Croydon tap plumbing • MPS Heating & Plumbing LTD
Leaking Tap Croydon
Tap dripping all night, leaking at the base, stiff to turn, or leaving water under the sink? MPS Heating & Plumbing LTD helps with leaking taps, dripping mixer taps, tap valve faults and small plumbing repairs across Croydon.
A leaking tap looks like a small job. Sometimes it is. A washer, a cartridge, an O-ring, maybe a loose connection under the basin. But when the nut is seized, the isolation valve will not shut, or the pipework has been bodged before, it can turn annoying quite quickly.
We repair and replace faulty taps in Croydon homes, flats, rentals and older conversions. As part of our wider plumbers in Croydon service, we deal with everything from dripping taps and leaking pipes to toilets, radiators and general plumbing repairs. We check where the water is coming from first, then tell you whether it is worth repairing or whether the tap has had its day.
Tap not stopping?
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Most leaking taps come down to one small part failing.
That is the honest answer. The awkward bit is getting to the part without damaging the tap, cracking a fitting, or finding out the isolation valve under the sink does not actually isolate anything.
On older taps, a drip from the spout is often a washer or valve issue. On modern mixer taps, it is usually a ceramic cartridge, O-ring, or worn internal seal. If the leak is under the sink, that is different again. That could be a flexi hose, compression fitting, loose tail, or old pipework moving when the tap is used.
We keep this page separate from kitchen tap replacement in Croydon. That page is more about swapping taps and fitting new tapware. This one is for leaks, drips, repairs and working out what has failed.
Common leaking tap jobs we see
- Dripping tap from the spout after it is fully turned off
- Leaking mixer tap around the body or swivel spout
- Water gathering under the sink cupboard
- Tap handle stiff, loose, spinning, or hard to shut properly
- Leaking stop tap or isolation valve near the basin or sink
- Old kitchen or bathroom tap that keeps coming loose
How to stop a leaking tap before we arrive.
If the tap is only dripping from the spout, it is not usually a panic. Annoying, yes. Expensive over time, yes. But not normally an emergency.
If water is running into the cupboard, dripping through the worktop, or reaching electrics, that is different. Turn the local isolation valve if you can. It is normally a small valve on the pipework under the sink, turned with a screwdriver or small handle. If that does not stop it, you may need to turn off the main stopcock. If water continues escaping or is causing damage, contact our emergency plumber in Croydon for urgent help.
Do not force a seized valve. That is where people get caught out. A small leak becomes a bigger leak because the old valve finally gives way.
Quick check: put a dry tissue around the tap base, flexi hose and pipe connection under the sink. Wherever the tissue wets first is usually the true leak point. Water travels, so the wet patch is not always where the leak started.
| What you can see | Likely cause | What usually needs doing |
|---|---|---|
| Tap dripping from the spout | Worn washer, ceramic cartridge, or tap valve not seating properly | Replace washer, valve, or cartridge depending on the tap type |
| Water leaking from beneath the handle | O-ring, gland seal, cartridge seal, or worn internal valve | Strip the handle section, check the valve, replace the seal or cartridge |
| Leak around the tap base | Loose tap, failed base seal, water getting through the worktop or basin hole | Tighten, reseal, or refit the tap properly |
| Water inside the cupboard | Flexi hose, compression nut, isolation valve, tap tail, or pipework joint | Trace the pipework and repair the fitting, not just the visible wet patch |
| Tap keeps getting stiff or noisy | Limescale, worn cartridge, pressure issue, or old tap internals | Repair if parts are sensible, replace if the tap is poor quality or heavily worn |
Compression tap, ceramic disc tap, mixer tap. It matters.
Not every dripping tap is fixed the same way. Older compression taps usually use rubber washers. Modern mixer taps often use ceramic cartridges. A lot of bathroom basin taps use small valves with specific splines and thread sizes, which means guessing the part can waste time.
That is why we do not like pretending every leaking tap is just “replace the washer”. Sometimes it is. Sometimes the cartridge is gone. Sometimes the tap body is damaged and the part costs almost as much as fitting a better tap.
In Croydon flats near East Croydon and West Croydon, we often see mixer taps with tight cupboards underneath and very little access. In older houses around Thornton Heath, Norbury and Selhurst, the issue can be old isolation valves, stiff stopcocks, or pipework that has been altered over the years.
Repair or replace?
We will normally try to repair a decent tap if the part is available and the rest of the tap is sound.
