Basin

[Keiran]

Do you have to apply silicone to plug when installing a basin ?
Is it recommended ?

 

[Vee]

No. That is not what silicon is for. If needed use Plumbers Mait on the thread without clogging up any overflow slotting.

 

[Keiran]

I’ve got plumbers good ?

 

[Keiran]

Gold

 

[Harvest Fields]

No. That is not what silicon is for. If needed use Plumbers Mait on the thread without clogging up any overflow slotting.

Some instructions for plugs state to use silicone. It is allowed. Just not the best method.

 

[Ric2013]

I personally use Plumbers' Gold sealant (it's more like silicone than like Mait). On the top side of the basin, less is more. To be fair, a 'leak' in this location will merely mean the water will bypass the plug and drain away rather than drip out under the basin so a good seal is not technically required.

On the underside of the basin, think about where you need to seal and use an appropriate amount. A waste, fitted correctly, should look tidy and not have tons of sealant hanging off it. Wipe off any excess sealant.

Most plumbers seem to swear by Plumbers' Mait. I don't mind being in the minority as it's only natural that different tradesmen will have different opinions. I don't use it myself because, being non-setting, it has a tendency to run plus the fact that I have witnessed more leaky wastes that have been sealed with Mait than that have been sealed with other sealants puts me off. Plus I was taught there can be issues caused by the oils in the Mait affecting certain plastics. That said, if more wastes are sealed with Mait than with just rubber washers or with silicone, the number of failures alone is not a good way of measuring the proportion that have failed so I may be wrong to consider it unreliable.

 

[Keiran]

I personally use Plumbers' Gold sealant (it's more like silicone than like Mait). On the top side of the basin, less is more. To be fair, a 'leak' in this location will merely mean the water will bypass the plug and drain away rather than drip out under the basin so a good seal is not technically required.

On the underside of the basin, think about where you need to seal and use an appropriate amount. A waste, fitted correctly, should look tidy and not have tons of sealant hanging off it. Wipe off any excess sealant.

Most plumbers seem to swear by Plumbers' Mait. I don't mind being in the minority as it's only natural that different tradesmen will have different opinions. I don't use it myself because, being non-setting, it has a tendency to run plus the fact that I have witnessed more leaky wastes that have been sealed with Mait than that have been sealed with other sealants puts me off. Plus I was taught there can be issues caused by the oils in the Mait affecting certain plastics. That said, if more wastes are sealed with Mait than with just rubber washers or with silicone, the number of failures alone is not a good way of measuring the proportion that have failed so I may be wrong to consider it unreliable.

No leak after this applied, plumbers gold. Going to try again tomorrow for longer time as only had taps on little while to check it.

 

[Timmy D]

No. That is not what silicon is for. If needed use Plumbers Mait on the thread without clogging up any overflow slotting.

I agree with you and personally use mait. Can’t remember where I heard this but pretty sure nvq training now teaches to use silicone instead of mait....crazy right

 

[Ric2013]

I agree with you and personally use mait. Can’t remember where I heard this but pretty sure nvq training now teaches to use silicone instead of mait....crazy right

NVQ does indeed. Perhaps one day I'll agree that it's crazy, but not yet! 🙂

Leaving that aside, from what I can see, looks like Keiran has done alright with the waste. Let us know if you have any problems.

 

[Keiran]

No leak this morning guys, little worried about the basin not touching the stand all the way around ?
The basin in with 8mm masonry wall plugs into nofine wall so very stiff and feet in with 8mm smaller screws into the tile, panel and floor board I presume so it’s steady but is it ok not to fully touch all the way around ?
Should I silicone the gap maybe ?.

 

[Ric2013]

You can, but you don't have to. If you do, avoid using so much that you cannot remove the pedestal if need be.

 

[Keiran]

Didn’t want to start a new thread just for this, should or could I plumbers mate the rim of this flexi and would it work ?

that splash on the floor is only from 4 flushes.