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tap washer replacement

Will you still be friends after this turns into a disaster?

Jim

Reply to
Speedy Jim
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Yes, preferably with a sledge hammer. NOT! Abort mission! ABORT MISSION!

(I think I smell a troll)

Reply to
Dumbo

Having replaced the washer in one of our taps in our shower at home this now makes us experts in the eyes of our friends who have called upon us to help them do the same for their leaky shower tap.

However, the shower has 2 square taps, both of which have a stylish little piece of granite glued on top of them. Am I correct in assuming that this needs to be removed (it's going to take a hammer and a chisel to do so) to get at the cap nut underneath to remove the tap? There doesn't seem to be any other obvious way to remove the tap but maybe I'm missing something.

So do I have to pry off that granite bit?

Reply to
Sue

Sue, it would help if we got on the same wavelength first.

Is the part you keep calling a "tap" something most knowledgable folks would call a "faucet handle"?

Is the thing you call a "cap nut" something that the same knowledgable folks would call a "screw"?

I've taken the handles off a lot of taps, but I can't recall ever finding a nut under the pry off cover plate, it's always been just a screw threaded into a hole in the end of a splined shaft which secures the handle onto that shaft. But, I'm open to learning something new, so which is it Sue, a "cap nut" or a screw?

Sue, do you really understand what you are talking about? If you don't maybe you better back out and let your friend call in a professional.

Respectfully,

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff Wisnia

This is a project you don't want to start.. I sense disaster in the making.

Bill

Reply to
Berkshire Bill

I guess I'm really missing something here, or not explaining myself very well. Not trolling. look me up. I've posted here before. the other slightly differently munged addresss is just another computer.

It probably sounds like a stupid question so let me rephrase it. most taps have a cap nut concealed under some type of decorative plate. the little decorative granite piece on this particular tap is 1.25" x 1.25" and is in the right place to conceal the cap nut. It is firmly glued. Is it likely that underneath this little square of granite lies the cap nut? or is likely that is purely decorative and if I pry it off I'll see nada.

In other words... is there some other type of fitting that is in fairly common use that I should be aware of and go ah ha! that must be a "------" tap fitting, it comes off this other way.

Reply to
Sue

Tap is Canadian for Faucet. I appologize for getting my countries mixed up. In your terminology I mean faucet handle.

As for the "cap nut", I made the mistake of looking the name up on the internet (of all things) trying to get the correct terminology.(I thought that little screw must have a name, and then I thought thats an odd name for it, but whatever) . I guess one would more correctly call it the handle screw.

As for knowing what I am talking about, clearly I don't have the terminology down so while I know-no one else does. But honestly what is the worst thing that can happen here? Either I break it and then they call the plumber, or they just call the plumber. But fixing my own was a

2 on a hard scale of 1-10 where 10 is hard, and 1 is easy, So I think it is at least worth a try.
Reply to
Sue

Why are you guys giving Sue a hard time?

Sue - Most likely the screw that holds the handle to the faucet stem is under the decorative granite thing. Look for a way to get it off. Its NOT likely glued in place by the manufacturer. Look around all sides of the handle for any type of hole, even very small. It could be possible that the handle screw is what's called a set screw and uses a special wrench called an Allen wrench. These would come in from the side, not the end, under the granite.

Now - what's the worst that can happen if you pry of the granite. It breaks into pieces and they have to get a while new handle or replace the whole faucet? You can figure out any negative effects, if any, on your relationship.

Reply to
No

It would be great if you could discern the brand of those faucets and contact the manufacturer or a distributor to see if there's a "trick" to removing them.

It's hard for me to believe any manufacturer would design a faucet with pieces of stone *glued* on right over the area you have to reach to remove the handles.

Are there recesses in the handles matching the shape of the stones or are they just standing proud of the surface? If they're in recesses, then chances are the manufacturer put them there and maybe there's an unconventional means for handle attachment, like perhaps a radially placed set screw accessable from the side of or behind the handle. (Any small as yet unexplained holes in the sides of those handles Sue? Have a look see.)

If the stones are not in recesses, than perhaps some nutty interior decorator more concerned with decor than function did make the bathroom tile guy "glue them on" without regard to future access. If you reach that conclusion then go ahead and have at them with a putty knife or awide thin chisel. I'd suggest warming the handle up first with a hair dryer or heat gun. wThat might help soften up the adhesive.

Let us know what it turns out to be, curious minds want to know.

Cheers,

Reply to
Jeff Wisnia

Yeah, I agree. I hadn't had my morning coffee yet. Sue sounds like she's capable of getting that job done, and I *am* curious to hear if she figures out whether those stones were glued there by the manufacturer or by some twit of a decorator.

Thank goodness It wasn't my friend Marty responding to Sue's post. He would undoubtedly have spewed forth something classy like, "If G_d wanted women to understand plumbing he would have given them brains instead of boobs."

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff Wisnia

On 08/18/05 12:10 am Sue tossed the following ingredients into the ever-growing pot of cybersoup:

No "tap" is *English* for "faucet." But Canadians still speak a language that is closer to English than the people to the south of them -- even if they do have a funny accent. ;-)

Perce

Reply to
Percival P. Cassidy

It is very definitely glued, so maybe some decorator did it. seemed like a dumb idea to me.

yeah I looked for that. no holes that I can see. And despite the ditzyness of my earlier post I do know what an allen wrench, (since if you hand me a bike frame and a bunch of components I can build one-with the exception that I don't build wheels), but I GREATLY appreciate your kindness.

exactly.

none. these are good friends, who we've helped out before.

Thanks again.

Reply to
Sue

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