Quick answer
Stiff taps are scale build-up on the spindle, grease that has dried out, or a cartridge beginning to fail. Fix it early: the failure mode for a stiff tap is someone applying more force until the spindle or the handle shears, which turns a routine service into a replacement. If several taps have stiffened at once, hard water and scale are the likely common cause.
Common causes
- Scale build-up binding the spindle threads
- Original grease dried out over years of use
- Failing ceramic cartridge stiffening as it wears
- Corrosion between dissimilar metals in the tap body
- Over-tightening in the past, which deforms the seat and the washer
- Grit from supply work embedded in the moving parts
What you can do now
- 1Do not force it — a sheared spindle costs far more than a service
- 2Check whether one tap or several have stiffened, which distinguishes wear from water hardness
- 3Note whether it is stiff throughout its travel or only at the closed end
- 4Descale visible build-up around the spindle collar
- 5Turn the tap gently through its range every so often; taps that are never fully operated seize fastest
When to call a professional
Book a tap service: dismantle, clean, re-grease and replace the seals. It is inexpensive and restores the action fully. Call before applying more force — the moment a spindle or handle shears, the job becomes a tap replacement plus whatever was damaged getting the remains out, and on older or imported fittings a matching replacement is not always available.
Typical cost in Johannesburg
R450 per tap
Indicative ranges only. We provide written, itemised quotes before any work.
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