Identify collar/ring diverter valve for bath taps

[Tony59]

I am trying to troubleshoot a diverter valve that seems to be stuck, so I can only get water via the shower hose. I cannot get water through the bath taps. It is operated by moving a ring or collar. I have another one which works correctly and I think that I can hear a spring or something inside the valve that gets reset when I move the ring or collar. On the faulty one there is no such resetting sound when I move the collar.
One problem is that I have been unable to identify the type of taps and have not been able to guess the name of the type of diverter, so I cannot look for a user manual etc.
I have 2 photos to help identify the taps. Also the collar has 2 holes that might serve some purpose. You may be able to see one of the holes in the close-up photo.
I would be grateful if someone could indicate what the name of this type of valve or give advice on how to troubleshoot it.

2017-03-06 00.10.55

• Tony59
• 6 Mar 2017

Bath taps showing collar (not sure about name) diverter valve.

2017-03-06 00.11.47

• Tony59
• 6 Mar 2017

Close-up of bath taps showing collar (not sure about name) diverter valve.

 

[footprints]

No luck with IDing the unit, the holes are a roll pin, this explains better than me rabbiting on for ages
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_pin

 

[dilalio]

There are spanner 'flats' directly above the diverter collar, so I reckon it'd be easy to dismantle and get a good look inside that part of the mechanism!

 

[Mottie]

Blimey. We had those exact taps in our bathroom in the '90's. We chucked them away probably 10 years ago when we last replaced our bathroom. I had a problem with the same valve and the manufacturers sent me a new one. I was rooting around in my loft only last week and I'm sure I saw the padded Jiffy bag that had either the new valve or the old one. I'll go back up there tomorrow if I remember and see if I can find it again amongst my plumbing crap. Hopefully it'll have a valve in there. Not promising there will be so don't get your hopes up! Just showed the picture to my wife and she assures me that they were 'Sottini' taps.

 

[Mottie]

Just went up there quickly and found it. It's the broken one though! The crap you accumulate over the years! Tried posting a pic but it won't load for some reason.

Mine is in pieces - I had knocked the roll pin out and the gold (real gold!) collar comes off. The pin goes through the sliding diverter inside. As said, easy to remove just that bit. Maybe your roll pin has broken so that the collar is not moving the internal gubbins - does the gold collar spin round? If it does, it's definately the roll pin that's snapped.

Oh, definately Sottini - if you Google 'Sottini gold and chrome taps' and choose 'images' you'll see them. There's an old expired eBay listing where they didn't sell at £35! I know we paid many, many hundreds for our set with matching basin taps, cystern lever, light pull switch and twisted chrome and gold towel rail! You can have my old bits foc if you want (I don't have the roll pin) - you may be able to make one good one out of two. Pm me your address if you need them. Aah, the good old '90’s!

 

[Tony59]

Sorry for the slow reply, I haven't checked this site for months. Thanks for identifying the taps, they seem to be very unique. The collar on mine does not spin around so I think that the pin is intact. I will ask a friend to try to dismantle our set of taps and if we cannot fix them, then I might get in touch to see if your old set are available. Thanks again.