changing taps some advice

[Thermo]

Ive been asked by a friend to change some taps on a basin for them. Simple enough job but i have a few questions. (I have replumbed a fair few of my own houses before and am quite capable in regards technical and skill level)
The basin is old and the taps look as if theyve been on their since year dot. Any tips on the best way to free them up to remove them from the basin without causing damage to the basin?

The house has a combi boiler, and the basin is in the bathroom. Whats the easiest way of isolating the the taps off from the supply. The cold is not from the rising main.

Cheers

Thermo

 

[masona]

Any tips on the best way to free them up to remove them from the basin without causing damage to the basin?

I have done a few old one and every job has been difference. I have a Dremel Multi Drill with a small cutting disc to cut the nut into two then prise it apart. A very useful tools if needed for other job, some cheap model are rubbish.
Sometime I use penetration oil with a few application but found water descaler was best for this, using cotton buds as it remove the hard scale water. I've learnt in the past to be patient and not force the taps.
The other one is to drill through the tap body, see this

I'll be interested if any plumber's have a magic solution !

The house has a combi boiler, and the basin is in the bathroom. Whats the easiest way of isolating the the taps off from the supply. The cold is not from the rising main.

The plumber's guru might correct me if I'm wrong, the rising main need to be isolated to the combi for the hot side as it produce hot water from the combi and as you say the cold feed not coming from the rising main so maybe a isolation valve near the tank above somewhere.

 

[Thermo]

cheers masona, pretty much what i figured. All plumbing work ive done up to know has been with conventional boilers so draining them down and isolating has been straight forward as ive been in known territory. Once the feed to the boiler is off for the hot, is there anything special to be dne when the waters put back on?

 

[GRC]

Yup, if the cold comes from cistern up above, hopefully there's a shut-off valve there; for combi hot, shut off the rising main cold into the boiler, and switch the boiler off; for double sureness, both with the on/off switch on the boiler, and the mains fused connection unit which should be nearby. When switching back on after cold inlet turned back on, it should just be a case of switching the boiler back on at the FCU and on boiler itself; but there MAY be something specific to the particular make/model; do you have the instructions for it?

It'll splutter a bit when the hot tap is opened, so go slowly to stay dry....

Regards, Graham

 

[ChrisR]

Drilling the taps out is easy if you have HSS type drills big enough. Ideally make the angle of cut more steep ( ie more like it's scraping than cutting, otherwise it'll really bite in) by careful grinding of the leading edge of the drill. That would be the rake angle if you were using a lathe, if you see what I mean.

If you don't happen to have a huge enough drill, you can get Blacksmith's drills for a reasonable price or you can use a flat bit but it's a bit hairy. Normally they are more or less flat across the end of the blade each side of the point. If you grind a bit so those sides are a bit of an angle backwards ( ie like a shallow point angle would be) the bit will stay in the middle of the hole a bit better.

Not that I'd do it like that way for starters . Get the pipe off from underneath, and put a box spanner over the nut. Or a 1" long socket. Much easier than trying to use a basin spanner. About £5 from a plumbers merchant. Heat the tap and/or tail with a fine flame, or you could try a heat gun. Most of the goo which holds taps on is stuff like boss-white which is oil based, or putty, ditto.

Another way which works is to use an angle grinder. Not as mad as it sounds. Go from top or bottom. Of course once you get the nut you've won, and a small mark underneath won't matter.