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Discuss Leaks and corrosion in old kitchen mixer tap - what's required? in the Plumbing Jobs | The Job-board area at PlumbersForums.net

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I'm new here - please be gentle with me!

Our kitchen tap is leaking, both from the cold tap, and the ‘bottom’ of the mixer spout. Pictures attached. Can anyone tell me what should be present on the mixer spout – i.e. should it be a washer or an O ring? The PTFE tape is only just holding back the flood.

Also the tap valve (if that’s even the right term for it) has corroded so that the pillar with the washer wouldn’t accept the nut (which held the washer in place). I replaced it with a push-on domed affair which was better than nothing but only just. Is it possible to replace the shaft which holds the washer? And should there be anything else to seal the tap apart from the washer?

It would be good to strip the whole thing out and take it to someone for advice/servicing but it’s our only kitchen tap, and I don’t know who to take it to anyway.

Sorry if these are rather simple questions for the forum, but you lot seem like the best people to ask.

John

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Personally I would change the tap. But I have done one of these units before and they can be quite tricky. The sink had to come out on mine. If you cut the silicone in between the worktop (where the taps are attached to the sink) does that bit of worktop pull up and out?
 
In that case I would take the cartridges down to you local merchants and see what they can do for you.
 
As there on unions it's a long shot but measure the centres and go down to your local plumbing merchants/ stockists and see if you can get something close might not be gold / brass effect
 
If you know the make contact the manufacture , but looking at the overall condition I would replace them, These taps look nice when first fitted but look like S--t after a few years, if your in a hard water area it seems to attack them quicker, sink out for replacement I'm afraid
 
Someone gave me some tap heads today for no apparent reason, they may come in handy one day who knows.
Anyway they look very similar to yours, they're made by Beaumont Brassware, might be somewhere to start your search.
 
I think i would see if you can find a cheap pair of basin taps that colour and use the tap heads and inserts out of them to revive you kitchen mixer the spout maybe the problem but if its just a o ring missing or worn a trip to your local merchants may help they normally carry various o rings cheers kop
 
I don't think it would take much effort to fix the taps and the spout.

Taps need o-rings and washers and the spout looks like it needs an o-ring.
Might need a grub screw also - not sure whether or not the domed shroud holds the spout in place or a grub screw does.

Take the handles off the spindles and the spindle should screw out of the bonnet to see if o-rings are required on the spindle. Or just undo the top nut and replace the packing gland.

All you need is 2 tap washers, 2 fibre washers, and either 3 or 5 0-rings.
 
Thanks for the contributions. I guess I've been thinking it was harder than it (probably) will be. I'll take the tap down to a plumber's merchant and we what they can do.
We bought these from an eBay 'restorer' about ten years ago when we spruced up the house. I'm not sure if they're genuinely old or modern one's de-chromed?
 
For everyone's information, to select the correct o-ring you measure the inner dia of the shaft it goes on and the dia of the bore it goes into. So, if the shaft inner size is 10mm and the bore size is 12 you need an O-ring of 10 id (inner dia) and 1.1 to 1.2mm section... Why 1.1 to 1.2mm? Because you compress the o-ring by between 10 & 20% so it seals. Its also vital to cean ALL surfaces and lubricate very copiously with silicone grease.
Hope it helps someone.
 
Not able to advise but I hope your project to refurbish works out as it looks to have a nice character and would be a shame to replace with something else without the accumulated patina.
 
My thoughts entirely. They're a pain to polish (which is why, jtsplumbing, they look 'like s--t' ;)) but I'd rather have them than a new unit.
 
Is there a trick to taking to the handwheel off? I've removed the grub screw but it's stuck fast. Tried Plus Gas, no effect. I've clamped it in a vice and twacked with it a bit of wood and it won't shift. I wonder whether the ceramic insert will need to come off so I can hit something under it! If so, how?
Any advice from experienced hands?
 
Wd40 and pieces of wood and a hammer
 
I doubt there's a fixing under the ceramic indicator, old taps just don't like to come apart, keep at it.
Three possible outcomes:
It comes off.
It comes off but you damage the finish or even break something in the process.
It doesn't come off.
Heat sometimes helps and small shock type knocks.
There are tools you can buy to help, similar to windscreen wiper arm pullers.
 
Actually...
Why are you trying to take the handle off?
You have already exposed the jumper and washer.
Your original issue was that the retaining nut wouldn't keep the washer in place, replace the jumper, it should just pull out. You'll need a 1/2 jumper to replace it with readily available from plumbers merchants, even the big sheds if you don't mind paying through the nose.
You might want to rough up the shaft of the new jumper with a hacksaw if it is too loose in it's socket.
 
Forgive my ignorance but .. which bit is the jumper?

I was thinking I should take the handle off to get at whatever is at the bottom of (the upper half of) the shaft. I was anticipating a washer in there. Or is the only washer at the bottommost part of the unit?
 
That's really helpful - thanks for posting it.
What form is the 'gland packing'? I have water weeping from the shaft (at the red arrow) but, until I can get the handle off, I don't know what is down there to seal it. What can I expect?

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You're welcome.
Glands can be repacked with PTFE but not on something that is often used.
Hopefully, nipping up the gland nut will stop the leak from there, if not you're going to need a new tap head because I doubt very much you'll find the exact part for this obscure tap.
 
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