Quick answer
Close the isolating valves, remove the lever (Allen screw under the cap or under the handle), unscrew the chrome shroud and the retaining nut and lift out the cartridge. Measure its diameter (25, 35 or 40 mm) and buy a matching one, universal or original depending on the brand. Clean the limescale out of the body with vinegar, fit the new one with the locating pins in place and tighten the nut without forcing it.
What you need
- Metric Allen keys, 2.5 and 3 mm
- 17 mm spanner or an adjustable spanner with a cloth
- Thin flat screwdriver
- Needle-nose pliers
- Ruler or callipers to measure the cartridge
- Phone torch
- Ceramic cartridge of the same diameter: universal 35 or 40 mm (8 to 15 euros at Leroy Merlin or Bricodepot) or original Grohe 46048, Hansgrohe M2, Tres or Roca (25 to 45 euros)
- Silicone grease for taps (4 to 8 euros)
- Cleaning vinegar and cotton buds
- Replacement O-rings for the swivel spout if it is a kitchen tap (3 to 5 euros)
Step by step
- 1
Turn off the water and protect the waste
Close both isolating valves and open the tap to release the pressure. Put the plug in the waste and a towel in the bowl.
- 2
Remove the lever
Prise off the red and blue cap with a fingernail or the thin screwdriver and loosen the Allen screw; if the screw is under the handle, loosen it from below with the Allen key at an angle. Pull the lever straight up. If there is no screw, it is a push fit: cloth and a straight pull with a rocking motion.
- 3
Unscrew the shroud and the retaining nut
Turn the chrome shroud covering the cartridge anticlockwise; if it is stiff, use the adjustable spanner with a cloth. Underneath is the brass retaining nut with two or four flats: loosen it with the spanner and take it off.
- 4
Take a photo and lift out the cartridge
Photograph the position of the cartridge and the pins. Pull up on the stem; if it is stuck, rock it gently with the pliers. Make sure the bottom rubber seal does not stay behind inside.
- 5
Measure the cartridge and buy the replacement
Measure the base diameter (25, 35 or 40 mm), the total height and the stem height, and check whether it has two pins or a distributor disc. Take the old one to the shop and compare it side by side with the new one.
- 6
Clean the tap body
Wipe the inside and the seat with a cotton bud dipped in vinegar. Open one isolating valve for a moment with a cloth over the body so the sand flushes out, close it and dry. Check that the three holes in the base are clear.
- 7
Fit the new cartridge
Grease the O-rings with silicone grease. Place the cartridge with the pins in their holes and in the same orientation as the photo. Screw on the retaining nut by hand until it stops and give it a quarter turn with the spanner. Fit the shroud, the lever and the screw.
- 8
Turn the water on and test
With the tap closed, open the isolating valves slowly and watch the base of the lever for a minute. Run cold, hot and mixed: the lever should move smoothly and close without dripping after 30 seconds. If it is stiff, loosen the retaining nut an eighth of a turn.
How to tell it is the cartridge and not something else
Four symptoms point to the cartridge in a single-lever tap. First, it drips from the spout with the lever closed: the ceramic discs are scored by limescale or the bottom seal is deformed. Second, the lever is stiff or moves in jerks: the internal grease has gone and limescale is braking the discs. Third, it will not regulate temperature properly, or only hot or only cold comes out: a disc has cracked or a port is blocked. Fourth, water comes out from the base of the lever when you open it: the cartridge O-rings have given up.
What is not the cartridge: a drip for a few seconds after closing (that is the water left in the spout), a crooked or weak flow (aerator full of limescale) and the puddle under the sink (flexible hose or isolating valve). On kitchen taps with a swivel spout, water around the base of the spout is the spout O-rings, not the cartridge. If you are not sure where it is coming from, start with how to fix a dripping tap, which covers every case.
Replacing the tap cartridge: which cartridge to buy, sizes and brands
The first thing is the diameter: measure it at the base of the cartridge with a ruler or callipers. The most common are 35 mm (basins and most kitchens) and 40 mm (high-spout kitchen taps and showers); 25 mm ones go in small bidet and compact basin taps. Also measure the total height and the height of the stem, and check whether the base has two locating pins (the norm) or a ring. Cartridges with a distributor (an extra disc at the base that directs the water) are specific to certain brands and cannot be swapped for universals.
Universal 35 and 40 mm cartridges from Leroy Merlin, Bricodepot and hardware shops cost 8 to 15 euros and fit Tres, Roca, Teka, own brands and most European-made taps. The brands with their own cartridge are Grohe (the 46048, 46 mm, for Eurosmart and Start, and the 46374 for older ranges), Hansgrohe (M2 and M3) and some Roca and Teka models; the original costs 25 to 45 euros and has to be ordered by reference. Take the old cartridge to the shop: it saves a second trip.
