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How to replace leaking tap washer?

Hi, tap in 50 yr old home is leaking to the extent where the water meter is now continuously running. I’ve removed the handle but the part circled in the image doesn’t budge with an adjustable wrench - unsure if I don't have enough strength but also scared about breaking something and not being able to stop the water when I turn it back on. What’s the right tool for this ? Name of the tool and pictures + instructions in your response would be helpful. Thanks heaps!

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EricL

Hello @Genie

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about your wall taps.

Once you have removed the tap handles, I suggest using any of the following tap spanner sets:

I also suggest having a look at this guide: How to replace a tap washer

If the provided handle is not enough to generate torque, the tap spanner can be turned using an adjustable shifter or a plumber's wrench. Should the spindle housing turn accidentally, and a leak occurs your first step is to turn your mains water off to stop the leak. You must also be prepared to do an emergency call out to a plumber. They will then remove the broken spindle and replace it with a new one.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

Genie

Thank you very much Eric. I'll look into this.

Can I please confirm with you, it looks like the adjustable shifter and plumber's wrench aren't available at Bunnings?

EricL

Hello @Genie

I suggest looking at these items - Craftright 300mm Adjustable Wrench or the Trojan 250mm Pipe Wrench. Either of these wrenches should work with the tap spanners.

Eric

Genie

Ah ok. Alright, thanks for your help Eric

Genie

Hi Eric

Thanks for your help so far. I ended up buying the Irwin spanner set yesterday and one of them fit which I was happy about! I bought the washer too and just the spanner was enough and I successfully replaced the washer. However last night when all was quiet, I could still hear the sound of water through the pipes. So I checked the water meter and sure enough the water meter number was slowly increasing. I have again turned the water main off.

But I wondered, how do I fix the problem where the water is leaking from the wall tap ? See photo.

When I'm in the room adjacent to the bathroom, I can hear the sound of water in the pipe at night. I don't know if I can attach a video so you can see the water leaking down into the wall. Can I cap off this part where the tap is connected to the pipe(?) in the wall - I don't know what's it called? If so, how do I do that and what tool do I need?

I don't want to do anything too much because I'm going to reno the old bathroom.

EricL

Hello @Genie

Thank you very much for the update. If you have a quick look at this guide - How to replace a tap washer specifically step number five. The leak could be coming from the spindle O rings which you can try to replace. It's possible that the spindle is not sitting properly or the red felt O ring is worn out and needs replacement. Worst case scenario is that there is a leak internally somewhere along your copper pipe. The only way to track it down is to look at your walls for water stains or water damage.

However, I would suggest trying out these basic trouble shooting steps first and see if it stops the leak. If the leak continues, I suggest engaging the services of a registered plumber to sort out the leak. My best advice is to make sure that the spindle is sitting firmly on the base of the tap body and to double check that there are no leaks along the body of the tap.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

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