Tap revivers - reversible lever action?

[Rory]

I've bought some 1/4 turn lever tap reviver heads from Screwfix to replace the heads on a standard kitchin sink mixer in an elderly ladies house. The hot tap doesn't work so while I'm there I thought I'd swap them as the levers would be easier for her to operate.

Couple of queries, please:

1) Will quarter turn open the tap enough - ie is the mechanism geared differently to a normal tap?

2) To me, the logical way operate them would be swing forward for on and push them back (out of the way) for off. But lever taps seemed to be designed to do the opposite. As the levers open in different directions for each tap I presume there's no reason why I can't fit them whichever I (or the old lady) want, is there?

Thanks.

[Rory]

They're not ceramic. Hopefully they're as you suggest - they must be otherwise the tap would barely dribble.

Hmm...I've never done that in past so don't have the tool. Is it likely to be necessary?

Well, they are a bit different to standard taps - they turn in opposite directions to open. So you've got to figure out how you want them to work before fitting them.

[Dave Liquorice]

Yep but they are "handed" so you can arrange for up out of the way to be off rather than down in the way being off. Just choose the correct handedness.

[Ian Jackson]

Some of this was discussed a couple of months ago.

It appears that the 'correct handedness' is OFF with the handles pointing in parallel towards you (over the sink basin). I queried whether there was any subtle reason why the hot and cold taps (quarter turn ceramic seal) should not be swapped over, so that OFF could be with the handles turned outwards and away from you, leaving them pointing 'west and east' instead of 'south and south' (if you see what I mean).

The reason I asked was that, a couple of years ago, I interchanged the hot and cold taps (so that the handles pointed as I have described) and, after only about 18 months, I started having trouble with hot tap (which was the cold insert). The general opinion was that, other than the red and blue colour-coded washers, and the direction of rotation, there was no difference.

[Rory]

This does seem to be correct (or at least, normal) and it strikes me as odd because the lever might get in the wat while using the sink. Surely they're better pushed back out the way? The only problem I can forsee with the non ceramic taps I've bought is that people might try and push them back too far - but I guess they could equally push them too far towards the spout if fitted in the conventional way.

Certainly the ones I've got are mechanically identical, save for opening in opposite directions to each other.

[Ian Jackson]

In message , harry writes

Oh, quite. Unfortunately, the tap makers seem to have other ideas! But, as long as there are no actual differences in the materials the taps are made of (ie "You shouldn't do it because... "), you can easily swap them (and, of course, re-position the handles).

[Rory]

Done this job now and they work just as discussed so once I took a moment to figure out which way each tap opened I was able to install them so they opened when the levers are pulled forward.

The water (gravity hot and mains cold) flowed adequately with a 1/4 turn but the levers are short enough to allow them to fully rotate without fouling the centre spout on the bog standard kitchen sink mixer I fitted them to.

One of the old heads does seem to be jammed - even spending a minute taking it apart I found the bit the washer attaches to wouldn't retract back into the head (I aligned the hex! - the other one reassembled fine) so it was very worthwhile to have got the new heads.

[Ian Jackson]

In message , Rory writes

You mean that, when the taps are OFF, the levers point TOWARDS each other (but are short enough not to hit the spout between them)? If so, if you swap the inserts over, they will be OFF with the levels pointing away from each other, and when you turn them, they go nowhere the spout. I would say that that would be a more-usual way of having them - even if it isn't the way the makers think you should have them!