Mending a leaking Essex flange

[andyfeeny]

Hi

I am hoping someone on here can help me...?

We had a shower installed recently using one of these into the hot water cylinder. It has been fine for about a year and has just recently started to leak slightly.

How easy is it to remove these?

Do they just have a washer to seal them?

Or am I over simplifying all this?

I have a reasonable level of ability when it comes to DIY and a brother who is pretty good at basic plumbing so is it worth trying to repair it or should I just call a plumber and close my eyes for the bill??!!

Any help would be superb... Thank you

 

[ChrisR]

There's a sort of sketch half way down this
page http://www.bathroomexpress.co.uk/pumps/tp60_inst.htm

The rubber washers inside and out are quite easy to get out of centre, and the early ones were only rated to 55º iirc. Later ones are better.

WHen you buy them you gat a bit of coat-hanger wire with a wiggly cross piece on the end which you poke through the hole - so if you drop it, it doesn't all splosh into the cylinder lost forever. So you'll have to sacrifice a coat hanger.
I'd call the company for new washers, undo it all using the attached pipe as a handle, clean it all and get the new washers in, then do it all up being very careful about holding it in the middle. Don't go mad when tightening it up.
I have had the odd trouble with them, and got it to seal with a smear of LS-X . That makes everything slide about though, which takes a bit of experience to deal with.

If your hole is too big, you're stuck, and just have to do what you can.

 

[htgeng]

Maybe I'm missing something, but surely you would call back the plumber who installed it to fix? I guarantee work for a year, I don't know about anyone else!

 

[andyfeeny]

Are all the flanges a standard size? (so I know how to order replacements)

Thanks so much for your help - very much appreciated

 

[andyfeeny]

He is not someone whom I would want to call back for any amount of money. Lets just say his quote didnt match the cost - I am certainly more wary of whom I get to do what now...

 

[ChrisR]

They go by the pipe size, 15mm, 22mm etc, or have a bsp thread.
From memory a 15mm one needs a 1 5/16ths hole, 22mm 1 1/2" ,etc