If the tap is cheap, corroded, loose in the sink, or already leaking in more than one place, replacement is often the cleaner answer. Not because it sounds better. Because repairing a poor tap twice is not doing the customer any favours.
Small leak, but still worth doing properly.
A dripping tap can waste water, mark sinks, damage cupboards and drive people mad at night. It is one of those jobs that gets left because it seems minor. Then the cupboard base starts swelling, or the leak reaches the flat below.
We are not going to scare you over a tap. But if water is escaping outside the sink or basin, it needs looking at properly.
Clear advice before work starts.
We explain whether repair or replacement makes more sense before you spend money on parts.
What we check on a leaking tap visit.
First, we find the actual leak. Sounds obvious, but with taps it is easy to chase the wrong bit because water runs along the underside of the sink and drops somewhere else.
- Whether the leak is from the spout, handle, base, hose, valve, or pipe joint
- Whether the hot and cold isolation valves work safely
- Whether the tap can be repaired with a washer, cartridge, O-ring or valve
- Whether the tap is loose, corroded, cracked, or not worth repairing
- Whether pressure or movement in the pipework is causing repeat leaks
A real one we see a lot.
Customer says the kitchen tap is leaking. You open the cupboard and the base is wet. The tap itself looks dry from above, so they think it is coming through the worktop.
Then you dry everything off and run the hot side. Nothing. Run the cold side. Tiny bead of water appears on the flexi hose connection. It tracks along the hose, drops at the back of the cupboard, and by then it looks like the waste pipe or sink seal is leaking.
That is why guessing is risky. A dripping tap from the spout is one thing. A hidden leak underneath is another. Same room. Different repair.
When it might not be the tap
If the sink cupboard is wet but the tap is dry, the leak could be from the waste pipe, trap, washing machine connection, isolation valve, or pipework behind the unit.
For water escaping from pipework rather than the tap itself, see our leaking pipe repairs in Croydon page.
Basin taps, bath taps, mixer valves, old handles and leaks around the tap base.
Kitchen mixer taps, dripping spouts, loose taps and leaks inside cupboards.
Clear practical repairs for landlords, tenants and managed properties.
When the problem is heating related
If the leak is coming from the boiler, filling loop, pressure relief pipe, radiator valve or heating pipework, that is a different job.
These pages may be more useful: boiler leaking water, boiler losing pressure, or boiler repairs in Croydon.
For gas and boiler work, MPS Heating & Plumbing LTD is Gas Safe Registered — ID 662170. If your taps have stopped producing hot water but your radiators are still working normally, read our guide on heating works but no hot water to help identify the most common causes before booking an engineer.
Related Croydon plumbing help
These are close problems, but each one has a different intent. Good for users, and it keeps the site structure clean.
Leaking tap FAQs
Quick answers before you book anything. Some tap leaks are simple. Some are only simple once you know exactly where the water is coming from.
How do I stop a dripping tap?
Turn the tap off fully without forcing it. If it still drips from the spout, the washer, valve, cartridge or internal seal may need replacing. For a leak under the sink, use the isolation valve if it works safely, then keep the area dry until it can be checked.
Can a leaking tap be repaired, or does it need replacing?
Many leaking taps can be repaired if the tap body is in good condition and the correct part is available. If the tap is corroded, loose, cracked, or cheap with hard-to-source parts, replacement often makes more sense.
Why is my mixer tap dripping?
A dripping mixer tap is usually caused by a worn ceramic cartridge, damaged seal, limescale, or a valve that is not closing properly. If it leaks around the base or handle, the fault may be an O-ring or internal seal instead.
Is a leaking tap an emergency?
A slow drip from the spout is not usually an emergency. Water leaking into a cupboard, through a ceiling, near electrics, or into another flat should be treated more seriously. If the isolation valve does not stop it, call a plumber.
Do you repair leaking taps in Croydon?
Yes. MPS Heating & Plumbing LTD repairs leaking taps, dripping mixer taps, tap valves, O-rings, flexi hose leaks and small plumbing faults across Croydon, Thornton Heath, Addiscombe, Norbury, Selhurst, South Croydon, East Croydon and West Croydon.
Can low water pressure make a tap leak?
Low pressure itself does not usually cause a tap to leak, but pressure changes, worn valves, loose fittings or old pipework can show up as tap problems. If several taps are weak, see our low water pressure page as well.