A practical rule: if the tap is under 10 years old and a known brand, buy the original; if it is older or own brand, a universal of the same diameter will do, and if the universal does not fit because of the pins, you are better off replacing the whole tap for 40 to 60 euros.
| Tap | Usual cartridge | Approximate price |
|---|---|---|
| Grohe Eurosmart, Start, BauEdge | Grohe 46048 (46 mm) | 30 to 45 euros |
| Hansgrohe Talis, Focus, Logis | Hansgrohe M2 or M3 | 30 to 45 euros |
| Tres Max, Base, Cuadro | Universal or Tres, 35 or 40 mm | 8 to 25 euros |
| Roca L20, Victoria, Targa | Roca or universal, 35 or 40 mm | 8 to 30 euros |
| Leroy Merlin, Bricodepot, IKEA, basic Teka | Universal, 35 or 40 mm | 8 to 15 euros |
Common mistakes when replacing the cartridge
The first is fitting the new cartridge without cleaning the tap body. The limescale and sand that scored the old one are still at the bottom; wipe it with a cotton bud dipped in vinegar, flush by opening the isolating valve for a moment with the body empty and a cloth over it, and dry. The second is fitting the cartridge turned 180 degrees: it goes in just the same, but the lever then gives hot on the right. Take a photo before lifting out the old one and respect the position of the pins.
The third is tightening the retaining nut as if it were a wheel nut. That nut compresses the cartridge against the body: hand tight plus a quarter turn. Overdo it and the lever becomes very stiff and the new cartridge splits within weeks; underdo it and water comes out of the base. The fourth is forgetting the silicone grease: a little on the cartridge O-rings and on the nut thread, and next time it will come out by hand.
And the fifth, buying from photos. Two 35 mm cartridges can have different stem heights, and the lever ends up rubbing on the shroud or sitting too high. Compare the new one with the old one side by side before leaving the shop.
- Put the plug in: the Allen screw and the cap drop straight down the waste.
- Protect the chrome shroud with a cloth if you use a spanner.
- Open the isolating valves slowly and with the tap closed the first time.
When to call a professional
Call us if the lever screw is rounded, if the lever will not come off even with vinegar and heat (first read how to take apart a single-lever tap with no visible screw), if the retaining nut is seized with limescale, if the cartridge is a discontinued model, or if it is a built-in shower tap with the cartridge inside the wall.
The Manitas Costa plumber fixes a dripping tap for 40 to 70 euros, with a universal cartridge included in most cases (original Grohe or Hansgrohe parts are added at the price of the part). If it cannot be repaired, replacing the tap costs 45 to 80 euros in labour. We carry 35 and 40 mm cartridges in the van. We arrive in 20 to 45 minutes in Valencia, Alicante, Torrevieja and Benidorm. Fixed price by WhatsApp with a photo, 6 months written guarantee and an invoice with IVA (VAT). More prices in how much a plumber charges.
Limescale on the coast: why cartridges last half as long
A ceramic cartridge in a soft water area lasts 15 years. With the hard water of Alicante, Valencia and the Costa Blanca, between 5 and 8. Limescale crystallises between the two discs, scores them every time you move the lever and eventually they will not seal. There is no way to avoid it completely, but you can delay it: do not slam the lever shut (a ceramic valve cuts the water without pressure), clean the aerator every three months so water does not sit in the body, and if the tap has filters in the flexible hoses or the isolating valves, clean them once a year.
If the cartridge has failed in under three years, check that sand is not coming through with the water: it happens after supply cuts in the urbanisations of Torrevieja, Orihuela Costa or the Marina Alta. A mesh filter at the entry to the property solves it. And if you would rather take the chance to upgrade, how to replace a kitchen tap has all the steps.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to replace a tap cartridge?
A universal cartridge costs 8 to 15 euros and an original Grohe or Hansgrohe 25 to 45 euros. If we do it, fixing a dripping tap costs 40 to 70 euros in Valencia, Alicante, Torrevieja and Benidorm, with a universal cartridge included in most cases; originals are added at the price of the part. Fixed price before we come out.
How do I know which cartridge my tap takes?
Take it out and measure the base diameter: 25, 35 or 40 mm. Also check the height and whether it has two pins or a distributor disc. If the tap is Grohe or Hansgrohe, look for the model reference on the box or stamped on the body and order the original cartridge. For the rest, a universal of the same diameter usually works.
Will a universal cartridge fit a Grohe tap?
Usually not. Grohe uses its own 46 mm cartridges (reference 46048 in Eurosmart, Start and BauEdge) with pins and a height different from the 35 and 40 mm universals. The same goes for Hansgrohe (M2, M3). Order the original by reference; it costs 30 to 45 euros but it lasts and keeps the tap guarantee.
Why is the lever very stiff after replacing the cartridge?
Because the retaining nut is too tight and is compressing the discs. Loosen it an eighth of a turn and try; repeat until the lever moves smoothly without water coming out of the base. The new cartridge may also have come without grease: a dab of silicone grease on the O-rings fixes it.
Is it worth replacing the cartridge or the whole tap?
If the tap is under 10 years old, a known brand and the chrome is fine, replace the cartridge: 10 to 45 euros against 40 to 150 euros for a new tap. If it is more than 15 years old, the chrome is pitted by the salt air or the cartridge cannot be found, replace the tap. Our tap replacement costs 45 to 80 euros in labour.