Taps

DEP · 28 Dec 2003

I,m trying to fit a new kitchen worktop with a sunken sink unit. I bought a tap spanner and attempted to remove the taps but although a first the nuts seemed to loosen easily both the hot and cold fittings then became very tight. The taps where moving as I tried to loosen the nuts an I eventually gave up and re-tightened the fittings. The problem is that now both seals are leaking and no matter how hard I tighten the nuts the seals still leak. Any help would be appreciated.

DEP

masona · 28 Dec 2003

You need to renew the fibre washer (red colour)and to do that the nut will have to come off.
If you cannot undo the nut why not cut it off and replace it with a flexible hose.

DEP · 28 Dec 2003

Many thanks. But if I cut it off wont I need to solder a new end on? don't really want to rty that.

masona · 28 Dec 2003

No,one end go straight to the tap with a rubber washer inside it and the other end is a compression fitting to your 12mm copper pipe.(the nut tighten the olive ring into the copper pipe)

MANDATE · 28 Dec 2003

I can't understand why they should be so tight, try spraying WD 40 or Plus Gas before you try again and it does sometimes pay to turn it back a little having already undone it a little, it helps the WD 40 to penitrate.
You can usually prevent the taps from turning completley by using a piece of wood fitted between wall and tap. ie let tap turn 1st 90 degrees up against the wood.
If you cut the pipe with a small pipe cutter make sure you cut them in the right place for flexible connectors to fit.
The flexible connectors will have 1/2 in tap connector at one end and 15mm compression fitting at the other, so theres no soldering and it caters for any misalignment, I used them when I fitted my new sink.
In fact you can get the connectors with a 'push fit' fitting in lieu of the commpression fitting. They are normally 12 ins I think but I have seen some recently about 3 or 4 feet long.

MANDATE · 28 Dec 2003

Masona.
So is this 12mm pipe new on the market, or could it be a slip of the finger.

masona · 28 Dec 2003

MANDATE said:
Masona.
So is this 12mm pipe new on the market, or could it be a slip of the finger.

Yeah,all right,all right.I'm thinking 12mm = 1/2" pipe

I'm going to bed now,I'm tired

oilman · 28 Dec 2003

Masona wrote

MANDATE wrote:

Masona.

So is this 12mm pipe new on the market, or could it be a slip of the finger.

Click to expand...

Yeah,all right,all right.I'm thinking 12mm = 1/2" pipe I'm going to bed now,I'm tired

Well you can get up again, 12mm is available from BES part no 15653 and 15654.

Mandate, how much do you want?

MANDATE · 28 Dec 2003

Would that be the inside or the outside diameter or does it not matter ?

ChrisR · 28 Dec 2003

It's usually scale that stops the nuts runnng down the tap tail, which gets there via a leak between tap & worktop. Or jonting compound - which softens on heating, btw.

You can get a big box (tubular) spanner which fits the backnut, once the pipe fittting has been removed.

Or, get the top off the tap. Use a hacksaw or angle grinder if desperate. Sharpen a suitably big masonry drill so it has an edge to cut with (assuming you don't have a large HSS drill). Centering usingthe tap's washer seat, drill down until the tap's visible bit comes loose from the screwed bit. It's usually free-cutting brass and comes out quickly.
Though on reflection if you're changing the worktop you might as well just bin the tap.

DEP · 28 Dec 2003

Thanks everyone. I'll give it another try.

DEP

oilman · 29 Dec 2003

Would that be the inside or the outside diameter or does it not matter ?

Of course it matters. You can have:

12mm 15654
14mm 15656
15mm 10310
16mm 15658
18mm 15660
20mm 15662

Theres also 22, 28, 35, 42, 54 and they're all OD measurements, and the above are 3m lengths, half hard copper, or if you want 12mm barrier pipe you need 12786.

masona · 29 Dec 2003

oilman said:
Well you can get up again

Whaaat ! Too late,I'm trying bloody hard to get up now, this 'Night Nurse' is dopey me down

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Taps

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