Ceramic mixer tap repair

[Siggy]

I have a Hudson Reed Stainless steel kitchen mixer tap with separate levers for hot and cold. It's less than a month old, and am being advised by the online supplier that I will need to replace the 'internal' in order to fix a wobbly lever controlling the Hot supply. The levers are of the quarter turn ceramic type.

As there is no screw in sight for dismounting/removing this lever and shank assembly from the tap body, could anyone tell me how this is done please?

Here is a link to a graphic of the tap together with details of the problem.

[Andrew Mawson]

supply.

Surely if it is "less than a month old" you should not be fiddling with it but intalling the replacement that your supplier should give you having previously 'supplied defective good not fit for purpose'

AWEM

[Siggy]

Absolutely, but they are in Scotland and I am in Surrey. And apart from the pain of detaching the tap from the sink and posting it back (yes, I still have the backache from fitting the bloody thing almost a month ago!), I shall also be without water in the kitchen for several days.

So, in order to cause myself the least inconvenience possible, I wish to be able to make a repair myself. The supplier has just emailed (within 2 hours of asking on a Saturday!) to offer a free replacement internal component which they will send by post immediately. But I would like to know how one actually achieves that feat first.

hth

[Roger Mills]

Interesting one! My ceramic mixer tap has little plastic bungs at the ends of each handle axis, which have to be prised out to gain access to the screw - but yours doesn't appear to have anything like that.

I can only assume that the handle must just 'snap' on to the spline of the 'internal' and probably snaps off in the same way.[1] Have you tried giving it a sharp tug away from the tap body?

[1] If you've ever removed the drive shafts from an Austin/Morris Mini or similar, you'll know exactly what I mean!

[Siggy]

Thanks Roger, but I'm not too sure I like your use of the word 'snap'!! lol

I'm afraid that's exactly what WILL happen if I start tugging on the bloody thing, though. The gap between the tap body and the shank is so small, I don't know what I can use to wedge in there to prise it off without damaging the stainless steel in some way.

Anyway, it seems that it should be a 'pull off' affair, so I'll just have to grin and bear it and hope for the best! :)

ps. I think I remember using a sledge hammer on the Riley Elf driveshaft I removed once. ;-)

[Siggy]

8<

UPDATE:

Panic over. Decided to use brain instead of brawn! The lever itself unscrews from the shank, (duh) and underneath is a grub screw which secures the shank to the inner spindle. It was the grub screw wot was loose! Allen key sorted it. phew! :-)

[The Medway Handyman]

Why don't you e mail back & ask them?