taps difficult to shut off

[john royce]

there are some rather strange and I think unusual taps on our bathroom sink that were there when we moved in. (white curved spout with gold lines on the square edges). The taps handles are round, quite small and very difficult to turn if your hands are wet. I would like to replace these taps sometime, but don't feel able to face the charges of a plumber at the moment and don't feel that I could manage the soldering job underneath the sink to put on new taps.

since more than a few in the house find it difficult to turn the taps off completely, I would like to fit very soft washers to make it easier. try as I might I cannot find any in north west London, they are all hard rubber.

Is there anything that I might cut down that would act as soft washers. I thought of using leather but guess they might wear and or cut through very easily. grateful for any suggestions. Thanks

[Dave Baker]

You might have better luck trying to find alternative handles. The tap body could be common to a range. I wouldn't mess around with the washers. I doubt you'll find anything that works better than what's in there.

[Dave Osborne]

You may well not need to solder anything. Just use flexible tap connectors like this: -

if you want to fit the service-valve version: -

[Laurence Payne]

Are you sure soldering is involved? Look underneath. I'll bet it's a compression joint.

[Matty F]

What kind of handbasin is it? I've seen several porcelain handbasins that have cracked when a large spanner was used to try to undo a tap. So if you do it yourself be sure to hold the tap firmly. I use an 18 inch Crescent for that!

I had trouble with all my tap washers wearing out fast. The water pressure was extremely high so I put a pressure reducing valve in the main supply pipe and have not changed a washer since.

[crb]

I had a similar problem which I fixed satisfactorily a couple of years ago.

Buy some plain ball valve or stop c*ck washers (B&Q sell 1/2", 5/8" and 3/4" diameter packs for around =A31). Place one of the appropriate size over the existing washer and hold in alignment with masking tape or similar. Then simply drill through the plain washer using the existing washer as a template to make the central hole.

The material used for these plain washers (EPDM?) is much softer than standard tap washers.

CRB

[John]

I had a similar problem which I fixed satisfactorily a couple of years ago.

Buy some plain ball valve or stop c*ck washers (B&Q sell 1/2", 5/8" and 3/4" diameter packs for around £1). Place one of the appropriate size over the existing washer and hold in alignment with masking tape or similar. Then simply drill through the plain washer using the existing washer as a template to make the central hole.

The material used for these plain washers (EPDM?) is much softer than standard tap washers.

CRB

By hard to turn off - do you mean there is friction in the mechanism - if so strip it and grease it. If you mean it drips until you turn it really hard then just fit new washers and don't be so heavy handed in the future and they should last for years. All you are doing with a tap is placing a rubber cap over an outlet - no need to be heavy handed or you deform the washer.

(I presume they are not ceramic cartridge taps -quarter turn jobbies)

[The Medway Handyman]

Relatively simple to change basin taps. Pipe slice to cut pipe, pair of flexible tap connectors. Box spanner to undo/do up back nuts.

[Derek Geldard]

Don't traditional taps go like this when the valve seat has become eroded ? ISTR a gadget for sale for re-cutting the seats.

Derek

[The Medway Handyman]

Appropriately named a 'tap reseating tool'

work a treat with a new washer.