Your tap still drips after changing the washer. Here's why.

1. Check what kind of tap you actually have

Modern basin and kitchen taps in Singapore are almost all cartridge taps, not compression taps. The washer-and-spindle design that needs a washer change is rare on anything installed in the last 15 years. If you bought your HDB or condo unit after 2010 and never replaced the tap, you almost certainly have a ceramic-disc cartridge.

Cartridge taps don't have a "washer" in the old sense. They have a ceramic disc inside a cartridge. When they drip, you replace the whole cartridge — a $10–$25 part, not a $1 washer.

2. If it's a cartridge tap, the drip is one of three things

1. Cartridge worn out. Most common. Replace the whole cartridge.
2. Cartridge O-ring damaged. Usually from limescale. Sometimes fixable with a new O-ring set if the cartridge body is OK.
3. Tap body cracked. Less common. You'll see a hairline crack near the spout base. Whole tap needs replacing.

3. If it really is a compression tap (older HDB stock)

Older HDB units (pre-2005) sometimes still have compression taps. If you changed the washer and it's still dripping:

• The valve seat is pitted or scaled. The washer can't seal against a scratched seat — you need to re-grind the seat (cheap tool) or replace the seat itself.
• The washer is wrong size or wrong material. Singapore taps use a mix of imperial and metric sizes. A washer that "almost fits" leaks.
• The spindle thread is worn and not putting enough pressure. Replace spindle.

When to give up and call us

If you've replaced the cartridge or the washer once and it still drips, stop. You're either fixing the wrong thing or the seat is damaged. A typical Lion City Plumbers tap-drip diagnosis call is $60 + parts, and we carry the common cartridges on the van so it's usually done in one visit.