Quarter turn mixer tap dripping - help!

[AngelV]

Hi,
Kitchen mixer tap is dripping from the cold water part only. They are 1/4 turn with ceramic disc. When you turn the tap off it turns easily at first and then feels \\\'gritty\\\'

Is it a simple DIY job to fix this? I have a feeling it is a limescale problem (due to where we live).
Have done old style taps before.

Would someone be able to point me in the direction of step-by-step idiots guide.

Many thanks

 

[Diyisfun]

When these ceramic disc type taps first came out they said lime scale would rub off the discs so they would never leak. But the disc wear out.
Turn the water of remove the ceramic cartridge, chances are you cant do anything with it except by a replacment

 

[AngelV]

So then I guess i nip down to the local plumbing shop, wave the disc at the man behind the counter and ask nicely "if they have one like this but without limescale?"

 

[Diyisfun]

You got it,
You may have problems getting it as there are so many different types

 

[AngelV]

so may be with no cold water for a while - alternatively we will end up with a nice indoor fountain.

does the removal and refit (assuming the Britsh Museum has a spare) take much brain power, and roughly how long to do?

 

[ChrisR]

Worth a douse in Llime-lite, then resreasing with silicone grease.
It probably won't work for more than a day, but you'll feel a lot better that you aren't wasting you money.

Do you know what make the tap is? If so , it's easy, new cartridge/valve.
If not, look at these,
http://www.lunns.net/tapspares/
try your local PM if you like, and if as is often the case no luck, buy a new tap.

 

[AngelV]

No idea what make the tap is.
I can tell you that it is brown and vile.
YEUGH - Change The Tap, you all shout.
Alright for some but I don't feel quite capable of changing a tap block (yet)... and plumbers are like rocking-horse-poo around here at the moment.

so how do I go about finding out what make it is?
Brown vile tap probably won't cut it at PM.
(OK it will give PM an opportuinty to laugh at a woman, but not solve my problem).

ETA - I did google brown vile kitchen tap and this came up - looks quite like it!
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-DARK-MOCC...1500935QQihZ020QQcategoryZ29508QQcmdZViewItem

 

[Ross542]

Im pretty sure you have sorted it, but i could talk you through it if you still need help + you make me laugh lol

 

[AngelV]

Im pretty sure you have sorted it, but i could talk you through it if you still need help + you make me laugh lol

Tis all now sorted. Managed to find a plumber and hold him hostage till the job was done. Ended up replacing the tap bloc with an equally vile brown thing from b&q.
Took plumber about an hour to do it - and most of that was spent turning the water off at the mains (another victim of Lime Scale)

 

[Mynard]

Help.....I have a quarter turn mixer tap and I have changed both ceramic valves for new ( bought from B&Q for £10) and the leak continues. Replacing the valves seemed easy buit the leak continues.

Do I now need to buy a new tap ? The drip is either hot or cold depending on use before turning off so I assume that the problem is not the caramic valves.

Any ideas...

Michael

 

[ChrisR]

MOst have an O ring thing on the bottom. If that isn't sealing, they can leak. I'd dry em off and use a little silicone leak sealer, like LS-X.