I cut my own washer from an offcut of rubber. The cone going into the hole does not work as well as a flat washer as large as the plastic nut.
Mixer tap conundrum
- Thread starter Roger465
- Start date
I cut my own washer from an offcut of rubber. The cone going into the hole does not work as well as a flat washer as large as the plastic nut.
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You just need a little silicone (or mait). Strip it down and just fill the gap between the threaded shank of the basin waste and the basin. Not too much so it doesn't fill the slot for the overflow, also put a little round the threads once the basin mate is fitted where the plastic nut will end up when tightened.
Well, just for the amusement of all gathered here, I’ll continue to report… so I got a tub of this Mait stuff. First problem (for me anyway) was that its consistency was MUCH stiffer than I expected, and I found it very difficult to work with, squeeze into tight gaps etc.
Second was how to get it off my hands afterwards… soap & water it says on the tub? I scrubbed and scrubbed, but it didn’t touch it. Neither did meths, and I was heading out for a de-stressing tea & cake afterwards, so didn’t want to reek of white spirit – maybe that would have done it.
Anyway, everything’s gone dry again… for now… watch this space…
Second was how to get it off my hands afterwards… soap & water it says on the tub? I scrubbed and scrubbed, but it didn’t touch it. Neither did meths, and I was heading out for a de-stressing tea & cake afterwards, so didn’t want to reek of white spirit – maybe that would have done it.
Anyway, everything’s gone dry again… for now… watch this space…
You roll Mait into a snake and make a donut type washer.
To stop it sticking you can wipe it with a little washing up liquid.
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Ah right, thanks. Well I didn't do that, so will just have to hope I get lucky
The best thing to clean mait up with is the product itself... Keep it moving and rolling and you can use it to mop all the other bits up... Did you never play with plasticine or slime?
The best thing to clean mait up with is the product itself... Keep it moving and rolling and you can use it to mop all the other bits up... Did you never play with plasticine or slime?
Eee, sonny, didn't have none of that slime in my day (except in't duck pond), and we were too poor to afford plasticine, we had get up in the morning at 5:00, half an hour before we went to bed, eat a handful of cold gravel for breakfast, walk 24 miles to mill AND pay t'mill owner for permission to go to work, and when we got home our Dad would thrash us to sleep w'is belt - if we were LUCKY.
There was 32 of us living in a shoe box int middle ot road.
And when we got ome our father would thrash us to sleep wi his belt!
You try telling the youngsters of today that and they won’t believe you!
I didn't mean play with it "as a kid"
I didn't mean play with it "as a kid"
Hey, not for me to judge, mate... I expect there are websites for that sort of thing
Now head on over to my other thread for more laughs...
Well, not 2 weeks later... and it's dripping again. As before, from between the plastic ring that tightens up, and the basin itself.
Here’s what I did: removed the waste, trap etc. Carefully cleaned everything and let it dry for a couple of days. Checked it was all bone dry by wiping over with a bit of bogroll. Put a ring of Mait round the inside of the bottom hole in the basin.
Dropped waste and its seal into the hole. Spent an AGE working Mait up into the gap where it was already, but from below the basin. Got a ring of it round where the big plastic nut would tighten against. Tightened it up by hand, but as firmly as I could. Watched Mait squeeze out all round, which to me suggests it’s in a position to seal properly.
Dry for less than 2 weeks – now dripping freely from where the ring of Mait is. So, in desperation, I’ve tightened it up more, using a wrench this time. Seems to have stopped for now, but…
I suppose I could burn the house down and claim on the insurance?
Here’s what I did: removed the waste, trap etc. Carefully cleaned everything and let it dry for a couple of days. Checked it was all bone dry by wiping over with a bit of bogroll. Put a ring of Mait round the inside of the bottom hole in the basin.
Dropped waste and its seal into the hole. Spent an AGE working Mait up into the gap where it was already, but from below the basin. Got a ring of it round where the big plastic nut would tighten against. Tightened it up by hand, but as firmly as I could. Watched Mait squeeze out all round, which to me suggests it’s in a position to seal properly.
Dry for less than 2 weeks – now dripping freely from where the ring of Mait is. So, in desperation, I’ve tightened it up more, using a wrench this time. Seems to have stopped for now, but…
I suppose I could burn the house down and claim on the insurance?
That's why I never use mait, horrible stuff, especially when you have to take things apart.
A little bit of silicone goes a long way in these circumstances.
A little bit of silicone goes a long way in these circumstances.
Yeah... trouble is, some seem to like silicone, some Mait, etc etc - and I haven't the experience (yet) to decide for myself.
I've tightened it up with an 18 foot steam-powered Stilson for now, causing structural damage to three houses in the street - we'll see...
Just need to be careful, too tight and you can deform the seal.
For me it's a little fill of silicone into the gap around the waste body and throat of the basin underneath & a fillet of silicone on the back side of the washer. Fit the washer and press it up and in and the silicone that squeezes out at the thread, smooth it around the thread and the washer. Then the basin waste nut goes on and gets hand tightened then no more than 1 turn with a pair of large pump pliers. Then smooth in any silicone that squeezes out into the inside thread at the nut and the outside of the nut to seal it all up.
Leave it for half an hour and bobs' yer auntie's bit on the side
For me it's a little fill of silicone into the gap around the waste body and throat of the basin underneath & a fillet of silicone on the back side of the washer. Fit the washer and press it up and in and the silicone that squeezes out at the thread, smooth it around the thread and the washer. Then the basin waste nut goes on and gets hand tightened then no more than 1 turn with a pair of large pump pliers. Then smooth in any silicone that squeezes out into the inside thread at the nut and the outside of the nut to seal it all up.
Leave it for half an hour and bobs' yer auntie's bit on the side
Yeah only joking - I know the perils of overtightening from when motorbikes moved from cast iron to alloy heads, and everybody stripped the threads overtightening spark plugs in the soft alloy.
I just can't believe that something so simple is so f***ing difficult
I mean, it's not even as if it's under pressure or anything!DIYnot Local
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