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My Kitchen Tap is dripping at the base of the tap?

Kitchen Tap dripping at the base

There are usually two reasons why your Tap is leaking at the base

1. O Rings on the spout are worn and need replacing
2. The Spout itself is cracked or has a pinhole, in which case you will need a new Spout.If you have inspected the O-ring and washer and they appear to be in good condition, you may need to check the spout for corrosion or pinholes. If you notice any damage, you will need to replace the spout with a new one.
   

   Example Pinhole in Spout

What are O Rings ?

• They are usually a combination of the hard plastic white ptfe Rings (usually the larger one is intentionally split as it might be used in a spout that requires a grub screw) and black rubber rings.  They are fitted into groves situated on the base of your Spout. When your Spout is fitted properly into your Tap you don’t see them. Most sets come with a grub screw but where the spout is secured by a locking nut, there is no grub screw included.  Some are designed to fit by a push down method.
  

  O Ring Kit 3668R that will fix the drip in this example here

• O Rings are not universal.  They are designed to work with the internal base of your model of Tap which is why you see so many different sets of O Ring Kits for sale.   Depending on the combination of design of the spout and the base, the O Rings will differ .
• All the O Ring Kits we sell on our website are genuine, sourced from the Tap manufacturer.
• It is rare that the white ones need replacing. We always recommend that you replace the black rubber ones first and refit your spout to see if you have solved the issue.
• We don’t supply plumbers grease but you can use any lubricant designed for rubber or washing up liquid. Do Not use Vaseline.
• If you are able to remove the spout in advance of ordering an O Ring Kit, we would recommend that you do this in order to inspect the spout to see if you can spot any wear and tear on the spout itself. This is to establish if you actully need to replace the spout rather than just the O Ring Kit.  DIY Guide below to assist you on all of this.
• 

  Spout example 1243R Locking Nut and 1239R O Ring kit

How we can help ?

If You know your part number :

We list O Ring Kits by Part number here and our Spouts by Part Number are here or contact us with your Tap details and we will send you the link to the correct part to buy.

Please note that part numbers can change subtly on installation guides from year to year, but still be the same part e.g  1239R could be listed as SP1239, or 3725R could be listed as SP3725 and so on. That is just the R being changed for SP. Once the numbers are the same, its the same part.

Some brands e.g Franke, Carron Phoenix, San Marco, Teka, give part numbers on their installation guides.

If you don’t know your part number ?

Do you know the  Brand or Model ?

We have Tap Parts listed by Brand (and model) alphabetically for your convenience , and if you click on the Brand it then shows all the Taps with Pictures and you just have to then click on your Tap Picture to buy the Genuine Replacement Part, so click here  or contact us with your Tap details and we will send you the link to the correct part to buy.

If You don’t know anything about your Tap ? Send your Tap details to us ! Our Sales Team is available to assist you and are familiar with all the well known UK Brands. If you contact us we will assist you in identifying the correct part for your Tap.

Details to send us :

• Picture of your Kitchen Tap.
• Date you installed it or best estimate.
• Other markings: Sometimes there is a clue to the brand e.g
  1. it is stamped on the base or
  2. a code on the back of the tap or
  3. a detail on the handle indicator.
• General Picture Tips
  1. Try and take the picture as clearly as possible in good light.
  2. Show all the Tap in the picture
  3. Close up of Spout / base useful.

Guide to Installation of new kitchen tap spout “O” rings:

1. Turn off the hot & cold water supply under the sink unit.
2. Unscrew the spout collar by hand or remove your grub screw (ensuring that you use correct size allen key because if you damage the head on your grub screw you might not be able to remove it. They are usually 2.5mm or 2mm.
3. Pull the spout out of the body of the tap.
4. Remove the two black “O” rings.  You should not have to replace any of the white PTFE rings unless they appear broken or damaged.  Please note: The larger ring has an intentional split to accomodate spouts with grub screws so that is not a fault/break.
5. Fit new greased “O” rings.  You can use washing up liquid if you don’t have any grease /lubricant suitable for rubber. Do Not use vaseline.
6. Gently push the spout into the body.  Where you have a Grub screw, care must be taken when reinserting the spout into the body to ensure that the grub screw is located in the split of the white PTFE ring.
7. Screw the spout collar, hand tight.
8. Turn on the hot & cold water.
9. *** You could also reading the comments (Q&A) at the very end from other customers that had questions which we answered as you might have the same question.  

You can buy Allen Key Pack here if required.

All the brands we do are listed at the end of this post.

Also reading the comments (Q&A) might also assist as it might cover a specific issue you are having but please feel free to add a query below as we will answer and it might also assist someone else who has the same query.