Bath and Basin Waste Tips Needed- Always Having Problems.

[n-hatton]

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

 

[Bahco]

You can buy a "Basin Mate" from plumbers merchants which I am told is good.

I have used plumbers Mait on basins, you roll it into a sausage and place it on the porcelain hole and then fit washer and nut.

Plumbers Mait is not for use on plastic sink holes. You should use a bit of siliccone.

 

[n-hatton]

Hi Bahco.


Is "Basin Mate" a cone shaped rubber seal that appears to go up and inside the basin hole? I found one the other day at Travis, tucked away and out of sight, appears not many stocked, and never seen elsewhere!

Bought one, but not sure I should pull out the basin, which seems sorted now, to swap it. Just the bath waste ****ists

Will prove on next job - if I accept doing one

Ok, will try sausage roll on the bath. I usually smear a thickish film of plumbers mate, then tighten, without over doing it. But again, seems fine line between sealing and not sealing the bloddy things if this is the case!


Neil

 

[Bahco]

Plumbers Mait is NOT for use on plastic sink holes. You should use a bit of silicone.

 

[n-hatton]

Hi Bahco.


Just noticed mention of plastic plug holes and silicone sealant in your 1st reply - was midway through replying to you when I had to unplug my broadband!

Cheers for advice, will redo with silicone in the bath's case.



Cheers,
Neil

 

[n-hatton]

Bahco.

Sorry to be a knob; the bath waste has a rubber washer for placing between the waste and the topside of the hole in the bath (as well as one for the underside).

Do I retain the upper washer seal and apply silicone sealant either side of it, or throw it out and simply use silicone?

Getting it wrong will be an obvious pain to redo!



Cheers,
Neil

 

[Bahco]

Apply the silicone to the plug hole, apply washer and then metal waste.

Clear excess, allow to cure for an hr or so and test.

Worked for me in the past.

 

[n-hatton]

Nice one, much appreciated

I'm clearly getting it wrong currently.



Cheers,
Neil

 

[DrWho]

Just curious if it worked in the end?

 

[n-hatton]

Daleks.

Trying to remember; was some time ago now.

Was also a nightmare bath instillation from Hell, by whoever did it previously! Leaks had occurred from everywhere by the looks of it! Final one - after this post - was I think due to slight leak under the sealing washer of the new mixer taps!

Silicone sealed it in the end and got out of there!

Bath was the thinnest acrylic I've ever seen - like the vacuum formed tray from a box of chocolates!

 

[DrWho]

As per one of my other threads I had a problem with the neighbour above and her bath.

It was noticed that I could hear a very slow drip above my bathroom ceiling when they had ran a full bath, so the chap that they got round to look at it said that they had tightened the centre screw in the plug hole as it was slightly loose, as that is where the dripping was shown to have been, thankfully I have not heard any more drips, but then I don't know if they have used their bath as having a short shower would perhaps not be enough for any leakage, although he did run the tap for 5 or 10 minutes.

I kind of think though that to know it had worked for sure he would have needed to have filled the bath in full, and leave it for 5 minutes or so, that way it would have a stronger suction around the chrome bath waste rather than just running the tap, would you agree with that? or you think that running the tap with the plug out was a serious enough test?

 

[n-hatton]

Daleks.


I tend to do the sort of test you suggest - put the plug in place, fill the bath till it reaches the overflow! Then pull the plug. This sort of stress tests all aspects!

As you suggest, simply running the tap with the plug out may not show up any leak under the chrome waste.

Have seen one or two baths where the waste pipe is rigidly fixed to something like a floorboard or batten of wood. Then when the bath moves with someone in it or full of water, it has the effect of keep moving and levering the waste in the bath - possibly leading to it loosening up?

Best to have waste pipe "floating" a bit so it takes up any bath tub movement and no the waste fixture.

 

[DrWho]

Would the tightening of that centre plug hole screw have sorted the leak would you have thought?

In other words is that what it's there for to make a solid closing between the washer if any and the chrome waste to the bath.

 

[n-hatton]

The waste comprises of two-halves; the chrome top strainer bit you see that seals against the top-side of the bath. Some times a rubber washer goes under the chrome 1st - other times you're advised to silicone seal it instead.

There is then the lower half of the waste assembly which fits on the underside of the bath - the centre screw clamps the two halves together. The lower half has to seal against the underside of the bath, otherwise water will trickle out - specially when a full bath is emptied. This is arguably the harder bit to seal as it's against the rough glass fibre finish of the bath. I've been advised to use a Boss White sealant in the past.

It's difficult to know if all's easily sorted, in your case, by simply tightening the screw. It really depends on what's used to also seal the gaps.

 

[n-hatton]

.... and to add, I've come across some cheap cr4p plastic wastes that are so poor you can't really apply too much force to the screw without fear of the assembly breaking, or the screw simply pulls out the plastic thread!

In such cases the sealants would appear to play a bigger part in sealing the waste!

Have been advised not to use these any longer, but the better wastes without a plug and a remote cable pop-up plug instead! Seem to be far sturdier and you're able to apply far more force to the centre screw\tube to ensure a good mechanic seal.