Bath Tap Washers

[John Kelly]

My bath taps are extremely hard for my kids to turn off. I know I need to replace the washers but I've resisted doing it as I can't seem to find a way to turn off the water except at the mains - The hot water continues to flow as does the cold from the tank in the loft. What are the sizes of washer I'm likely to need to do this? If I'm going to have to drain the hot and cold tanks I'd rather have what I need available without having to go out in the middle of it all. The taps are about 20 years old if that suggests anything.

Tanks

[mike]

From your description it's an oldfahioned unpressurised system, like what I've got. There may (should) be a valve between the hot outflow and the hot water cylinder inlet.

It probably has a wheel as a handle rather than the cross bar of the mains stopcock. If you find this in the airing cupboard or loft and can turn it off it should stop the hot flow pretty intantly, though the tap may well continue to drip a bit - ignore this.

Another way is to block the outflow of the cold tank with a bung, this may stop your cold tap - it should really come from the mains pipe these days; some folk say a carrot is good; if I had to do it I think I'd use a good quality rag or summat - you don't want to end up blocking the pipe - but I'm speculamating as I've never had to do it :)

HTH

mike

If your tap hasn't been touched for ages you may be in for a problem stripping it down, so be prepared.

mike

[The Medway Handyman]

Sounds like you have an indirect system..

The cold tank in the loft usually supplies the bathroom toilet cistern, bath & basin cold taps. It also feeds the hot water cylinder.

You might find a valve in the pipe coming out of the tank (unlikely IME) if not the simplest way is to drain it. If you have a valve on the inlet pipe turn it off, or tie up the ball valve, or turn off the mains then turn on the cold taps in the bathroom. Depending on the size of the tank this can take 10-20 mins.

This should also stop the flow of hot water and you shouldn't have to drain that (cold water from the tank pushes the hot water out of the cylinder).

Most bath taps are 3/4" washers, but they are cheap enough to buy a few different sizes.

HTH

[John Kelly]

Thanks and thanks to Mike also. Yes, that describes what I've got, including the wheel shaped thing in the airing cupboard. I'll go and buy a few different washer sizes tomorrow and hopefully sort it out on the weekend.

[EricP]

The current Lidl specials features a little accessory tray chest containing loads of bits for replacing consumables at home. It is stuffed full of washers of all types, particularly tap ones.

It costs £4.99 and I am off for my second one in a minute.

We costed the contents individually in merchants and sheds and make it approaching £50 for bits bought seperately. It has saved my arse for the last year in loads of different situations from the car to a shower install.

[mike]

John Kelly wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Glad it helps.

Have you tried operating the gate valve (wheel handle) to make sure you can operate it, and also that you can loosen the chrome capps, and the brass inserts on the taps which carry the washers? These may well be pretty solid, and you will need to be sure you can get at the business end if you want to do it in one hit.

OSINTOTS apart, of course ;)

mike

[The Medway Handyman]

OSINTOTS ???

[John]

Oh Sh*t I Never Thought Of That Senario is my guess!

HTH

John

[mike]

"John" wrote in news:daydnfn3E [e-mail]:

My version was Oh Shit I Never Thought of Thats

mike