Help - bath shower mixer seized - no one seems to know what to do!

[missflintstone]

The valve on the hot tap of my bsm has failed and I have contacted several merchants and a plumber who don't know what to do!

The problem is that the bath is completely sealed in with tiling around the boxing and carpet round the front. If you try to approach the back of the bath from the hotpress in the next room then there is a breezeblock (sp???) wall which would need to be knocked down. My plumber doesn't know how the thing was installed in the first place!

On the other hand the bsm comes out of the bath on two pipes with bolts at the top which could be unscrewed and the shower mixer removed and replaced. The only problem is the taps are unbranded and every merchant i go to with dimensions shake their heads and say this attachment can't be ordered!

Any ideas?

 

[WaterTight]

Can you post photos?

 

[Puddle]

do you mean like

 

[missflintstone]

 

[Puddle]

You should be able to find replacement,trouble is bold will be a different shade and nut size will require checking but should be 3/4'' or 1''


if you want to replace complete tap you will have to make a hole in the breeze block wall,not to big a job and just cover over latter with a inspection panel,or what is below,maybe you can get access through ceiling and just have a hatch ,as you would to the attic
imho

 

[kay-jay]

did you get your plumber to remove the valve and strip it down and grease the spindle. it may not be neccessary to replace the taps

 

[steadyon]

You should be able to replace the insides of the hot tap. Turn the water off, remove the hot tap label, remove the handle and unscrew the "innards" (Turn anticlockwise on the biggest nut visible, next to the body of the taps. Brace the body of the mixer to avoid damage).

If they are quarter turn taps (full on to full off in one quarter of a revolution), take the innards and the handle to a plumbers merchant and with luck they'll match it for you.

If they are multi turn taps you will probably need a new washer (about 10p).

In either case you'll probably find that the circlip which hold the insides together has broken or slipped out. It goes into a groove in the spindle of the tap, below the cross head and next to the main body. A new quarter turn mechanism will have a new circlip. If its the other sort, I've never found anywhere who sells them, and you might have to buy a new (cheap) tap to get the circlip, but be careful trying to match it for diameter and thickness.