New bathroom tap is juddering and catching

[thesheep]

We had a new bathroom sink mixer tap put in a few months ago. It was one part of those sets from B&Q. After it was installed we noticed that the tap occasionally judders fairly loudly when turned on. And at other times it sort of catches with a bit of force and no water comes out until it is turned further (sort of like a single judder). The old taps did not do this, but they were 2 separate taps for hot and cold, not a mixer tap.

Our water pressure is really high, so I'm sure this is part of the problem. But all the other taps in the house do cope OK – except for the tap in the garden which does a lot of screeching when turned on.

I'm wondering what the best thing to do is. Should I just buy a better quality mixer tap and ask a plumber to put that in, maybe that will sort it? I was wondering about something like this tap from Screwfix: http://www.screwfix.com/p/pegler-ebro-mono-basin-bathroom-mixer-taps-with-flip-waste/34353 I'm assuming the tap hole and waste connectors would be standard so it would fit our B&Q sink?

Should I ask them to put a pressure-reducing valve or something inline below the cold inlet on the bathroom tap?

I thought about putting some kind of pressure reducing thing on the supply for the whole house but the pipework after the stop-cock is not really accessible before it branches. Plus we like having really good pressure for our shower

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Have you got a link for the tap you had installed?
Who installed it?
and do you know what your WP measures?

 

[Charnwood]

Pegler, a decent brand, not like the Chinese kak B n Q sell.

Err, did I mention that Pegler have a factory in China?
And why not! Their average wage is 3k per annum, whereas the Doncaster facility's average wage is 25kpa.

 

[thesheep]

Have you got a link for the tap you had installed?
Who installed it?

Yes, it is a Plumbsure Crystal Basin Mixer: http://www.diy.com/nav/rooms/bathro...rystal/Plumbsure-Crystal-Basin-Mixer-11477541

It appears that it is actually not that cheap when bought on its own, but it was a lot cheaper as part of a whole set.

It was installed by a guy who appeared alongside the guy who tiled our floor. Judging by some of the other things he did, he wasn't the world's greatest plumber. Almost everything he did ended up going wrong.

and do you know what your WP measures?

No I don't. But it's very high. Is it easy to measure? It feels well above 'average' (i.e. what I experience in most houses I've visited). Comes out the tap with a lot of force.

I just tried the tap again and the main fault at the moment seems to be that when you turn it on, nothing comes out. You have to turn it on full, then suddenly a huge torrent comes out, then you can back it off again to a more usable flow.

It says on the tap details "low pressure", but I've read that 'low pressure' taps should be fine on high pressure systems – is that right?

 

[Whitespirit66]

As it's only a few months old, have you tried the plumber or B&Q?

Charnwood is right about the shonky Chinese, unbranded stuff in B&Q. I fit them if customers supply, but wouldn't touch them myself. The stuff doesn't last.

If you want quality that will have good spares/service backup, I recommend Bristan for mid price, or Grohe/Franke for a bit more.

 

[thesheep]

Its clear to me that the problem is that the tap cannot deal with the pressure. If I run another cold tap nearby then the tap works OK. As soon as it has the full flow then it 'sticks' as you turn it on, then suddenly gushes out full force.

So my question is really:

(1) Is it likely that just buying another tap will solve it, one that says it is specifically for 'high pressure' systems (and probably one of these 'better brands' discussed on this thread)

(2) If I get this new tap put in, would it be wise to also put some kind of pressure reducer in at the same time (what sort?) or is this likely to be overkill.

Thanks

 

[Whitespirit66]

The tap is either faulty, or of poor design and construction. Unless you have some kind of stupendously high pressure, most taps should cope with it. The low pressure spec is only a minimum that is required for the tap to operate, and is applicable to gravity systems - not yours.

Try a refund at Been & Queued. Then invest in something branded, as my previous post.

You shouldn't need a pressure reducer

 

[Whitespirit66]

Getting the idea these taps ain't quality.

http://www.ukplumbersforums.co.uk/valves-taps/13895-bath-shower-mixer-tap-problems.html

 

[thesheep]

OK thanks Mr Whitespirit.

I'm not sure how B&Q would handle the refund since it was part of a suite... I guess they might give me something back. Worth a try.

I've ordered a Grohe tap from Screwfix (http://www.screwfix.com/p/grohe-touch-basin-mixer-tap/80217) so will ask plumber to fit that instead. Hopefully those extra £s will mean the tap works smoothly!

 

[Whitespirit66]

Got the same tap on the Old Dear's basin. With Grohe, you get what you pay for.

Difference between B&Q and Grohe will be night and day.

Don't forget to let us know the outcome.

 

[Duvetstealer]

I came across this forum searching for info on the Plumbsure crystal mixers, which we got from B&Q 3 years ago. We have both the shower mixer and basin mixer. Unfortunately, both have virtually stopped working and we've been told by our handyman that they're long-term unfixable, as something inside the tap is wearing away.

Anyway, I think we're resigned to having to replace them, though we will complain to B&Q and try to get some compensation (we have the receipt!) but it's unlikely to still be under warranty. I wondered what tap brands people would recommend? Seeing comments above about avoiding unbranded stuff. Also, can we buy direct from a plumber's merchant or is that only for tradespeople?

Thanks for the advice!