Washers, Nuts & O Rings
If your tap is dripping, a shower valve is weeping, or a sink plug seal has gone flat, you'll find the right washer, O ring or rubber seal here. We stock tap washers, rubber washers and O rings alongside fibre washers, back nuts, metal washers and grub screws.
Plumbing washers, O rings and seals
Tap washers, rubber seals, fibre washers and O rings for taps, valves, plugs and waste fittings.
A dripping tap usually needs a new tap washer or jumper, and a slow seep from a valve body is often an O ring that's hardened or distorted. For sink plugs and bath plugs, the flat rubber seal at the base of the plug or around the waste body is the part most likely to fail. We stock rubber flat washers, plug and trap washers, odd-shaped rubber washers, and O rings for shower valves alongside tap washers, fibre jointing washers, back nuts and metal washers for compression joints and fixing work. If you need rubber seals or plumbing seals in a size your local hardware shop doesn't carry, check the categories below.
Which type do you need?
Categories covering washers, seals, O rings, nuts and fixing screws for household plumbing.
Tap Washers & Jumpers
Flat rubber washers and jumper valves for pillar taps and stop valves. The standard repair for a dripping tap.
Rubber Flat Washers
General-purpose flat rubber washers for sealing joints, fittings and compression connections across most plumbing applications.
O Rings
Round-section seals for shower valves, tap bodies, sink plugs and other fittings where a flat washer won't seat correctly.
Fibre Washers
Fibre jointing washers for compression fittings, tap connectors and supply pipes where a soft, compressible seal is required.
Plug, Trap & Odd Shaped Rubber Washers
Non-standard and odd-shaped rubber washers for bath plugs, sink plugs, waste traps and fittings that flat washers won't fit.
Metal Washers
Metal washers for use under back nuts and fixing bolts where a hard load-bearing face is needed rather than a sealing washer.
Back Nuts
Threaded back nuts for securing taps and valves through basins, sinks and baths. Used with a metal or rubber washer beneath.
Grub Screws
Small headless fixing screws used to secure handles, spindles and fittings in taps and valves. Commonly needed when a handle works loose.
Common questions
Identifying the right washer or seal before you order.
What is the difference between a tap washer and an O ring?
A tap washer is a flat disc, usually rubber, that sits in the bottom of a tap body and compresses against a seat to stop water flow. An O ring is a round-section seal that sits in a groove around a spindle, valve body or fitting and creates a radial seal under pressure. Dripping taps from the spout usually need a tap washer. Leaks from around the base of a tap body or valve spindle are more often caused by a worn O ring.
Which washer do I need for a leaking tap?
It depends on where the leak is coming from. A drip from the spout when the tap is fully closed points to a worn tap washer or jumper valve. A weep from around the spindle or headgear nut when the tap is open or closed suggests a spindle O ring. A seep from the tap body where it meets the sink or basin surface is usually the back nut washer or the base seal. Take the tap head off and identify which component is the source before ordering.
Do O rings work for shower valves and sink plugs?
Yes. O rings are the standard seal for shower valve bodies, cartridge housings and diverter mechanisms. If your shower valve is weeping from the body rather than the head or hose connection, a worn or split O ring is the most likely cause. For sink plugs and bath plugs, the seal is usually a flat rubber washer rather than an O ring, though some plug bodies use a round-section seal at the waste inlet. Check the profile of the existing seal before ordering to confirm which type fits.
What are fibre washers used for in plumbing?
Fibre washers are used in compression joints, tap connectors and supply pipe connections where the fitting is screwed up tight and you need a soft material that will compress and conform to minor surface irregularities. They are common under tap connector nuts where the pipe meets the tap tail, and in some older valve and fitting types. They are not suitable where flexibility or a radial seal is required. For those applications, use rubber flat washers or O rings instead.
Do you stock odd-size washers that aren't available at hardware shops?
Yes. The plug, trap and odd-shaped rubber washer category covers non-standard profiles and sizes that do not fit the standard flat washer range. If you have a washer from an older fitting, a bath waste, or a trap body that you cannot match to a standard size, that category is the place to start. For very unusual profiles, send us a photo of the existing washer alongside a coin for scale and we can advise before you order.
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