1. How do I know if my taps have a rubber washer or a ceramic disc?

All taps fall into 2 categories; they either have a rubber washer or a ceramic disc, both of which stop the flow of water.

2. How do I know if I have a tap with a rubber washer?

Taps that have a rubber washer have a simple 'on' and 'off' turning usually with several full turns, which will either release or compress the tap washer against the valve. As part of your HomeCare Plumbing & Drains Cover agreement we include the replacement of rubber washers.

3. How do I know if I have ceramic disc type tap?

Taps that have a ceramic disc can be known as a 'ceramic disc type tap'. The most obvious external feature to help distinguish if a tap has a ceramic disc or not is how they are operated and turn. Taps that have ceramic discs usually have a 'quarter turn' (90 degrees) or a half a turn (180 degrees). These types of taps are normally quicker to operate than the traditional spindle taps that have rubber washers.

4. Why can you not always replace the ceramic disc in my ceramic disc type tap?

Taps with ceramic disc are designed to last a lifetime. Unfortunately, in hard water areas this is not always the case and it can be hard at times to service the ceramic disc

Ceramic discs tend be specific to each tap, there is a wide range of products and manufacturers in the market and this means that it's not always possible to find an exact match to repair or replace ceramic component. In addition some manufactures do not provide replacement parts.

As part of your HomeCare Plumbing & Drains Cover, we do not include the replacement of ceramic discs in taps unless we can replace them from the limited van stock range our engineers carry. If this is not possible we can offer you a replacement tap, at a discount off our standard prices, installed by one of our engineers.