Outside Tap Leak Repair in Kingston
A homeowner in Kingston reported that their outside garden tap was dripping constantly, even when turned fully off. The drip had been going on for weeks and was staining the brickw...
Response time
2 hours
Time on site
1 hour
Cost range
£95
Warranty
12 months
The Problem
A homeowner in Kingston reported that their outside garden tap was dripping constantly, even when turned fully off. The drip had been going on for weeks and was staining the brickwork below the tap. The homeowner was also concerned about the tap freezing in winter as water was sitting in the pipe.
The outside tap was a brass wall-plate tap with a double-check valve, installed approximately 3 years ago. The tap handle turned but the drip continued regardless of how tightly it was closed.
The Diagnosis
We inspected the tap and found the internal washer had worn and was no longer sealing. The tap's brass seat also had some minor pitting from limescale, which was contributing to the leak. The double-check valve was functioning correctly.
Rather than just replacing the washer, we recommended replacing the entire tap body — the brass seat pitting meant a new washer alone would only be a temporary fix. A new tap with an integrated double-check valve was the most reliable solution.
The Repair
We isolated the water supply via the internal isolation valve and opened the outside tap to drain any residual water. The old tap was unscrewed from the wall-plate elbow, and the threaded connection was cleaned.
A new brass outside tap with an integrated double-check valve was fitted with PTFE tape on the threads. The supply was restored and the tap was tested — fully open for flow and fully closed to confirm no dripping. The wall-plate elbow was checked for any signs of weeping.
Isolated supply and removed old leaking tap
Fitted new brass tap with integrated double-check valve
Tested flow and confirmed no drip when closed
Outcome & Advice to the Homeowner
The dripping was completely stopped. The new tap operated smoothly and the integrated double-check valve provided added protection for the water supply. The homeowner was advised to use the internal isolation valve to shut off and drain the tap before winter to prevent freezing.
We recommended operating the outside tap periodically even in winter to keep the mechanism working, and advised that the internal isolation valve should be turned off and the tap left open during freezing weather.
Job Summary
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