How to Replace your tap valve in your kitchen or bathroom

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How to Replace your tap valve in your kitchen or bathroom

Follow our easy Step-By-Step Guide to easily change your ceramic tap cartridge and fix and stop your leaking or dripping tap. Changing your tap cartridge is easy and straight forward to do yourself just with a few simple tools and without the need to call a plumber out. We are available for technical help queries should you need any help or advice at any stage..

STEP 1: Turn off your Water Supply. You can either do this with your isolation valves under the sink or at the mains. Once you have shut your water off; open and close your tap, to ensure no water comes out before proceeding. Put the plug in so you dont lose any little screws.

Tap Handles with a Hot Cold indicator on the end of the handle:

STEP 2: You first need to remove your tap handle. Tap Handles all remove in different ways. Below are some images detailing different tap tops / handles / heads / and how they are removed. These are just some examples. If you are unsure on removing your handle please email some photographs of your tap to us and we will be able to offer you further assistance.

To remove the end Screw covering cap you will need to use a small flat bladed screwdriver.

When this is removed you will be able to see a screw. Unscrew this with appropriate screwdriver and you will then be able to pull the handle off.

Tap Handles with a screw underneath:

Most Kitchen Lever taps have a grub screw underneath.

Occasionally there can be a small chrome screw cover which needs to be removed first.

Pull the the lever towards you so the grub screw is positioned at the back then it is easier to undo.

You will need an allen key to remove the grub screw. We sell a kitchen allen key pack in our spare parts section with the two sizes commonly used in handles. Click here to buy an allen key

See bottom image, there may be a shroud or cover which you will need to unscrew to remove.

You can view our video here of how to remove the tap that looks like the bottom image.

If your handle does not have a grub screw underneath then the actual lever may unscrew, or the handle may simply Pull off. Please contact us with a photo of your tap for advice.

Tap handles can be difficult to remove due to corrosion. You can try some WD40 or hot water to loosen it. Keep going at it and it will eventually come free.

Please see here for our tap handle puller / remover tool which will work with handles with a screw in the top and where you can get leverage under the handle like in this photo click here to buy the handle puller

STEP3: You will now need an adjustable spanner (or the correct size spanner) in order to remove the cartridge.

The cartridge will undo Anti-clockwise.

The brass cartridge may be very difficult to remove due to corrosion. You can try some WD40 or some hot water over the valve to try and loosen it.

When you have undone the cartridge you will get a small amount of water seep out, have a cloth handy to mop up this water.

Your cartridge may come out with an adaptor bush /conversion ring attached. Here are some examples of a tap cartridge with an adaptor bush fitted. You can try and separate / remove the adaptor bush from the cartridge. The bush can get corroded on which makes it very difficult to separate. You can try pouring boiling water over the cartridge, followed by cold water which may help break the seal of corrosion. Otherwise you will need to purchase a new bush as well.

STEP 4: You are now ready to replace the ceramic cartridge. The new replacement cartridge will screw back in to the tap Clockwise. Tighten the cartridge in enough to seal but try not to over tighten it.

STEP 5: Now all you need to do is re fit your shroud, your handle and re tighten the screw in your handle. Open and close your tap handle to make sure you have positioned your handle correctly If your handle is not aligning correctly please watch our video here

If you want to change your conventional / compression washer style tap gland over to a ceramic quarter turn cartridge you can watch our video here