Fibre Washers?

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Whilst replacing my bath taps, I removed the old taps to find that the fibre washers between the tap thread and water feed pipe had completely rotted. I didnt have any new fibre washers of the correct size so I borrowed the rubber ones from my washing machine pipes as a temporary measure (B&Q not open at 19.00 on Sundays).

My question is why are rubber washers not usually used in this situation?

Should I leave them in or get some fibre ones tomorrow when the shops open!

Thanks in advance

Steve
 
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rubber washers arent used in this case m8 so get some in the morning

as to why they ar not dont have the foggiest :cool:
 
Perhaps I don't know either, but rubber gradually perishes and cracks and leaks over time (some special compounds are better than others) The fibre washers are stable, so though you found them rotted they were still sealing until disturbed. Washers should always be replaced when assembling joints, with or without jointing compound, as they have to conform to the surfaces, and old ones have done their conforming.
 
oilman said:
Perhaps I don't know either, but rubber gradually perishes and cracks and leaks over time (some special compounds are better than others) The fibre washers are stable, so though you found them rotted they were still sealing until disturbed. Washers should always be replaced when assembling joints, with or without jointing compound, as they have to conform to the surfaces, and old ones have done their conforming.

that sounds like the most reasonable explaination to me
 
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As oilman said ,i was stuck trying to think of a reason , best i could come up with was cost ,not much singular but maybe in a manufacturers eyes
 
Another question about fibre washers. I bought some to fix a very slow leak from the outside tap (about 2 drops a minute), which I fitted a couple of weeks back. However, when I bought said washers, which claimed to be the correct size for the job, I found that they were slightly too small, and I couldn't get them over the treaded part of the tap. Having failed to find any slightly larger washers, I simply lobbed the washers into a cup of hot water, after a few mins, no problem. Question is is this normal practise or have I bodged it ?

BTW, The tap doesn't leak anymore.
 
Hi Eddie.
If it works , leave it. :D

You normally have to wrap lots of Ptfe tape around the thread to get it right but if its not broke don't fix it :D .

No spyware today :LOL:
 
Ta,

I was kinda in that school of thought, just wanted to know if it was a normal thing to experience. Spyware ? simply a matter of time :LOL:
 
Fibre washers were a progression from hemp and jointing paste. Rubber wasnt up to it then but modern rubber alternatives are. Thats why you see rubber on the plastic fittings nowadays. Fibre washers still do a decent enough job and are either better suited to metal on metal joints or no-one has thought about making a modern rubber washer alternative yet. If they have I havent seen them. A lot of problem in connecting to taps nowadays is that the taps have a tapered edge so that you can just connect with a nut and ring. If I am replacing taps to existing metal tap connectors I often file the end of the tap so that it is flat and the end doesnt cut into the new fibre washer.
 
"Rubber" and fibre washers used in plumbing have quite diffferent properties, though sometimes the application is such that either can be used, eg on pump flanges. The main difference is what's commonly referred to as "hardness" but would be measured not by hardness but Young's Modulus.
Other parameters would include resilience, temperature performance, chemical and water resistance, creep, fatigue, and on and on.

"Soft" materials would be the obvious choice for plastic fittings where the stress to strain ratio is lower when a fitting is done up.

If unsure of the terms - look em up!
 
Old thread I know but I've just done the same as the OP:

Changed a basin tap this morning, but there was no fibre washer in the fitting connecting to the tap tail.
Needless to say, it weeped slightly after fitting the new tap.

Didn't have any fibre washers with me. All I had to hand was a rubber washer from a shower hose so I tried that. Seemed to be fine with one of those in there.

So what are the consequences of doing this? Can I just leave it or must I swap it with a fibre washer?

My thinking is it's OK as it's no different to flexi hoses. They use rubber washers for the same application i.e tap fittings.
 
If the tap had a tap connector that is effectively a slightly smaller diameter tube with a ridge then a fibre washer is used because of its strength. Look at the washer and inside hole is only a few mm smaller than its overall diameter. Using a rubber washer is not recommended as it will almost certainly deform when tightened.

In contrast the construction of a flexible connector is totally different. It has a flat end to support the washer. Also it cannot stretch and distort sideways because it is a fairly tight fit in the securing nut .
 

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