open the isolator valve or stop tap. Do this gradually rather than all at once to avoid water hammer, which is a loud banging in the pipes caused by a sudden surge of pressure. Once the supply is fully restored, run both hot and cold through the tap and check around the base of the tap, under the sink, and around any nearby pipe joints for new drips.

Turn the tap off fully and watch for about 60 seconds. If it is no longer dripping, you are done. If there is still a slow drip, check your washer seating and valve seat before moving on to the next section.

What to Do If This Does Not Fix It

If you have replaced the washer or cartridge and the tap is still leaking, there are a few things to check before calling for help.

First, confirm you fitted the correct size washer. A washer that is slightly too small will not form a reliable seal, no matter how new it is. Second, pay attention to where the leak is coming from. A drip from the spout with the tap closed points to a washer or cartridge problem. A drip from around the tap body or base while the tap is in use points to an O-ring or gland packing problem.

Leaks from around the spindle while the tap is open are a gland packing issue. The gland nut needs tightening, or the packing material needs replacing. On older taps, the gland packing is a fibrous material wrapped around the spindle that compresses to form a seal. You can often fix this by tightening the gland nut slightly - no more than a quarter turn at a time - or by adding new packing material under the gland nut. Graphite-impregnated packing cord is available from most plumbing merchants.

If the valve seat is visibly damaged and you are not comfortable re-facing it yourself, that is the point at which most people hand the job over to a professional. A plumber can re-face a seat in a matter of minutes with the right tool, and it is a relatively small part of a callout cost.

When to Stop and Call a Professional

There are situations where attempting to continue a tap repair yourself will end up costing more than calling in a plumber from the start. Our engineers recommend stopping and getting professional help when any of the following apply:

• The tap body or valve seat is cracked or has visible corrosion beyond surface pitting
• There is no isolator valve and the stop tap will not fully isolate the water supply
• The pipework behind the tap is corroded, leaking at joints, or has clearly been repaired multiple times already
• The tap is over 20 to 25 years old and the internal thread is damaged or stripped
• You are working near a hot water cylinder or an unvented pressurised system - these require qualified plumbers due to the safety implications
• You have attempted the repair twice and the drip continues

A standard tap repair from a qualified plumber in Hampshire typically costs between 80 and 150 pounds for labour, with parts on top depending on what is needed. If you are replacing the tap entirely rather than repairing it, budget between 150 and 300 pounds for supply and installation on a standard basin or kitchen tap. That figure can rise if access is difficult or if the pipework behind the tap needs attention at the same time.

That is not a small amount, which is why it is worth having a go yourself if the job is within your skill level. But there is a point where a repair that has already taken two attempts becomes more expensive than a single professional callout would have been.

Questions About This Process

How long does a tap washer typically last?

Tap washers in a regularly used tap typically last between five and ten years, though this varies with water pressure and local water hardness. In parts of Hampshire with harder water, washers can degrade more quickly due to mineral deposits around the valve seat. Ceramic disc cartridges generally outlast rubber washers and are less vulnerable to wear from high water pressure, which makes them a popular upgrade for frequently used taps.

Can a dripping tap increase my water bill noticeably?

Yes, in many cases it can. A tap that drips once per second can waste around 5,000 litres of water per year. If you are on a water meter - which is increasingly common across Hampshire - that adds up quickly. A persistent slow drip can add between 20 and 60 pounds per year to a metered bill depending on your tariff, so fixing it promptly is almost always worth the time invested.

Do I need to replace the whole tap or just the internal parts?

In most cases, replacing the internal parts is enough. Tap bodies are built to last decades, and it is the moving rubber or ceramic components inside that wear out first. The exception is when the tap body itself is cracked, the threads are stripped, or internal parts are no longer available for a very old model. If your tap is more than 25 years old and spares are hard to source, a full tap replacement carried out by a Ringwood plumber is often the more practical and cost-effective route.