Taps and valves in Sandwich.

Dripping taps

A dripping tap is almost always a worn washer, a scored valve seat, or on modern mixer taps a worn ceramic disc cartridge. Older traditional taps can usually be re-washered on site. Modern mixer taps with a failed cartridge are often cheaper to replace outright than to source a matching cartridge, especially on older or discontinued tap ranges. We tell you which is the better value before starting.

Hard water and valve wear

Out towards Woodnesborough, Eastry and Worth, harder water is common, and hard water shortens the working life of anything with a washer, cartridge or rubber seal in it. Taps, isolation valves and shower valves in those areas tend to need attention more often than the same fittings in a soft-water area. If limescale build-up is the recurring problem rather than simple wear, we can talk through options like a scale-reducing device alongside the immediate repair.

Isolation valves and stopcocks

Seized isolation valves under a sink or toilet are a common find when another job is underway, since they are rarely operated until they are needed in an emergency. We replace them as standard practice when we are already working on a supply pipe, so the next emergency has a valve that actually turns. Main stopcock replacement (where the existing one is seized or leaking) is £70 to £130 depending on access.

Outside taps

Outside tap installation, typically taken off an existing internal supply with an isolation valve fitted so it can be drained down for winter. £90 to £160 depending on pipe run length and whether the wall needs drilling through solid masonry or a cavity. A drain-down valve is standard on any external tap we fit, since a burst outside tap in a hard frost is one of the most common winter call-outs.