Taking a tap apart

[Piers Finlayson]

I've finally got fed up enough with a cold water tap in a toilet not working that I think I might fix it. (In my defence it's not utterly trivial as I'm going to have to freeze the pipe and insert a valve so it's an easier job in future.)

The fix is probably dead simple (a washer squished into the wrong place I suspect) but I can't immediately figure out how to dismantle the tap. The taps look a bit like this:

'd

have thought that the metal top (inside the red/blue ring) would screw off with a little downwards pressure, but it doesn't. What's the trick?

As an aside, any recommendations on what full bore valve to use (we have little enough pressure that I don't want to use a non-full bore one). I see these from screwfix, but it seems a little pricey:

[Adrian C]

>> I'd

They probably don't. Yes, I have had screw on ones in the past, but these days it's a bit of metalised plastic that clips in. Shove a small electrical screw driver in the ring gap and leaver.

Funny you mention taps, my bath hot tap 'head valve' refused this morning to open to maximum. I get a dribble. Now, off to B&Q to get another head (standard replacement bit inside - the last one didn't last long).

[Andrew May]

You should be able to just prise the metal top out. Underneath there will be a screw which will enable you to remove the head. That will reveal the normal nut type arrangement for removing the screw and washer mechanism. Re-assembly is the reverse of removal.

Andrew

[John]

Funny you mention taps, my bath hot tap 'head valve' refused this morning to open to maximum. I get a dribble. Now, off to B&Q to get another head (standard replacement bit inside - the last one didn't last long).

I had the same problem (it was only going about a quartyer turn) - stripped it and re-assembled - job fixed it. I believe the problem is due to water getting past the first "O" Ring and then causing it to hydraulically lock due to the water being incompressable.

To strip - remove the circlip on the shaft and press the spindle down to remove the spindle from the body. Re-assemble with a bit of lubrication.

[Adrian C]

Thanks for that.

Striped it down and found in my case the issue was mechanical. There is a hexagonal column on top of the spigot that sits on the hole where the water comes up. This column is meant to disapear up the top of the headwork by the turning of the worm screw inside, but here is where it occassionally jams tight - and unfortunately I don't have a nearby handy X-ray machine to see what brass parts interfere with each other. Oh well, it's knackered.

Trotted out to B&Q and got a replacement (last time - £2.39, now £3.99!) which fitted well. It'll do until the whole bathroom gets an upcoming replacement.

[spamlet]

> I'd

> Thanks,

Re the full bore valve, I'd certainly go for the type you've indicated (Which is interesting as when I did mine Screwfix only seemed to do washing machine valves for water so I bought the gas type which only cost about 1.50 then and look neat.). You may find that your ordinary local 'plumb centre' or similar has the valve cheaper than it currently is in the Screwfix book. I'd personally avoid the slotted type valve, as just about every time I've gone to turn one of these the o-ring inside has broken and leaked.

I did for a time have a clever valve with a press button action, on the loo filler pipe, but I couldn't find any more the last time I looked. I think this non-turning type - if you can find it - less likely to break seals, though others may have different stories...

S