Wobbling Stand Alone Tap

[D.I.Why?]

The plumber has been today and after much head scratching he fitted what I thought was a straight forward stand alone tap for the bath.
However the tap sways all over the place and spins around when trying to operate the tap... He said it's just one of those things and all these stand alone taps have the same problems the makers just never tell anyone about them!
To be fair he's tried the best he can and I can't see an easy solution, but I refuse to believe that thats just the way it is. The base plate is fixed to the floor solid enough it's just the way the standing part is fitted to the plate. Has anyone encountered/overcome a similar problem? I've attached pictures so you can see what I'm talking about. Any advice gratefully received.

Brian.

Untitled

• D.I.Why?
• 20 Mar 2010
• 1

Untitled

• D.I.Why?
• 20 Mar 2010
• 1

Untitled

• D.I.Why?
• 20 Mar 2010
• 1

 

[dextrous]

Would appear to be an integral part of the design. Only thing I can suggest would be to try to brace the pipe somewhere below the level of the bath.

 

[D.I.Why?]

It may not look like it but the base is made up in different parts.
The base plate is threaded and screws down to the floorboards around the outside edge. the section under the boards with the flexi pipes fits to the plate using two allen screws (one of which can be seen next to the tower on the middle photo). And the tower itself is threaded and screws to the plate.

I get what your saying about bracing below the bath... and while I could shore it up using several pieces of 4x4, nails and sticky back plaster surely when it was designed it wasn't intended to wobble,sway and spin the way it does at present...I hope I'm missing something obvious.

Cheers,
Brian.

 

[darren17]

forget about bracing it not needed
you say the shaft connected to the base plate spins loose when you try to use the taps
you should use loctite threading glue
put it on to the threads of the base plate and then screw tight allow to set

this is something that should be supplied with this style of tap and usually is
if you can't get it from your plumbing merchant you can pick up a tube in halfords

 

[seco services]

did he forget his jigsaw when he cut the hole out ? jesus christ.

 

[CortinaV8]

Looks like he used a sledgehammer.

 

[qplumb2010]

good old fashined hammer and chisel that son lol

 

[seco services]

good old fashined hammer and chisel that son lol

ya a cold chisel.

 

[crockett]

good old fashioned butchery is what it is !!

 

[htgeng]

good old fashioned butchery is what it is !!

In the first pic you can see the offcut of wood. He stitch drilled it and whacked it out is my guess.

Back to the original question. The whole tap looks nearly a metre in height. I'm not really surprised it moves. Never seen one like that before!

 

[tamz]

In reality most of these designer taps are shyte. Made for people who like to show the neighbours how nice their new bathroom is.
Made in eastern europe or china. Totally impractical to fit in an existing situation especially with British building practices.
In Europe and most of the rest of the world everything is concrete. Bolt that base to a concrete floor and it is going nowhere. But wood moves a bit. A 2mm movement at the base given the height of the tap, will be around 20mm at the top
As htgeng says tap looks around 1m high. It is screwed to a cut board so will move. (it is the board that is moving).
If it is turning when trying to operate it you could use a loctite type stuff but don't expect it to ever come apart again undamaged.
Why are you fitting the tap now? Unless you are putting some lino down? which i doubt. Surely you are having some tiles or other fancy floor fitted?
The tap should have been first fixed and left until the floor was finished and the rest of the suite being fitted. Might have got a better fix through the tiles?

 

[Nige F]

The plumber has been today and after much head scratching he fitted what I** thought** was a straight forward stand alone tap for the bath.

Brian.

[/net]

That ain`t no stand alone - What is the large ring halfway up the stem for -other than to cover something @ that height which the stem passes through- and steadies it all I bet he was a Gas Safe fitter- you only need C+G Plumbing to see that in 2 minutes . Stuff the Loctite too use Hemp and Boss white . The plumber was too embarassed to tell you he wouldn`t fit it and have to walk away looking like a fool with no £ - so he did what the customer wanted and got his £ but now is abused here

 

[dextrous]

So you don't think that cover slides down over the baseplate then? Must admit, I'm not entirely convinced that now is the best time to install the tap, before the rest of the decoration

 

[Nige F]

No -I can`t believe that it could be made anywhere - even China - with just that size base . Minus all the pipe connections etc that take out most of the available room to secure it - even into a solid floor with a hole made in it , It`s just so badly thought out - surely it can`t be so. - Took me longer to type this than make my 2 min. initial decision Fair Play tho` Dex. You almost got a from me. OK ,lets find a solution- a sheet of metal cut to size to span the 2 joists and take the base of the tap. holes drilled and C/sunk for screw fixings . Shouldn`t be too many£s from a workshop with a plasma cutter and a pillar drill

 

[dextrous]

No -I can`t believe that it could be made anywhere - even China - with just that size base . Minus all the pipe connections etc that take out most of the available room to secure it - even into a solid floor with a hole made in it , It`s just so badly thought out - surely it can`t be so. - OK ,lets find a solution- a sheet of metal cut to size to span the 2 joists and take the base of the tap. holes drilled and C/sunk for screw fixings . Shouldn`t be too many£s from a workshop with a plasma cutter and a pillar drill

Fair enough, although you'd have thought there would be an additional (hidden) plate with fixing points and a grub screw. Maybe it's there, under that chrome cowl

Other solution - pour a concrete block in situ around the base of the upright

Your idea of making a metal plate to span the joists sounds good