Inside a washer tap
Under the handle sits the headgear, a brass assembly that screws into the tap body. Turning the handle drives a spindle down, and at the bottom of the spindle is the jumper valve: a small plate with the washer fixed to it. The washer presses onto the seat, a ring machined into the body, and that is what stops the flow.
Each part fails in its own way. A hard or split washer lets water past and the spout drips. A seat that has been eroded leaves a groove that no new washer can close. A worn O-ring or gland around the spindle lets water out near the handle instead of the spout.
Read the drip
| Where water appears | Most likely part | |
|---|---|---|
| Spout drips when off | Out the spout, steadily | Washer and jumper valve |
| Still drips after a new washer | Out the spout, even with a fresh washer | A pitted or grooved seat |
| Leak at the handle | Around the spindle when the tap is running | O-ring or gland packing |
| Handle turns and turns | Water never fully stops | Stripped spindle or headgear |
How a plumber does the repair
Isolate the water
The plumber closes the isolation valve under the fixture, or the main stop tap at the meter if there is no valve, then opens the tap to drain it.
Strip the tap
The handle and cover come off, then the headgear is unscrewed from the body with a spanner while the body is held so it does not twist the pipe in the wall.
Replace the wearing parts
A new jumper valve and washer go in, and the O-rings on the spindle are usually changed at the same time.
Check the seat
If the seat is pitted, the plumber reseats it with a cutting tool, or fits a replacement seat, so the new washer closes on a smooth face.
Reassemble and test
The headgear goes back with the right seal, the water comes back on, and the tap is run and closed a few times to check the drip has gone.
Is this a job you may do yourself?
You can
- In Queensland, swapping a jumper valve or tap washer is on the QBCC guide's list of unregulated plumbing. The guide says no licence, approval or reporting is needed, but "You still need to ensure that the work still meets the minimum standards of work under the legislation and codes."
- Western Australian homeowners may maintain or repair a tap, with one exception: thermostatic mixing taps are left out of Building and Energy's list.
- In the other states and territories, no list was found that we can point you to with confidence. Our DIY plumbing guide explains where each state stands.
- Anywhere: buy nothing until you know the tap's size and type, and know where the water shuts off.
Leave to a licensed plumber
- Reseating, which needs the right cutting tool and a steady hand.
- A tap body that is cracked, or that moves in the wall when you turn it.
- Headgear that will not budge: forcing it can twist the pipe behind the tiles.
- Thermostatic mixing taps.
A small job still needs the right licence
Outside those homeowner lists, a tap repair is plumbing work. NSW wants a contractor licence for it whatever the job is worth, and its Public Register shows each licence's categories, expiry date and any conditions on it. Queensland's QBCC keeps an occupational plumber and drainer register so you can run a check on the person coming. Our licence check guide covers every state.
When a washer is not the answer
If a tap closes with a quarter turn, it has a ceramic cartridge, not a washer, and the repair is a cartridge swap. Our tap repairs page explains the difference.
A house full of tired washer taps is also a reason to think about new tapware. A plumber can tell you which taps are worth another washer and which have worn bodies or seats that will keep dripping.
Signs of a rushed repair
- The drip is back within weeks because the seat was never checked.
- Scratched chrome from the wrong tool on the cover.
- A handle that now needs extra force to close, which wears the new washer fast.
- Water left on to the whole house because nobody looked for an isolation valve.
What we would do
If you are in Queensland or WA and the headgear comes undone easily, a new washer and jumper valve is a sensible first try. If the drip comes straight back, stop: the seat needs reseating, and that is plumber work. With several dripping taps, book one visit for all of them and ask for O-rings and seats to be checked at the same time. A plumber who repairs taps regularly will carry the common washer sizes and a reseating tool.