Bath leaking around tap fittings.

[lateintheday]

Hi all,

This issue^ only occurs when water gets splashed or when I'm cleaning around the taps.

Water gets down the gap, drips down the pipes, and onto the concrete floor under the bath.
I literally mean just a few drips, but I still want to fix this before I put the side panel back on (had it off and noticed the problem when I was fitting a new waste).

There is very slight movement when I wiggle the taps (less than 1mm movement maybe), but this shows the taps aren't fully tight.

As you can see from the photos, the pipes are very green, and space to work in is pretty impossible, luckily I'm a skinny bloke so can get my hands up there but god knows how I'm going to loosen and tighten the fitting nuts!

Putting new washers under there is out of the question, there's no way I'm disturbing these green pipes. So do you think I could get away with slopping LOADS of Plumbers Mait around the hole underneath? As there's no pressure causing the drips and it is literally just from sitting water.

See photos, arrows point at where the drips come from, and person being my working space lol.


Cheers for any help!

 

[Madrab]

Don't worry about the green, that's was just the lazy plumber that didn't wipe the flux off his solder fittings, green pad will take that off.

Your option would be hit or miss and not guaranteed to work.

Proper way to do it. Loosen the pipes, then the black nuts, squidge of silicon/mate behind the nut and tighten back up. Access is tight tho and not sure if you could get something up there to loosen and tighten.

Easiest bodge Bead of silicon around the base of the tap on the top side.

 

[avonmouth]

If you don't want to remove the taps then silicone will do the job but removal would be the proper way to go.

 

[lateintheday]

I thought the green was from years of water drips down the pipe turning into mould lol!

I will buy some cheap anti-mould silicone then and as the space is limited i'll wear rubber gloves and smudge it all under there with my finger.
Does it matter if I use white or clear sealant?



Are these the right tools for the back nuts? Which one should I buy?

http://www.screwfix.com/p/adjustable-basin-wrench/14631

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p26461

 

[Madrab]

If you can get into the backnuts with an adjustable spanner without loosening the inlet pipes then ideal.

The basin wrench is probably the better of the 2. I find the adjustable wrench with the spring loaded jaw a nightmare to use.

 

[lateintheday]

Am I right in thinking the adjustable one will have longer reach and need less clearance around the nut?

 

[gavgas]

The green is from water running down them, it's copper carbonate. Can be removed with nylon scouring pad things or plumbers roll if you need to.

 

[bazdaman]

Love the pic of you inbetween the bog and the bath!

 

[lateintheday]

Haha I'm glad someone appreciated that.

 

[longdogs]

I thought the green was from years of water drips down the pipe turning into mould lol!

I will buy some cheap anti-mould silicone then and as the space is limited i'll wear rubber gloves and smudge it all under there with my finger.
Does it matter if I use white or clear sealant?



Are these the right tools for the back nuts? Which one should I buy?

http://www.screwfix.com/p/adjustable-basin-wrench/14631

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p26461

You'll be better off without the rubber gloves as it could get very messy. Just a wet finger and don't overdo it with the silicon.

 

[lateintheday]

Don't laugh but do you think I could get away with this cheap sealant?

http://www.poundland.co.uk/diy-time-with-tommy-walsh/adhesives/tw-50ml-wht-silicone-bath-shwr

I'm not going to be able to get a normal big tube of the stuff up in the gap so this little tube will do it but it's from PoundLand and their stuff can be very hit and miss lol!

 

[mogget]

Personally I wouldn't use poundland sealant. The sprung jaw wrenches have their uses but with the space you have available I'd use the basin wrench as said. The sprung ones are a pain to use one handed.

 

[lateintheday]

Right I trust you lot so I'm going to buy this tonight...
http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p26461


What I mean by the sealant is there's no chance I'm going to be able to angle a tube like this and the gun into the gap...
http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p85399

Whereas a toothpaste sized tube I can whack up there. But I can't find anywhere that sells it other than Poundland lol.

 

[Madrab]

Lol...wonder how much Tommy got to put his name to that. Now there's selling yourself short

If it's just to seal under the taps then It probably doesn't need to the best silicone and your poundland tube will be ok

 

[lateintheday]

Go on Tommy!

Right so this £2.50 basin wrench from Toolstation worked perfectly, not that the back nuts were tight at all.

I've literally just loosened them off at the moment, then saw that the rubber washers were squashed up inside the hole, rather than sitting between the back nut and the bath (photos below). one of them I've popped out. but the other one is coming apart as I pull it. Should I just leave both of these rubbers jammed into the hole and then seal over them? Or do they need cutting out?


Also, are you lot certain that I can't just use Plumbers Mait? As I already have that in my flat and I know if I ever want to replace the taps sealant is going to make it a nightmare!


Also, PTFE tape isn't needed on this thread is it? That's just for joints with water pressure inside them right?