My mixer tap drips constantly — is it a cartridge fix or does the whole tap need replacing?
A mixer tap keeps dripping even fully closed, and turning it feels a bit gritty. I gather modern mixers use a cartridge rather than washers.
- Can a dripping mixer usually be fixed by replacing the cartridge, or does the whole tap need replacing?
- How do I know which?
- Does Dubai's hard water wreck cartridges faster?
Trying to fix it cheaply if I can rather than buy a new tap. What's the deal with cartridges?
3 answers
Short answer: a mixer tap that drips when fully closed is almost always a worn CARTRIDGE, not the whole tap — and replacing the cartridge is usually a cheap, quick fix. Modern single-lever mixers use a ceramic-disc cartridge instead of washers; when it wears (or gets scaled/gritty from hard water), it won't seal, so it drips and feels rough to turn. You replace the whole tap only if the body is damaged/corroded, the cartridge is obscure/unavailable, or it's cheaper to swap a cheap old tap than source the part.
Cartridge vs whole tap: - Replace the cartridge (usual fix): the tap body is fine, it just drips/feels gritty → a new ceramic cartridge restores it. Cheap part, quick job. The gritty feel you describe is classic worn/scaled cartridge. - Replace the tap: the body is corroded/cracked/leaking from the base, the cartridge is a non-standard/obsolete type you can't source, or it's an old cheap tap where a new one costs about the same as the hunt for parts.
How to tell which: - Drips from the spout when closed + gritty lever → cartridge. - Leaks from the base/body or the connections → could be seals or a failing body (may still be fixable, but inspect). - Identify the cartridge (brand/model) — matching the right one is the key to a clean fix; a mismatched cartridge won't seal. Manufacturers such as Grohe list the exact cartridge for each mixer model, which makes sourcing the right part far easier.
The hard-water angle: yes — Dubai's hard water scales up cartridges and aerators, so they wear/stick faster here; descaling the aerator and fitting the right cartridge (and a softener longer-term) all help. Turn off the isolation valve under the basin before any work.
So try the cartridge first — it's the cheap, likely fix. Get a licensed plumber to match and fit the right one if you're unsure. Anyone drip fixed with just a new cartridge?
Fixed exactly this with a new cartridge — the tap was dripping and gritty, plumber matched the cartridge, ten-minute job, drip gone, and it turns smoothly again. Would've been silly to buy a whole new mixer. The trick is identifying the right cartridge; there are loads of types and the wrong one won't seal. In this water they do wear faster, so it's a known maintenance item rather than a tap being "broken." Try the cartridge before believing anyone who says you need a new tap.
The gritty-lever tell is a good one — that plus dripping-when-closed almost always means the cartridge in my experience, not the tap. Hard water definitely shortens their life here; our aerators and cartridges scale up noticeably. Worth descaling the aerator at the same time while you're at it. Only time I've actually replaced a whole mixer was when the body had corroded at the base — otherwise it's been cartridges. Cheap fix if you get the right part.
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