How to Replace a Ceramic Cartridge 💧 Dripping Tap Fix

Roger shows you how to replace a ceramic tap valve cartridge.

Replacement Brass Ceramic Cartridge
_____________________________________

Things to consider when Replacing a Ceramic tap Cartridge

Replacing a ceramic tap cartridge is a common home maintenance task that can improve the function of your faucet and stop leaks. Most DIY enthusiasts can typically complete this project, but several important considerations must be made to ensure the process goes smoothly and effectively.

1. Identifying the Correct Cartridge: The first and most crucial step is identifying the correct replacement cartridge. Ceramic cartridges vary in shape, size, and notches, so it’s important to ensure the new one matches the old one. If possible, take the old cartridge to a hardware store to compare and ensure a perfect fit.

2. Turning Off the Water Supply: Before starting any work, turn off the water supply to the tap. This is typically done at the shut-off valves under the sink. Turning off the water will prevent any accidental flooding or water damage.

3. Tools and Materials Needed: Gather all necessary tools and materials before beginning the replacement. Typically, you'll need an adjustable wrench, a screwdriver, and possibly pliers. It's also a good idea to have some plumber's grease on hand to lubricate the new cartridge, which can facilitate smoother operation and help prevent future leaks.

4. Removing the Old Cartridge: Carefully disassemble the tap, often starting by removing the handle and cover. The cartridge is usually secured with a retaining nut, which needs to be unscrewed. Please keep track of all parts and their assembly order; taking photos during disassembly can help.

5. Installing the New Cartridge: Once the old cartridge is removed, it's an excellent opportunity to clean the inside of the tap and check for any debris or damage. Apply a small amount of plumber's grease to the new cartridge before installation. Insert the new cartridge to align correctly with any notches or grooves.

6. Reassembly and Testing: After the new cartridge is in place, reassemble the tap in reverse order. Once everything is tightened and back in place, turn the water supply back on and test the tap for proper operation to ensure no leaks.

By paying attention to these details, you can successfully replace a ceramic tap cartridge, ensuring a well-functioning, leak-free faucet.

==========================================
#Plumbing #DIY #howto

🛒 As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases

◾ Out of respect to our sponsors and followers, we'll remove comments that do not follow expected standards of politeness and decency.

[maljohnson]

Watched this video then took the taps apart and took the cartridge down to Screwfix. They matched it - bought a pair for £4.50. Went home and fitted them. Job done. Took ten minutes. Plumber quoted £110 to do it! Thanks!

[barkershill]

Having to fix a kitchen tap for the first time and just watched about six vids on the subject . This is by far the best!

[jazzman]

Excellent. I have the exact same tap in my kitchen! The last time we had a dripping tap, it was a washer. This is the first time I’ve had one with a cartridge.
Update: Our cold water was dripping, so I got a new cartridge and got a plumber to instal it and since the old one was very tight indeed, I’m glad I did. Trouble is, the cold tap still drips. I did find a strange way of stopping the drips though. If I run the hot tap until it’s too hot to touch for half a minute, then turn it off, the cold tap stops dripping! I think there’s a certain amount of heat expansion that stops the leak. Weird but it works! I’m thinking of getting an old style washer tap fitted in place of the cartridge tap. The tap and the rest of the kitchen is only three years old. In all the time I grew up, I can’t remember having taps needing as much as a washer replaced let alone an expensive part compared with a rubber washer replaced.

[realworldriding]

Roger - you are worshipped in this household - not a complicated job, but: "Fill the kettle" and "put the plug in" are priceless tips from the Top- thank you so much!!
PS stripped and refitted an entire bathroom following some of your other videos 🥇

[robinstokes]

As a maintenance guy my main peeve with these cartridge valves is the complete lack of standardised fitting, the end result being the whole valve is chucked away, even if it was (in theory) repairable. A lot worse for he planet than a little worn out rubber washer.
The number of different sizes is huge. It's often not just the overall height you need to know, let alone the number & diameter of splines. There are different heights / depths where they screw into the tap body & if that's too short the silicone seal doesn't seal properly. If the valve is too tall, you can't screw the valve into place fully without causing the tap to bind. As you point out, over time the silicone seals get compressed anyway, loosening the overall ceramic assembly & I've found this to be a very common cause of drips. In theory the seals are available as spares but... there's a whole load of different sizes of these as well & I have rarely found one to fit the valve I'm repairing.

[greenwarrior]

Thank you so much for this informative video. Fixed my dripping tap and im happy and proud of myself. Grandma 62 ❤😂🎉

[apeterwarren]

Short and sweet, completely to the point. Quality advice in a quality video. Very helpful. Thank you. Sept 21.

[jonnobleuk]

The spanner on spanner 🔧 trick to loosen it is genius! It felt like it was never coming off before. Cheers

[topfuelteddy]

Ceramic cartridge's are a crap invention, old rubber washers far better, pence to replace not 15 quid a time, can't even find the correct one for my tap .

[julesnfriends]

All videos should be exactly like this! Thank you for posting.

[sashaclarkson]

Thank you very much Roger - very useful - including your last minute aside about pressure versus flow rate!😎

[TheWorkingMumsLifeCoach]

Thank you so much for this video. It gave me the confidence to have a go. No more leaky tap!

[mandymcchow]

Thank you for your video, i just fixed mine following your instructions, it made my day!

[malcolmjames]

I love your videos, I used to listen to you every Saturday on LBC when people phoned in with there DIY problems.Years ago. Great help for the People who do DIY. It's nice to see your still helping them thanks. Keep them coming..

[joemercs]

You need to take care not to over-tighten cartridge retaining nuts. I had a combined hot/cold on/off bathroom sink tap that was rapidly dripping. The cartridge was plastic and the side wall that retained the end rubber ‘o’ ring seal had broken. During its assembly the retaining nut had been over tightened squeezing the rubber seal so hard that it had burst the plastic. Fortunately the weakness in this particular design had been addressed and the replacement cartridge had a much thicker thicker side wall. My advice is to apply a smear of silicone grease to mating surfaces and to only firmly snug up the retaining nuts. The result is that the ‘o’ rings retain some elasticity and the ceramic parts glide effortlessly whilst being completely water tight.

[baboo]

Hey Roger. Thanks mate. Perfect. I made the mistake of using the mole grips and snapped the end off! Then I spotted the hex and everything was easy after that!

[darrencampbell]

Checked a few other vids out before giving my leaky tap a bash this one knocked them all out the park. 👍🏻

[SteveHuntley-mi]

Thanks for this excellent instructive video. Watched it last night and successfully did the deed today!

[fampc]

Thank You! I work in a hardware store. I find customers make 2 trips because they don't know if the valve closes clockwise or counterclockwise. The wholesale distributors don't help this situation by labeling it Hot or Cold. The cartridge should be labeled CW or CCW.

[RobE]

Thanks very much for this video, annoying “fancy” dripping tap (that the previous owner of our house installed so I didn’t quite know what it was) correctly identified on the website you suggested and fixed for £30 (both sides) DIY saved me a lot of cash as I thought we might need a new tap fitting! Thanks again 👍