How to tell which Valve needs replacing – Hot or Cold?
o Leaking Tap
Usually if your tap is dripping from the spout then you need to
Change the valve: Hot or Cold (or both) – if you have a Two Lever Tap
or Cartridge ( if you have a Single lever tap)
Which Valve is faulty?Hot or Cold?
The definitive way to check is to isolate each water feed in turn and thereby establish exactly which Valve (or both) is dripping. The following tip is only where you are unable to do this so it is rudimentary and not exact. Without removing the valves to see if there is any thing obvious on your valve to indicate that it is worn, you could run the hot water in your tap. Then turn it off and see if the drip continues to be warm or turns cold. If it turns cold then it is most likely the cold valve that is the problem. If it remains hot then it is most likely your hot valve.
A triflow tap has 3 valves , one for the hot side, one for the mains cold side and one for the filtered cold side. Usually the filtered cold valve and the mains cold valve are the same. If you have a filtered tap with 3 valve and you have narrowed it down to a problem on the cold side then it is far harder to distinguish which cold valve is at fault i.e. mains cold valve or filtered cold valve. What you could do is buy both valves and try the new one in both i.e. test it in one and if drip continues test it in the other one and see which ‘cold’ valve needs replacing. Remember that if you fit a new valve then it is ‘used’ and can’t be returned for a refund if not required.
Valves with CO AND ACO Symbols 2 LEVER TAP
Bridge lever valves with CO AND ACO Symbols
Single Lever Cartridge Example
Diverter Cartridge Example
Example of a Hot Valve
Summary of useful guides:
7 easy steps to replace a valve
How to change a cartridge in a single lever tap
Our complete section of Guides / Plumbing Tips can be found in the Helpful Tips section. These have been written with the home DIY person in mind so we have tried to keep technical information to a minimum.
I used your tip of running the hot tap then turning it off and seeing whether the drip is hot or cold.. In my case it the drip was still hot, so I fitted a replacement hot valve. Unfortunately the drip still remains! Is it possible that the cold valve needs replacing as well, or might it be something else? thanks – I have a Franke Planar.
Hi Nic. Yes it could be that both valves need replacing OR when you installed the new valve you either over tightened it and damaged it or there is debris still left inside your tap that is causing the ongoing drip. You didn’t say if you tried the simple test again to see if the drip was hot or cold ? Here is a troubleshooting guide to assist you to rule out debris issues etc. New Valve leaking. I also just checked and you did order the 2307R version which has the larger seal than the later version so I can immediately rule out it being a valve issue (in some cases the later valve SP3547 does not work as effectively in Taps that had the original 2307R valve when manufactured).
thanks Alice. I’ve had a look at that article, and can’t see anything obvious. So maybe I’ve over-tightened it, or maybe it’s the cold valve as well. I’ve just ordered a new cold valve so fingers crossed! thanks
A sure way, most taps fitted by a plumber will be fitted with individual isolating valves, turn off one valve at a time to reveal the leaking valve.
Exactly. That is the most definitive way to identify which Valve is leaking. It would be only where you are getting a plumber in, and are unsure as to which Valve is the issue, that you would order a pair to ensure that whichever the plumber needs is on hand (to save a second visit). Any unused parts can always be returned for a refund. Our shipping and returns details are here.