Daft question #999,999

[Roger465]

Are your existing taps fitted with flexible hoses ? If so ,what is the flow like ?

No, they're like this. And I have hot & cold water tanks, so flow relatively low...

 

[terryplumb]

Then the taps you are thinking of getting ,coupled with flexi hoses ,are gonna be a lot worse.
Are your existing taps the screw down type ,or quarter turn ,to turn on / off ?

 

[Burnerman]

Keep the pipework like that if you possibly can....if your luck is really in you should be able to disconnect, swing the pipes out of the way and fit the new taps and reconnect.
Some sealant where the pipes enter the taps can’t do any harm!
John

 

[terryplumb]

Keep the pipework like that if you possibly can....if your luck is really in you should be able to disconnect, swing the pipes out of the way and fit the new taps and reconnect.
Some sealant where the pipes enter the taps can’t do any harm!
John

Dont forget to remove all traces of the fibre washer ,and fit new washers .

 

[Roger465]

Keep the pipework like that if you possibly can....if your luck is really in you should be able to disconnect, swing the pipes out of the way and fit the new taps and reconnect.
Some sealant where the pipes enter the taps can’t do any harm!
John

Well I think I’m going to have to lift the sink off, as the main reason I’m doing this is actually to replace the waste, which is horribly corroded – chrome totally gone etc. The taps don’t actually need replaced at all! But the waste is totally inaccessible, so I figured if I have to lift the basin, I might as well replace everything, hopefully do it right, and not have to touch any of it for another 25 years, which should see me out!

But if any magicians out there can tell me how to replace that waste without being able to even see it (I used the phone in selfie mode to get those pics), I might leave the taps alone!

 

[terryplumb]

Probably need to remove the basin. Its sometimes possible to ease the pedestal out ,just enough to get access to the big back nut ,but that depends on a number of things like ,is the pedestal base encapsulated by flooring / tiles etc ,and can the basin be eased from its wall anchorage sufficiently ,is there any play in the pipe work.
A judgment call as to if its gonna be quicker to just take the basin out.

 

[Roger465]

Probably need to remove the basin. Its sometimes possible to ease the pedestal out ,just enough to get access to the big back nut ,but that depends on a number of things like ,is the pedestal base encapsulated by flooring / tiles etc ,and can the basin be eased from its wall anchorage sufficiently ,is there any play in the pipe work.
A judgment call as to if its gonna be quicker to just take the basin out.

The basin was very loose when I moved into the house, and the entire ensuite is fully tiled, so I had to silicone it to the tiled wall, as the fixing screws were just rotating in their holes. Not really how I'd like to have done it, but I couldn't see any alternative. But at least I know how to remove it again... and the base just fits into a slight recess in the floor.

My plan – unless you advise me differently – is to remove it, take everything off, clean it all up, install new waste and taps; flexible tails on the taps; fit isolators to the risers; and hope I can get it all together again without leaks

 

[JimCrow]

Leave the basin where it is, measure from the front of the pedestal to the floor then cut a piece of 2 x 1" or similar, get your shoulder under the basin, push up slightly remove the pedestal and prop it up with the wood.

 

[Roger465]

Leave the basin where it is, measure from the front of the pedestal to the floor then cut a piece of 2 x 1" or similar, get your shoulder under the basin, push up slightly remove the pedestal and prop it up with the wood.

Oh right! Is the basin not actually attached to the pedestal? Does it just rest on it?

 

[terryplumb]

The basin was very loose when I moved into the house, and the entire ensuite is fully tiled, so I had to silicone it to the tiled wall, as the fixing screws were just rotating in their holes. Not really how I'd like to have done it, but I couldn't see any alternative. But at least I know how to remove it again... and the base just fits into a slight recess in the floor.

My plan – unless you advise me differently – is to remove it, take everything off, clean it all up, install new waste and taps; flexible tails on the taps; fit isolators to the risers; and hope I can get it all together again without leaks

Sounds like a reasonable plan ,but I wouldn't use flexible hoses. The rigid pipework will give much better flow.

 

[polesapart]

Looks to me that you have plastic backnuts, or at least one and two thirds of them, which might account for the discoloured copper on one side..

 

[Roger465]

...or at least one and two thirds of them

That's what I was thinking

 

[Roger465]

Then the taps you are thinking of getting ,coupled with flexi hoses ,are gonna be a lot worse.
Are your existing taps the screw down type ,or quarter turn ,to turn on / off ?

Sorry, poxy laptop crashed and I missed some stuff... existing taps are screw down type, but I figured ¼ turn would be handier. It's only a small basin, and doesn't get a vast amount of use. So are ¼ turn taps lower flow than screw down?

 

[terryplumb]

Generally speaking ,yes they are. But flexi hoses are very small internal bore and make flow far worse than you will get from 15 mm copper pipe.

 

[Roger465]

The rigid pipework will give much better flow.

Yeah, I get that, now that you've explained.. but I want to fit isolators to the copper pipes somewhere, and if I don't have the movement of a bit of flexi pipe, I'm not at all sure I could cut the pipes accurately enough to make sure all the lengths are correct etc...