Removing Jurassic bathtaps, frustrated and confused.

[StoneAgeMan]

I will try to post pictures, but the summary is;
Old bathtaps, proving impossible to dismantle (long story), do not look like I expected when I open up the bath panel. Now seeking advice on best way forward.

 

[centralheatking]

Ok Stone Age Man , I can see your problem. I have seen plenty of these as I am an old plumber. You really need to tell us what you want to do having started. Your taps are quite cute IMHO ..keep your cast iron bath or what ..let us know
centralheatking

 

[Best]

They are called Globe taps.
If possible I would just repair them.
New 3/4” tap washers and seating if worn badly needs filed down to smooth surface with reseating tool.

 

[StoneAgeMan]

As I needed to post pictures, I used my phone, but that is painfully slow for writing text. I intended to add more description in a second post, but haven't had a chance until now.

Both bath taps have been in situ, untouched since I moved in, (2001). They both show evidence of some previous attempts to shift them and the scars suggest they were not successful. With that in mind, I have not had any plans to make changes, but now I think I must. The hot tap developed a drip from the spout, quite suddenly, and I think the washer must have worn down and split.

Unfortunately, the mechanism has beaten all my attempts to remove it. I have a good sturdy 22mm spanner that fit the nut well, but even with a length of tube on it to increase leverage, it just won't budge. As soon as I tried other types of grip, it just chewed up the copper and ruined the nut (mole grips, boiler pliers, small stillsons and a new 12" stillsons-look-alike). Tried a good soak with WD40... applied heat (boiling water).... freezing spray (Crack-it?)... all over a few separate attempts.

So I read every thread I could find, watched every video... and realized that replacing both taps is the logical next step - and the one a professional would probably suggest. But I feared what I would find in the narrow space behind the panel. Now that I have opened it up, I have more questions than answers.

The pictures show hot and cold feeds in 15mm coming from the right. The feeds both have tees that lead up in the wall behind the tiles - although only the cold feed is in use (for the electric shower). The tap nearest to us, is the Cold, and the 15mm is used. But the far tap, the Hot, has a connection to increase it to a larger size (22mm?). Both taps are without threaded locking nuts. Does this mean that they were installed by the bathtub manufacturer?

The drippy tap has now become a major project (did I mention that this is a family bathroom in near-constant use) that will probably need to be done late at night when I can work uninterrupted.

1. Where would YOU want to make the cut to remove the tap from the tub?
2. Why do you think they took a Tee off the hot feed, if it isn't used?

 

[ShaunCorbs]

New bath time tbh

What hot water system do you have ?

 

[MOSSEP]

They look like bib taps, they thread into the brass fittings behind the bath. Try turning the whole tap anti clockwise, hopefully they will unscrew.

 

[StoneAgeMan]

They are called Globe taps.
If possible I would just repair them.
New 3/4” tap washers and seating if worn badly needs filed down to smooth surface with reseating tool.

That's what I was hoping to do, but the mechanism simply refuses to separate from the housing.
[automerge]1576012783[/automerge]

New bath time tbh

What hot water system do you have ?

Gas Combi boiler (2018), running hot water to kitchen sink, bathroom sink and bath tap (Electric shower), and just five radiators. Small house.
[automerge]1576013181[/automerge]

They look like bib taps, they thread into the brass fittings behind the bath. Try turning the whole tap anti clockwise, hopefully they will unscrew.

The taps have a nice hexagonal section just as they go into the bath side, but there is nothing to grip on the pipework side. The nuts on the bath side bear the scars of previous battle, which makes me think they didn't/won't come off easily.

 

[MOSSEP]

That's what I was hoping to do, but the mechanism simply refuses to separate from the housing.
[automerge]1576012783[/automerge]

Gas Combi boiler (2018), running hot water to kitchen sink, bathroom sink and bath tap (Electric shower), and just five radiators. Small house.
[automerge]1576013181[/automerge]

The taps have a nice hexagonal section just as they go into the bath side, but there is nothing to grip on the pipework side. The nuts on the bath side bear the scars of previous battle, which makes me think they didn't/won't come off easily.

If they have a hex section on the tap then they do thread into the soldered brass fitting on the other side. If the taps are knackered anyway just get something on them and unthread them.