To replace a washer, you need to know what size it is. As a rule of thumb:
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Taps which turn on and off with a quarter-turn have ceramic disks inside a replaceable cartridge.
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Taps which need several turns have rubber sealing washers, and basin and bath taps have different sizes.
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Mixer taps normally have small washers.
Either bring your old washer to the store, or buy a packet with several different sized washers.
To replace the washer, you will need a spanner, screwdriver, some wire wool, a cloth, and a new washer.
1. Turn off the water supply to the faulty tap / faucet. This might be a valve for the entire house (usually located close to the kitchen sink), or it might have its own valve, which turns off the supply to only that basin / sink / bath.
2. Turn the tap on fully to check that the water supply is off – there should be only a trickle of water.
3. Take off the tap / faucet handle. It can normally be pulled off, or you might need to remove the hot and cold indicator disk and then pull it off, or it might have a small screw underneath it.
4. You should now see the stem of the tap, with a brass nut holding it in place. Unscrew this nut with the spanner, and lift out the tap stem. The washer is on the bottom of this piece. Prise off the washer, and clean off any corrosion or scale with the wire wool. Put on the new washer of the same size. You should be able to just push it on, or it may be held on with a small nut.
5. Re-assemble the tap, turn the water supply back on, and you have fixed the leak and saved yourself money!
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