# Persistent leaking taps



## n3xia (Feb 1, 2012)

Firstly, I'm not a plumber, nor am I wanting DIY advice. Also, I'm not sure if you guys will be able to help as I'm in Australia (couldn't find any decent Australian plumbing forums). But here goes: the taps on my bathroom (a combined laundry and bathroom in the same room), have always had a slow leak. The shower taps leak the most, but I've noticed the laundry sink tap and vanity sink tap sometimes leak at the same time. The leak is sometimes more frequent, or sometimes not dripping at all. If the shower is not dripping, the sinks don't drip either. But most of the time, the shower head is dripping.

When I had tenants in, a plumber 'fixed' the leaky shower faucets by replacing the taps. It seemed only temporary though, because with time, the dripping has returned. I've tried not to turn the taps off too tight as I've been told this is what causes washers to wear out and dripping to worsen. I don't want to get another plumber in only for them to do the same thing and the problem to never really be fixed. Is it possible this is a deeper issue, like something to do with the piping in the wall? I live in a unit complex and there is only one shut-off valve for the entire complex (34 units), so maybe this is a contributing factor? I have noticed when the dripping is at its worst, it's around the time when everyone is showering at night, etc. Maybe this is just a coincidence, but I can't help thinking that my taps drip more because there is a lot of water flowing through the complex pipes.

Any help/advice would be much appreciated, thanks!


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## RealCraftsMan (Dec 27, 2011)

n3xia said:


> Firstly, I'm not a plumber, nor am I wanting DIY advice. Also, I'm not sure if you guys will be able to help as I'm in Australia (couldn't find any decent Australian plumbing forums). But here goes: the taps on my bathroom (a combined laundry and bathroom in the same room), have always had a slow leak. The shower taps leak the most, but I've noticed the laundry sink tap and vanity sink tap sometimes leak at the same time. The leak is sometimes more frequent, or sometimes not dripping at all. If the shower is not dripping, the sinks don't drip either. But most of the time, the shower head is dripping.
> 
> When I had tenants in, a plumber 'fixed' the leaky shower faucets by replacing the taps. It seemed only temporary though, because with time, the dripping has returned. I've tried not to turn the taps off too tight as I've been told this is what causes washers to wear out and dripping to worsen. I don't want to get another plumber in only for them to do the same thing and the problem to never really be fixed. Is it possible this is a deeper issue, like something to do with the piping in the wall? I live in a unit complex and there is only one shut-off valve for the entire complex (34 units), so maybe this is a contributing factor? I have noticed when the dripping is at its worst, it's around the time when everyone is showering at night, etc. Maybe this is just a coincidence, but I can't help thinking that my taps drip more because there is a lot of water flowing through the complex pipes.
> 
> Any help/advice would be much appreciated, thanks!


Best hire another plumber!


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

Hire a plumber, trust me on this

sent from the jobsite porta-potty


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## Airgap (Dec 18, 2008)

Thanks for stopping by...

Thread closed...


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