You're probably reading this because the tap hasn't just dripped once or twice. It keeps going. Daytime, overnight, when the house is quiet, it's there. You might try the obvious fix first, tighten the handle a bit harder, ignore it for a week, then realise the problem isn't going away.
A dripping tap is often a small repair, but only if you tackle the right cause. In Melbourne homes, especially older ones, the part that gets missed is often the valve seat inside the tap body. Replace the washer and skip that step, and the leak can come straight back. If you're wondering what to do if the tap keeps dripping, the answer usually starts with proper diagnosis, careful prep, and knowing when a simple job has turned into something bigger.
Why That Drip Drip Drip Needs Your Attention Now
The sound is annoying, but that's not the main problem. The actual problem is that a slow drip is a steady leak you're paying for.
In Melbourne, a tap dripping once per second wastes about 30 litres a day, which adds up to more than 10,000 litres a year, and costs roughly $30 to $50 annually on local water rates, according to Flow Now Plumbing's Melbourne leak cost guide. That's from one tap. One small fault. One fitting often put off because it seems minor.
Why people leave it too long
Most dripping taps still turn on and off, so they don't feel urgent. The basin still drains. The vanity still looks dry. The hot and cold still work. That's why people let them run on for months.
But taps rarely fix themselves. A worn sealing surface tends to get worse with use, not better. Every turn of the handle can keep grinding a damaged washer against a rough seat.
Practical rule: If a tap drips after you've shut it firmly, treat it as a repair job, not a nuisance.
What that drip usually means
A persistent drip tells you the tap isn't sealing properly anymore. In older compression taps, that often points to a worn washer, a damaged O-ring, or a rough valve seat. In newer tapware, it can mean a failing cartridge or mineral build-up affecting the internal parts.
What matters is this. If you leave it alone, you keep losing water, and if you attack it the wrong way, you can damage the finish, round off fittings, or crack brittle older components.
For most homeowners, the right approach is straightforward. Prepare properly, inspect the internal parts carefully, and don't assume a new washer alone will solve it.
Your Essential Dripping Tap Toolkit and Safety
A tidy repair starts before the tap comes apart. The difference between a clean fix and a frustrating Sunday often comes down to having the right tools on hand and shutting the water off properly.
What to put beside the sink before you start
For a typical dripping tap repair, gather these first:
- Adjustable spanner for loosening covers, nuts and tap bodies.
- Flathead and Phillips screwdrivers for handle screws and caps.
- Replacement washer or O-ring that matches the part you remove.
- Tap reseating tool if you're dealing with a compression tap.
- Soft cloth or rag to protect chrome surfaces from spanner marks.
- Sink plug or towel to block the waste and catch small screws.
- Container or tray for parts so nothing disappears behind the trap.
The reseating tool is the one many DIY jobs miss. If you're repairing an older style washer tap, it can be just as important as the washer itself.
Safety first, then speed
Before touching the tap, isolate the water. If there are stop taps under the basin and they work properly, turn those off. If not, shut off the mains and open the tap to release pressure. Don't skip the pressure release. It tells you the water is off.
A few simple habits also prevent damage:
- Plug the sink first so washers, screws and clips can't vanish down the drain.
- Cover chrome with a cloth before using a spanner if you want to avoid scratching the finish.
- Work slowly on older tapware because brittle handles and worn threads don't tolerate force well.
- Take photos as you go if you're not used to reassembling taps in the correct order.
Put the cloth on the tap before the spanner goes on, not after the scratch appears.
Know your stop point
DIY is fine when the tap comes apart cleanly, the parts are identifiable, and the shut-off valves isolate the fixture. It's not fine when the spindle is seized, the body is visibly cracked, or water keeps running even after you've turned the local valves off.
If you can't isolate water confidently, stop there. A dripping tap repair shouldn't turn into a flooded vanity or water through the ceiling below.
Diagnosing and Fixing the Common Culprits
The first thing to work out is what type of tap you've got. That changes the repair.
Compression taps usually have separate hot and cold handles and need multiple turns to open or close. These rely on a rubber washer sealing against a seat. Ceramic disc taps are usually quarter-turn and use a cartridge or disc mechanism instead.
Start with the tap type
If the handle keeps turning several rotations before shutting off, you're likely dealing with a washer tap. If it stops after a short quarter-turn movement, it's more likely a ceramic disc tap.
