Casa · Tap dripping
A tap that drips from the spout
Introduction
A drip from the spout, with the tap shut, is the mixer cartridge or the washer of a two-handle tap. It is not the aerator. A weak jet, with the tap open, is a different page.
Quiz and outcomes A, B and C
1 / 3
Where does it drip from?
Outcome A / B / C — not a job
Dripping tap
What to do now (€ 0)
- Close the isolating valve underneath, if it turns.
- Do not put PTFE on the jet: the spout needs a washer or a cartridge.
- Read the brand and size before buying a random cartridge.
Minimal DIY
Household moves, not a building site. A stick and a deodoriser do not fill a dry trap and do not repair the sewer.
C) Who to call
No cartridge code, or a leak from the wall: a plumber.
How to tell it apart
A drip from the spout when it is shut: a cartridge if there is one lever, a gland or a washer if there are two handles.
Water from the body or from under the handle: not the jet. Shut the water anyway, before you take anything apart.
Water from the wall or the plate: not a spout spare. A plumber.
A pin-jet or a weak flow with the tap open, and no drip when it is shut: the screen and aerator. PTFE does not stop a drip from the spout.
Likely causes
- A single-lever cartridge that no longer shuts.
- The washer or gland of a two-handle tap.
- Isolating valves under the basin that will not close, so you cannot work on the tap.
- A leak from the body or from under the handle, different from a drip at the tip.
- A leak from the wall or the plate, which is not repaired from the spout.
What to do now (€0)
- Close the isolating valves under the basin. If they are missing or will not turn, stop. Do not strip the tap with the water open.
- Dry it and see where the drip starts again: spout, body, handle or wall.
- Photograph the plate, the brand and the size written on the part. Do not buy before you have them.
- Do not wrap PTFE tape on the spout.
- If the wall is getting wet, do not open it. Keep the water shut and move on to who to call.
A small DIY step
- With the isolators shut, and with brand and size, the spare is that mixer’s cartridge or that gland’s washer. A “universal” cartridge does not match: diameters and lugs differ.
- PTFE tape, if it appears among the cards, is for a male thread when you refit an aerator or a hose. It does not fix a drip from the spout, and it does not go on gas.
- Do not strip a wall mixer and do not loosen the plate.
- If the leak comes from the wall, there are no cards: do not buy an aerator instead.
Some links go to Amazon.it and are affiliate links: we may earn a commission, at no extra cost. They are category examples, not lab reviews. Amazon.com is not connected on the English edition.
4–12 €
Neoperl concealed aerator kit 16x1 + key
Example concealed aerator kit. For a recessed nozzle, not a visible thread. Not a lab review.
When: Basin/bidet with a concealed aerator, a crooked jet or a lime-blocked screen.
Not when: A stripped thread, a leak from the wall.
View on Amazon.itAmazon.it affiliate link (tag qordac21-21): we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. A category example, not a lab review. Amazon.com is not used.
8–18 €
Neoperl Honeycomb laminar M24x1
Example M24 aerator with a visible thread. Measure first: M22, M24 and M28 are not interchangeable by eye.
When: Tap with a visible M24 thread, splashing, scale on the screen.
Not when: You do not know the thread (measure first: M22/M24/M28).
View on Amazon.itAmazon.it affiliate link (tag qordac21-21): we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. A category example, not a lab review. Amazon.com is not used.
5–10 €
VCE PTFE tape 12 mm, 2 rolls
PTFE tape for a male thread (aerator, hose). 2–3 turns with the thread. Not for gas.
When: You are refitting a male thread (aerator, hose). 2–3 turns with the thread.
Not when: A drip from the spout (you need a washer/cartridge). NOT for gas.
View on Amazon.itAmazon.it affiliate link (tag qordac21-21): we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. A category example, not a lab review. Amazon.com is not used.
Do not use on gas fittings.
Mistakes to avoid
- PTFE wrapped on the jet.
- A universal cartridge picked with no photo and no measurement.
- Taking the tap apart with the isolators open.
- Mixing up a drip with the tap shut and limescale that chokes the jet.
- Opening the plate or the wall.
When to call a professional
A plumber if the water comes from the wall or the plate, if the isolators will not close, or if you do not have the cartridge code.
If the worktop keeps getting wet, shut the water and call. Do not try random parts.
Qordac has no tied tradespeople and does not book jobs. Enter the town: we open PagineGialle for that place. You check reviews and VAT. Not a Qordac ranking.
https://www.paginegialle.it/ricerca/Idraulico/{comune}
https://www.paginegialle.it/ricerca/Elettricista/{comune}
Phone directory, not quotes: paginebianche.it.
Safety
If water reaches a socket or an appliance under the basin, cut the power at the main before you touch anything nearby, and only if you can reach the switch without touching the water. Do not open boards, sockets or appliances while they are live: an electrician.
Questions people ask
I have one lever. What do I change?
That mixer’s cartridge, after you close the isolators and note the brand and size. Not a gland from a two-handle tap.
Will PTFE on the spout stop the drip?
No. The spout needs a washer or a cartridge. Tape belongs on the male thread of an aerator, not on the jet.
What do I photograph before I buy?
The plate, the brand and the size you read on the part, with the water shut. Without those the spare is a guess.
It leaks from the wall. Do I change the cartridge?
No. From the wall or the plate, call a plumber. If the jet is only weak, go to the screen and aerator.