Fix a leaking tap

In plain words

Steps

1. 01

   Turn the water off

   Close the bathroom valve, or the valve under the tank. Open the tap and let it run dry.

2. 02

   Find where it leaks

   A drip from the spout is the washer. Water round the handle is the spindle. Water at the wall is the thread.

3. 03

   Open the tap

   Prise off the cap on the handle and undo the screw under it. Unscrew the top with an 8″ adjustable spanner, a cloth round the chrome so the jaws do not mark it.

4. 04

   Change the washer

   Pull the old rubber washer off the spindle and press on one of the same size; ½″ fits most bathroom taps. Screw the top back hand-tight, then a quarter turn with the spanner.

5. 05

   Reseal a wall thread

   If it leaks at the wall, unscrew the tap and clean off the old tape. Wrap PTFE tape the way the thread goes in, 8 to 10 turns, and screw it back till the spout points down.

6. 06

   Water on, then watch

   Open the valve slowly. Dry every joint with a cloth and watch it for five minutes.

7. 07

   If the tap is finished

   A cracked body or a spindle that slips cannot be fixed with a washer. Fit a new bib tap; a quarter-turn ceramic tap has no washer to wear.