That matters because the classic dripping spout problem in Australian homes is most commonly caused by a worn rubber washer or a corroded valve seat, and the proper repair method includes reseating the seat if a washer alone doesn't solve it, as explained in RACV's guide to fixing a dripping tap.
If it's a washer tap
Take the tap apart carefully.
- Remove the indicator cap on the handle.
- Undo the handle screw and lift the handle off.
- Unscrew the cover and bonnet or gland area using your spanner.
- Withdraw the spindle assembly so you can inspect the washer at the end.
Look closely at the rubber washer. If it's split, hardened, misshapen or worn unevenly, replace it with the same size and style. Also inspect the O-ring and any visible sealing faces.
Here's the mistake that causes repeat call-backs. Many people replace the washer, reassemble the tap, and assume that's the whole job. If the seat inside the tap body is pitted or grooved, the new washer is trying to seal against a damaged surface.
The often-missed valve seat step
A corroded seat creates tiny divots. The washer can't compress evenly against that, so the tap keeps dripping or starts again soon after.
RACV notes that the reseating process uses a specialised reseating tool, available at Bunnings for about $10 AUD, to grind and clean the internal seat so the washer can seal properly. Their method is straightforward. Screw the tool fully down, rotate it clockwise to clean the seat, then turn it back counter-clockwise to remove it.
If you've never seen the process, this video gives a useful visual overview before you start:
The logic is simple. A fresh washer on a damaged seat is like a new tyre on a bent rim. It may hold briefly, but it won't seal properly for long.
Why quick fixes often fail
Many Australian DIY guides focus almost entirely on washer replacement, but they miss the seat condition. According to the verified guidance linked to this tap repair video explanation, 85% of DIY fixes fail when the seat has developed divots that a new washer can't seal against. That's why the reseating tool matters so much on older plumbing.
If your tap drips again soon after a washer change, don't keep replacing washers in a loop. Inspect the seat.
A new washer doesn't cure a rough seat. It just gives you a short delay before the drip returns.
If it's a ceramic disc tap
Ceramic disc taps are different. You usually won't find a simple rubber washer at the business end in the same way as a compression tap. Instead, the fault is often in the cartridge, sealing rings, or mineral build-up affecting movement and sealing.
In that case:
- Remove the handle and trim carefully to access the cartridge.
- Check for obvious wear or cracking on seals and cartridge parts.
- Clean away mineral residue if you can do so safely.
- Replace the cartridge if it's worn, damaged, or the manufacturer recommends replacement rather than repair.
If scale is part of the problem, Florida Water Management's calcium removal advice is a practical reference for cleaning mineral build-up from fixtures and surrounding surfaces before you reassemble. It won't replace a failed internal part, but it can help when deposits are stopping parts from seating or moving cleanly.
For a related fixture-specific problem, this guide on how to stop an Insinkerator tap dripping is worth a look because filtered and specialised taps can fail in slightly different ways from standard basin tapware.
Reassembly and testing
Once you've replaced the worn part and addressed the seat or cartridge issue, reassemble in the same order you took it apart. Tighten firmly, but don't overdo it. Over-tightening can distort seals and damage threads.
Turn the water back on slowly. Then test in this order:
- Open the tap gently and check handle movement.
- Shut it off normally and watch the spout.
- Check around the cover, spindle and base for leaks.
- Run both hot and cold if it's a mixer or paired set.
If the drip has stopped and the body stays dry, the repair has held.
Understanding the Costs in Time and Money
This decision is based on three things: Cost, time, and tolerance for frustration.
What a DIY repair really involves
If the tap comes apart easily and the part is easy to match, DIY can make sense. You'll need time to isolate the water, disassemble carefully, clean components, source the right replacement, then test everything properly.
The direct spend is usually on small parts and maybe one specialised tool. The key trade-off isn't just money. It's whether you can identify the actual fault and complete the repair without damaging older tapware, trim, or threads.
A basic DIY approach often suits:
- Confident homeowners who already own hand tools.
- Simple washer tap repairs where the spindle and cover undo cleanly.
- Situations where you can take the old part to Bunnings and match it accurately.
What hiring a pro saves you
A plumber usually saves you the trial-and-error part. They can identify whether the issue is the washer, valve seat, spindle, cartridge, supply connection, or the tap body itself. They also know when repair is no longer worth it.
