Blog, DIY Plumbing Guides
How to change Kitchen Tap O Ring Kit
If your Kitchen Tap is dripping where the spout meets the base of the tap then usually a new set of O Rings should fix this problem.
Please also make sure that it is not the Spout itself that is damaged or has a crack or pin holes. (more about pinholes below).
DIY Guide for changing O Ring Kit on Standard Mixer Tap / Filter Tap
- Turn off the hot & cold water supply under the sink unit.
- Please see our blog post here to remove the spout: Removing a Kitchen Tap Spout
- Unscrew the spout collar by hand.
- Remove the two black “O” rings and replace with the new ones. We would never recommend replacing any of the white ptfe rings unless they are broken.
- Fit new “O” rings. Use plumber’s grease or washing-up liquid to lubricate the O-rings—avoid Vaseline, as it can damage rubber. Damaged O-rings upon installation may still cause leaks.
- Gently push the spout into the body. Take care when reinserting the spout. If there’s a grub screw, align it with the split in the white PTFE ring. If not, ensure the black O-rings stay in place—if they shift, the tap will keep leaking.
- If you have a collar (locking nut) then turn the collar clockwise to tighten.
- Turn on the hot & cold water.
- If your Spout is still leaking at the base, please check that all rings have been properly fitted into their grooves. Please check also for pin holes in the spout as these can be missed and that could be the reason why your spout is leaking.
- Tip: Take a picture of your own O Rings on your Spout before removing / replacing , to ensure that you replace like for like.
DIY Guide for changing O Ring Kit on Single Lever Tap
A single lever tap can be more complicated depending on where the o rings are located
Type 1: Where O Rings are easily accessible:
Refer to above guide for a mixer tap if the location of your O Ring Kit is similar to a standard monobloc twin or tri lever tap e.g. a side lever tap.
Type 2: Where O rings are below the cartridge – refer to your tap guide:
Troubleshooting:
I have fitted O Ring Kit and tap is still leaking? This could be due to how the O Ring Kit is fitted, so please check again. It could be that you have a pinhole in your spout and the spout is worn and then no new o ring kit will fit this. You would have to replace the spout itself.
Here is an example of a worn spout that had pinholes
