Removing Jurassic bathtaps, frustrated and confused.

[centralheatking]

They are as @Best said, globe taps. They would more than likely have been put in by the Plumber using putty and paint, whilst the bath was stood on end and before it was installed. They will be difficult to remove but not impossible.

They are not available anymore due to regulations on back siphonage. The spout is within the bath and although you have an overflow which appears to be below the spout level, if it blocked, even partially, or has a flow rate less than that of the taps, then it is possible for the taps to become submerged in foul water. They are existing so don't need to be replaced retrospectively as far as I know.

Have you thought about what you will replace them with?

As best said, I would be tempted to repair them and spend some time on that. It should be possible for them to be re-seated, washer-ed and packed, as long as they are not corroded.

They might have been leaded in chking
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If bath tub is made of some sort of metal, you can heat the taps with torch. Materials, both tap and cooper expands as they are heated. when they cool they will be lose.

use Mapp Gas but be delicate. centralheatking

 

[Julian]

If you have enough space, heat the cooper tube instead. Cooper has a very high thermal conductivity. It heats up very quickly. So cooper is hot and tap is cool. Cooper expands tap dont. Thats a much better scenario.

 

[StoneAgeMan]

"They might have been leaded in cking"
Could you explain that one for me please. I tried to get a better look at the pipe-side connection and I thought I saw something white, with perhaps some fibre (Hessian?). I'm trying to anticipate the kinds of difficulty I might encounter if I go for removal.


Also, because of my restricted access times, I'm considering whether to install a stop valve on the horizontal pipe section. This would allow me stop half-way through the job, if necessary. I'm wondering whether I can do this without introducing air into the wrong part of the run... I would be cutting out a small section and putting in a compression fitting stop valve. Of course my wife thinks I want to do this so I can avoid doing anything else to the tap, just dodging the bigger job to get her off my back. Actually, I'm trying to protect t her from a DIY disaster over Christmas.

 

[centralheatking]

"They might have been leaded in cking"
Could you explain that one for me please. I tried to get a better look at the pipe-side connection and I thought I saw something white, with perhaps some fibre (Hessian?). I'm trying to anticipate the kinds of difficulty I might encounter if I go for removal.


Also, because of my restricted access times, I'm considering whether to install a stop valve on the horizontal pipe section. This would allow me stop half-way through the job, if necessary. I'm wondering whether I can do this without introducing air into the wrong part of the run... I would be cutting out a small section and putting in a compression fitting stop valve. Of course my wife thinks I want to do this so I can avoid doing anything else to the tap, just dodging the bigger job to get her off my back. Actually, I'm trying to protect t her from a DIY disaster over Christmas.

Quite often in order to seal joints years ago including your taps it was common practice to melt old lead..it goes liquid at rel. low temps. then just pour it into the
hole to stop the taps wiggling loose. If you saw something White or a bit grey then
that whats it might be, a bit of hemp wound in also sounds correct.
centralheatking

 

[Julian]

If you think its leaded, DONT heat the cooper you will melt the lead before doing any good. Wrap a wet towel on the cooper, right on the joint and go for the tap. This is also good cooper stays cool and tap is hot. But you have to let it cool down before trying to turn. You can also hit the tap with a heavy spanner a few times while still hot.
Hope wifey will be off your back before Christma .
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Be sure to open the tap before heating to prevent pressure build up

 

[Best]

Pray tell, is that the same as 'whacking it gently'?

You have a good memory for my daft phrase!
I now use the “sharp thump” technical description.

Don’t want the OP knocking enamel off the bath on my advice.

 

[StoneAgeMan]

Does it look odd to you,that the Cold tap is 1/2" while the Hot seems to be 3/4"?

They are both being fed from 1/2" on mains pressure (no storage tank in the loft), but the pipe to the Hot has an adapter that changes it to 3/4". As the overflow waste pipe is plastic, perhaps all the pipework was renewed until the taps... with the taps proving too difficult to replace.

In the meantime, I am looking at possible replacements and realising how much research is needed to avoid costly mistakes.

 

[Gasmk1]

originally your hot would have come from the cylinder and tank fed so no its not odd for it to be in 22mm but most probably 3/4" so if you are changing the taps and altering pipes you will need to check and may need a 22mm x 3/4" adaptor socket

 

[centralheatking]

Does it look odd to you,that the Cold tap is 1/2" while the Hot seems to be 3/4"?

They are both being fed from 1/2" on mains pressure (no storage tank in the loft), but the pipe to the Hot has an adapter that changes it to 3/4". As the overflow waste pipe is plastic, perhaps all the pipework was renewed until the taps... with the taps proving too difficult to replace.

In the meantime, I am looking at possible replacements and realising how much research is needed to avoid costly mistakes.

Its not odd, always hot tank fed supply was 3/4 inch or 22mm and the cold was 1/2 inch or 15mm
centralheatking. watch out for 3/4 inch and 22mm connections ...its wicked they DO NOT fit but almost do
it can really throw you...compression or solder its the same problem...there are converters anyway
15mm and 1/2 inch interface just fine.
centralheatking

 

[StoneAgeMan]

I have been clicking Likes on all the responses, but I would like to thank everyone properly too. The forum is obviously full of valuable information already, but new questions will always come up, even if the answers are familiar to many of you. I appreciate you taking the time to help me out.

Today I have started looking around online for possible replacements and the various options are all looking like a proper investment. Even some nasty looking old globe taps, "in need of refurbishment", were priced at £60 on EBay... and they looked worse than mine! And a new set of Bib taps will set me back from £120-£180. So I may be asking a few more questions before I start getting my card details ready. Forgive me if some of them sound a bit stupid, the easy ones are only easy if you know the answer (like "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire").