My kitchen sink has a mixer tap which has started to drip. I'm told that they have a ceramic washer. Are they easy to change or is it a job for the plumber?
Changing washer on mixer tap
Feb 07, 2004
2 Replies
kipper wrote
It's an easy job although it turned out to be a bit of a pain for me. If your taps are anything like mine (Ideal-Standard) you have to replace a small "cartridge" containing 2 ceramic disks in a spring clip. They are easily available from proper plumbers merchants but there are many different types and when I went to get a new one they couldn't be sure which I needed. I had to come home again, turn off the water, remove the cartridge and take it back so they could identify it. If it helps, on my taps the cartridge is held in by a brass Phillips screw and to get to this you have to carefully lever off a chrome disk on the end of the handle.
Peter
Easy enough to change but you have to change the whole tap inners (cartridge). The procedure for removal is the same as for a normal rubber washer, take off the handle and undo the large hexagon nut underneath, after turning the water off of course! You would be best going to a Plumbers merchants and take the cartridge (and handle) with you so they can match it up to a replacement. It's not as simple as going in and asking "have you got a new set of cartridges mate?".
HTH
John
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