We all have that one person in our family that would consider themselves to be a handy man. Or as they would refer to themselves as ‘The King of do-it-yourself,’ and although their enthusiasm is appreciated, the effect it can have to your bottom dollar can sometimes create for an expensive experiment.
To help elevate some of the cost incurred by these types of D-I-Y experiments we have created some basic step-to-steps for how to fix the common leaking tap, so you can continue to experiment in your home and still achieve great results.
Step 1:
Before going ahead with any plumbing issue you want to ensure you have switched the water main off, this not only eliminates a leak becoming much worse, it also shows you know what you are doing.
Where you can find your water main? Your water main can be located at the front boundary, either on the right or left adjoining boundaries. If you’re in a duplex or unit you may share one with your neighbours, so you should have an isolation tap in the garage or near the hot water tank.
Before going ahead with any work check the water main has been turned off properly by turning on your nearest tap.
Step 2:
Make sure all water from both the hot and cold tap has been emptied from the line.
Step 3:
This next step is where people can incur issues. You want to remove the leaking tap.
To do so, grab a shifter and undo the top nut, once the top nut has come off, with your hands or lightly with a hammer tap the handle and it should come straight off.
Step 4:
Your next step involves using your shifter to unscrew the tap bonnet (which looks like a large brass-locking nut), once this has been removed a small nut on the spindle itself will need to be unscrewed.
Once you have completed these steps you will be able to analyse the state of the old spindle, which if the rubber washers (body washer) appear to be in a state of distress have been causing your tap to leak, racking up unwanted costs to your water bill.
Step 5:
Now we have found the source of the problem you can use your D-I-Y handyman skills to attach the new spindle and once again claim your title as the King of D-I-Y.
Before attaching the spindle you want to ensure that you clean inside the tap body and the surface which the spindle will now sit in.
To attach the new spindle add a new body washer at the rim of the tap base, screw the spindle into the tap base, tightening with a shifter avoiding over tightening.
Step 6:
Screw on the tap bonnet, firmly with a shifter.
You can now screw on the main body with your hands tightening firmly. Put on the handle and tighten the top nut with a shifter.
Step 7:
Very gently turn back on the water main and fingers crossed your leaking tap has been resolved.
Step 8:
Relax, sit back and admire your handy work.
Or if it all gets to hard give our highly trained technicians and plumbers a call at Curran to come in and handle the problem for you. We can offer on time, reliable and professional plumbing services and we will ensure to keep your D-I-Y kingship in tact throughout the whole process.
