Please help bathroom dilemma

[Cowboy DIY]

I have just moved and the house has an old cast iron bath I believe.

The mixer is pictured for the shower etc however the hot water constantly runs I cannot change the taps as they are near impossible to access from underneath and restating the tap and or changing the washer is impossible as the tap is jammed

There is one thing I can do without having to change the bath etc is to find taps that fit the large hex nuts on the fitting below the mixer/taps as you can see in the picture is this possible and if so what fitments do I require

 

[KenGMac]

Cowboy DIY

as the tap is jammed

Can I ask what part of the Tap is not moving?

Ken

 

[Cowboy DIY]

Yes Ken its the part where you remove the spindle the nut is wedged it seems on the right hand tap (hot) would the alleviate the problem if I where to somehow remove this and replace the washer or is there any way there is some tap out there that will fit the existing fittings 200mm wide (I have found a 200mm wide mixer (tap centre) however it doesnt seem it will fit the hex nuts the taps are attached to.

 

[terryplumb]

I think you would have a hard time trying to source a tap that you can just " bolt on " to the existing pillars ,as the threads and pipe centres would need to be comparable. I would try to replace washers and clean and lubricate the valves. that type of tap usually has a screw that keeps the tap head on to the spindle ,which you remove then pull the tap head off. the large chrome shroud unscrews ,then slides off the spindle revealing the valve .which ,after isolating the water supply ,is also unscrewed .if they are stiff ,pour boiling hot water over ,this usually helps to loosen the threads.you can then replace the washer ,check the seat, lube the valve and put it all back together.

 

[Cowboy DIY]

Cheers Terry will try tomorrow and report back

 

[KenGMac]

Cowboy DIY, good evening again.

The part of the tap that you touch to turn the tap may have a screw on the shank of this part of the tap, or? you may have to remove the small coloured dot on the tap, Red or Blue, behind which there may be a screw that will allow the removal of this part of the tap??

No matter what type of fixing you have, there is a very good chance that the screw is rusted in, use as Terryplumb suggested very hot water or some of the well known penetrating lubricating sprays [WD40]

Once the above is out of the way, the next part to remove is the dome shaped shroud with the flats designed to take a spanner or similar.
BUT? suggest you do NOT attack this section with an Un-Protected Spanner? Suggest you wrap cloths around the part and then use something like "Footprints" or "Mole grips" to get this bit off.

From there on as "Terryplumb" has posted the bits you really need to "get at" are then exposed.

Suggest that for this section of the work you jump on-to YouTube? Loads of Info and visuals to assist.

Would like to hear how it all goes? and as has been stated obtaining alternatives will not be easy? besides this set up is it would appear "original" and as such i for one am all in favour of retaining originality, with the replacement of one [or two 50 pence Washers ]

Ken.

 

[Cowboy DIY]

Thank you very very much I am off to B&Q in the morning, plumber from insurance came around and suggested I would have to remove the taps didn't even try a repair but because it is a beautiful piece of British Kit I do not just want to go and replace it with some cheap fittings I really like the design & will keep you all updated lets hope we can solve this one. I will post updates and photographs I believe the cold tap has already been repaired but not set back properly due to age I will post photographs of this.

 

[EAST61]

Doesn't look that old to me

 

[Cowboy DIY]

thats probably because shower pipe fitting was changed however isnt three years old in bathroom fittings although I think its more than that as the hex nuts have nothing available that fit these shower/tap units at least thats what a plumber told me

 

[EAST61]

For some reason when you said a beautiful piece of British kit I assumed you meant classic or antique, not 5 year old bathstore tat

 

[KenGMac]

Probably an obvious statement, But?

No matter what age or condition a bit of kit is or, indeed a Property, Posts on here are [hopefully] aimed at assisting the Original Poster to undertake an [at times] simple question?

Simple to a Trades person, but to a lay person unsure on how to proceed, what tools to employ and how to use them it is a different matter.

What comes as second nature because of undertaking the task to a trades person, is completely obscure to a Lay person?

Ken

 

[Cowboy DIY]

Thanks guys very much so it was a bit of work but I pulled it off not without drama though I went to three YES three DIY with a rubber washer they said was 1" and was no longer made which turned out to be a 3/4" washer that had expanded due to use on the hot water tap. Finally went to a little DIY store right away the gentleman said its 3/4" here you go. Taking the tap off was a bit of work I had to use wd40 and elbow grease but it did give way eventually reseated the washer and presto fixed.

However during this I have discovered a drip under the plughole minor but undetected nonetheless had I not discovered this I wold have certainly been paying for new ceilings sooner or later.

I am very very grateful for the advisc as money is tight and around my area plumbers are a dime a dozen.

Now how do I tackle the leak will silicone cut the mustard or that fancy leak repair stuff (plughole around join) ?

 

[Madrab]

A wetset adhesive like wetgrab may do the job if the trap/waste fittings are old too and can't be removed and serviced easily - if they can, then don't bodge it, remove and fix it properly. If using adhesive then not too much just enough, if that makes sense.

 

[terryplumb]

glad you got the tap sorted. where exactly is the leak ?? where the waste meets the underside of bath ?

 

[AGAS]

that tap is chewed to fook ,don't people use spanners anymore . at least you sorted it thou