Standard garden taps vs quarter-turn taps
A garden tap seems simple, but there are two quite different types, and which one you have changes how it wears and how it's fixed. The traditional garden tap turns several times and seals with a rubber washer. A quarter-turn tap opens and closes with a quick 90-degree turn using a ceramic disc or ball. Here's how they compare, why garden taps leak, and what to choose when yours needs replacing.
The two types
Standard washer tap
Turns several times from off to full. A rubber washer presses down on a seat to stop the water. Cheap and easy to repair, but washers wear and the tap starts dripping, and people over-tighten them to stop it.
Quarter-turn tap
Turns 90 degrees from off to full. Ceramic discs or a ball valve seal the water. Quick to use and long-lasting, with no washer to wear, but it shuts off fast, which can cause pipe banging on high-pressure lines.
Why garden taps leak
- Worn washer or seat: the classic drip from the spout on a standard tap.
- Leaking from the spindle: water around the handle when it's on, from a worn O-ring or gland.
- Leaking hose fitting: often just the click-on fitting or its seal, not the tap.
- Cracked tap or loose wall fitting: a tap that wobbles or leaks from the wall needs attention, as water can get into the wall.
- Leaking vacuum breaker: many garden taps have a backflow device fitted that can drip when it wears.
Backflow protection on garden taps
A hose left lying in a pond, a bucket of fertiliser or a pool can siphon dirty water back into your drinking water if pressure drops. That's why garden taps need backflow protection, usually a small vacuum breaker built into or fitted to the tap. When we replace a garden tap, we make sure it has the right protection.
Which to choose
For most homes, a good-quality quarter-turn garden tap with a vacuum breaker is easy to use and lasts. If your water pressure is high, we'll check it, as fast-closing taps can cause water hammer. See water hammer. We'll give you options and a fixed price before any work starts.
In southern Eastern Suburbs homes
Older homes in Matraville, Malabar and Botany often have garden taps that are decades old, with the wall fittings corroded by salt air near the coast. A tap that has to be cranked tight to stop dripping is usually ready for replacement.
Why locals call us
- Local to Matraville and the southern Eastern Suburbs
- Free on-site quotes, with a fixed price before any work starts
- Lifetime labour warranty on our workmanship
- 100+ five-star Google reviews
- Licensed plumbers and gasfitters (Lic. 398171C)
Common questions
What's the difference between a standard and a quarter-turn tap?
A standard tap turns several times and seals with a rubber washer. A quarter-turn tap opens and closes in a 90-degree turn and seals with ceramic discs or a ball.
Why does my garden tap drip?
Usually a worn washer or seat in a standard tap, or a worn seal in a quarter-turn tap or vacuum breaker.
Do garden taps need backflow protection?
Yes. A vacuum breaker stops dirty water being siphoned back into the drinking water through a hose.
Are quarter-turn taps better?
They're quick to use and last well, but they close fast, so on high-pressure lines they can cause pipe banging unless pressure is controlled.
Related help: taps and toilets, backflow testing, water hammer and pressure limiting valves. Local pages: Matraville, Malabar, Botany and Little Bay.