Hi All.
Looking for some advice on bath and basin waste\plug hole swap-outs. I've done a small number for customers as part of other work, though I'm not a full on plumber. Always get issues with basins, but one bath waste causing me real grief at present!
Sorry for length of post, hopefully gives you enough info on my level of experience, and what I've attempted so far.
- Always find I have to repeatedly attempt to fit basin wastes, they leak slightly each attempt!
- I find the underside of the basin, and it's sealing, the most problematic and seems the most critical in stopping leaks!
- Find the inclusive sealing washers, to be fitted behind the large plastic fixing nut, are crap in my opinion - basin holes usually oval and deformed, and washer only 2-3 mm wider than this!!! Obviously "skates" out of position and deforms itself if done anything more than finger tight - I normally add about half to 3/4 turn so plumbers mate oozes out evenly.
- I usually fit the chrome waste into the basin on a bed of plumbers sealant, and often resort to swapping supplied rubber washers for white large rigid plastic ones, then plumbers mate on the side against the ceramic.
- Then test all over a bucket, with basin outside house. Test with plug in the basin to almost full, then over fill it to test overflow, then fit U bend - to add a restriction - and "dump" basin full of water out! Checking underside for leaks all the time.
Despite all of this, still get occasional leaks from underside seal and have to re-fit a couple of times at least!!!
Have the same with a bath waste at present on an existing bath. Fitted new B&Q waste and overflow - dry with just supplied rubber sealing washers. Tested ok, customer reported leak a week after! Appeared to leak from sealing washer on underside, tried tightening slightly; stripped thread! Replaced with Travis Perkins item, seemed more substantial and had lip to keep underside washer seated and central. Took no chance, applied plumbers mate to underside washer. Tested with bath half full and then emptied - all ok. Mating faces on acrylic bath all clean and good nick.
Guess what? Customer reports catch tray placed underneath it almost full after a couple of days!!!
If I didn't know better I'd say it's a windup.
Is there anything I'm missing?
Is there any additional advice?
Is plumbing at this simple level supposed to be so difficult?
Is it me, or are some of these fittings really that poor? Sometimes seems that the difference between fitting one and it leaking, or not, is so fine!
Would welcome any advice, including don't do plumbing in future
Regards,
Neil
Looking for some advice on bath and basin waste\plug hole swap-outs. I've done a small number for customers as part of other work, though I'm not a full on plumber. Always get issues with basins, but one bath waste causing me real grief at present!
Sorry for length of post, hopefully gives you enough info on my level of experience, and what I've attempted so far.
- Always find I have to repeatedly attempt to fit basin wastes, they leak slightly each attempt!
- I find the underside of the basin, and it's sealing, the most problematic and seems the most critical in stopping leaks!
- Find the inclusive sealing washers, to be fitted behind the large plastic fixing nut, are crap in my opinion - basin holes usually oval and deformed, and washer only 2-3 mm wider than this!!! Obviously "skates" out of position and deforms itself if done anything more than finger tight - I normally add about half to 3/4 turn so plumbers mate oozes out evenly.
- I usually fit the chrome waste into the basin on a bed of plumbers sealant, and often resort to swapping supplied rubber washers for white large rigid plastic ones, then plumbers mate on the side against the ceramic.
- Then test all over a bucket, with basin outside house. Test with plug in the basin to almost full, then over fill it to test overflow, then fit U bend - to add a restriction - and "dump" basin full of water out! Checking underside for leaks all the time.
Despite all of this, still get occasional leaks from underside seal and have to re-fit a couple of times at least!!!
Have the same with a bath waste at present on an existing bath. Fitted new B&Q waste and overflow - dry with just supplied rubber sealing washers. Tested ok, customer reported leak a week after! Appeared to leak from sealing washer on underside, tried tightening slightly; stripped thread! Replaced with Travis Perkins item, seemed more substantial and had lip to keep underside washer seated and central. Took no chance, applied plumbers mate to underside washer. Tested with bath half full and then emptied - all ok. Mating faces on acrylic bath all clean and good nick.
Guess what? Customer reports catch tray placed underneath it almost full after a couple of days!!!
If I didn't know better I'd say it's a windup.
Is there anything I'm missing?
Is there any additional advice?
Is plumbing at this simple level supposed to be so difficult?
Is it me, or are some of these fittings really that poor? Sometimes seems that the difference between fitting one and it leaking, or not, is so fine!
Would welcome any advice, including don't do plumbing in future
Regards,
Neil