Planning matters for renovation-minded homeowners. If the tapware is dated, hard to source parts for, or no longer suits the room, repair might only be a short-term patch. In that case, it's worth comparing the repair effort with a full fixture update and reviewing the best tapware brands in Australia before spending time on a temporary fix.
A practical way to decide
Use this simple filter:
| Situation | Best next move |
|---|---|
| Tap is older, accessible, and clearly a washer issue | DIY can be reasonable |
| Tap was already “fixed” once and still drips | Inspect the valve seat or call a pro |
| Cartridge tap with no obvious replacement part on hand | Consider professional help |
| Tapware is corroded, seized, or part of a planned renovation | Replacement may be smarter than repair |
If you're deciding what to do if the tap keeps dripping, don't compare DIY only against a service call. Compare both against the cost of repeated failed fixes, wasted weekends, and a leak that still hasn't been solved.
When a Drip Signals a Deeper Problem
A tap that still drips after a washer change usually means the first diagnosis missed something. In Melbourne homes, the part I see skipped again and again is the valve seat. If that brass seat is pitted, rough, or out of shape, a new washer will not seal against it for long. You either reseat it properly or the drip comes back.
That matters because the cost is rarely just the part from Bunnings. It is the extra water on your bill, the time spent pulling the tap apart twice, and the risk of missing a leak that has moved beyond the spout.
Signs the problem is no longer a simple tap repair
Start with what the tap is telling you during and after the repair.
- The drip returns soon after replacing the washer, especially if the seat feels grooved or looks scored.
- Water shows up inside the vanity or under the basin, not just at the spout.
- The handle or spindle area leaks while the tap is running, which points to seals, the spindle, or the body rather than the washer alone.
- Threads are seized or the tap body is badly corroded, making further dismantling likely to damage the fitting.
- Cabinet panels, skirting, grout, or paint nearby show moisture damage, which suggests water is travelling.
I tell homeowners to treat a repeat drip as a warning, not an annoyance. A washer is cheap. A damaged seat, split body, or hidden leak is where the true cost starts.
When the tap is only the visible symptom
Some leaks begin at the tap and end up somewhere less obvious. Water can track around the basin cut-out, down the back of the vanity, into shelving, or along silicone joints before you notice it. By the time you smell that damp, musty smell, the problem has usually been there for a while.
If moisture is showing up outside the immediate tap area, use this guide on how to detect water leaks to check the wider area before assuming the spout is the only issue.
Bathrooms that have been renovated or recently handed over need a bit more caution. Failed sealing, poor waterproofing details, or drainage issues can look like a tap leak at first glance. Awesim Building Consultants on bathroom leaks explains how those problems can show up after handover and why the wet patch you can see is not always the full story.
When to stop DIY and call a plumber
Call a professional if you cannot isolate the water properly, the tap body looks cracked, the seat needs reseating and you do not have the right tool, or the leak is showing up below the basin or in surrounding joinery. The same applies if the tap has already been repaired once and still will not hold.
A straightforward dripping tap repair stays contained to the tap. Once water is appearing elsewhere, parts are seizing, or the seat itself is damaged, the job changes from basic maintenance to fault-finding and repair. That is the point where getting it assessed properly usually saves money.
Your Dripping Tap Questions Answered
Is a dripping hot water tap fixed differently
The repair approach is usually the same. The difference is caution. Make sure the water has cooled before dismantling anything, and confirm the hot side is properly isolated before you start.
Can I just tighten the handle harder
No. That often makes things worse. Over-tightening can crush washers, strain the spindle, and make older tapware harder to dismantle later. Shut the tap normally. If it still drips, repair the cause.
How do I tell if it's a washer tap or a ceramic disc tap
Try the handle movement. If it needs several turns to open and close, it's usually a traditional washer tap. If it opens and shuts with a short quarter-turn, it's more likely a ceramic disc tap. That quick check tells you whether you're likely dealing with a washer and seat issue or a cartridge-style repair.
If the tap keeps dripping and you're also dealing with dated fixtures, suspected hidden leaks, or a bathroom that's due for a proper overhaul, Western Bathroom Renovations can help Melbourne homeowners with practical advice, leak-related bathroom solutions, and renovation work that fixes the problem properly instead of masking it.
