A dripping tap is one of those things you get used to. You hear it at night, you think "I'll get that sorted eventually" and then six months go by and it's still going. Out here in Wentworth and the surrounding districts, where water is genuinely precious and we all know it, a dripping tap is worth paying attention to sooner rather than later. Let's talk about what's actually causing it and why it's worth getting looked at properly.
How Much Water Does a Dripping Tap Actually Waste?
Most people underestimate this. A tap that drips at a steady but slow rate can waste somewhere in the range of 20,000 litres of water over the course of a year. If your tap is dripping faster than that, the number goes up considerably. When you're on scheme water, that shows up on your bill. When you're on tank water, you're watching your reserves quietly disappear without really knowing why. Either way, it adds up faster than it feels like it should.
The other thing worth keeping in mind is that a dripping tap rarely stays the same. It tends to get worse over time as the washer or seat deteriorates further. What starts as a slow drip can become a steady trickle if it's left long enough.
What's Actually Causing the Drip?
There are a few different reasons a tap drips, and the cause matters because it changes what the fix looks like.
- Worn washers. This is the most common situation we see, especially in older homes. Every time you turn a tap on or off, the washer gets pushed against a valve seat. Over time it wears down, stops sealing properly and water gets through. It sounds simple to fix and often it is, but if the valve seat is also worn or damaged, just replacing the washer won't solve it.
- Damaged O rings. In newer style mixer taps there are O rings that seal the moving parts. When these degrade you tend to get dripping around the base of the spout rather than from the spout tip itself. Again, pretty common and very fixable once you know that's what you're dealing with.
- Worn valve seat. The valve seat connects the tap and the spout. If sediment builds up and corrodes the seat, the washer can't seal against it properly no matter how tight you turn the tap. This is where people sometimes end up with a drip that keeps coming back even after they've had washers replaced elsewhere.
- Loose or corroded internal parts. Older taps especially can have packing nuts that have worked loose, or internal components that have corroded over years of use. The tap might feel a bit wobbly or hard to turn as well as dripping.
- High water pressure. Sometimes the tap itself is fine but water pressure is set too high for the system. This can force water past washers and seals that would otherwise hold just fine. If multiple taps in your home are dripping, pressure is worth checking.
Mixer Taps vs Traditional Taps
Worth mentioning because the two types behave differently. Traditional pillar taps with separate hot and cold are pretty straightforward to diagnose. When a mixer tap drips it can be a bit trickier because the single lever mechanism has more components involved and the type of cartridge inside varies between brands and models.
The most common situation we see with mixer taps is a worn ceramic disc cartridge. These are very durable compared to old rubber washers but they're not invincible. Hard water areas can cause mineral deposits to build up on the discs and eventually they stop sealing cleanly. Out here in western NSW the water can be pretty hard depending on your source, so this is genuinely relevant to local households.
When a Dripping Tap Points to Something Bigger
Most of the time a dripping tap is exactly what it looks like, a worn internal component that needs replacing. But occasionally it's a sign of something worth paying a bit more attention to.
If you're getting drips from multiple taps at the same time, that's a good prompt to have your water pressure checked. Excessively high pressure puts stress on all your fixtures, fittings, valves and appliances, not just the taps you can see dripping. Hot water systems, washing machine hoses and flexi connections under sinks are all under that same pressure and they're the ones that tend to fail in a way that causes real damage.
If the dripping started suddenly after a period of nothing, or if it's accompanied by changes in how the tap feels when you use it, a rough action or resistance that wasn't there before, it's a good idea to get someone to take a look rather than just waiting to see what happens.
Why It's Worth Getting It Sorted Properly
There's a temptation to treat a dripping tap as a low priority job. It's not gushing, nothing is flooded, life goes on. But there are a few good reasons to move it up the list.
Water conservation is the obvious one, especially in a regional community like ours where water supply is something we think about seriously. But there's also the cost side of things. A tap that drips for a year is money quietly going down the drain, literally. Getting it looked at and fixed is almost always the more affordable outcome in the long run compared to ignoring it.
The other reason is that the longer a worn component operates, the more damage it can do to the surrounding parts. A washer that's deteriorating rubs against a valve seat. A corroded seat is a more involved repair than a simple washer replacement. Catching it early keeps the job straightforward.
And honestly, you'll sleep better without that sound.
If you've got a tap that's been dripping away and you'd like to get it sorted, give Brad a call. Whether it's a simple washer in an old pillar tap or a mixer that needs a new cartridge, it's the kind of job that's satisfying to knock over properly. Reach out for an affordable quote and get it done.
Need a plumber in Mildura? Call Brad on 0411 755 399 or visit remoteplumbingaustralia.com.au
