Another enjoyable plumbing experience.

[Jethro_uk]

Of course not, this is England.

Typically just as SWMBO went to empty the bathroom sink, there was a flood of water.

After mopping up, I saw the screw that goes through "the bit the plug goes in" had corroded and snapped causing the "bit the waste pipe plugs into" to fall down.

No problem - box of screws. Found one. Refit ...

Oh, hang on, there's a gasket/washer that goes between the BTWPPI and the body of the sink and it's become distorted and hardened. Sure enough, refitting and it leaks. I need a new one.

Pop around the corner to the plumbers merchants to discover (a) you can't get them loose and (b) whatever bits I need he doesn't have ("Funny that, I always have some in").

Having been bitten more times than I can recall with guessing what things are (a) called and (b) actually measure, I resign myself to B&Q so I can inspect the range.

As you'd expect, they didn't have anything remotely close to what I had.

Finally took a put at Screwfix and ordered something which looked right.

Of course it wasn't - the hole was too big (I'm guessing a 32/40 mm issue). But - as I kinda factored in - the washer did fit.

SWMBO believes that I've had at least 10 plumbing experiences now where I've taken the parts in to a chorus of blank looks or "Sorry mate, can't help you" from "the experts".

[The Natural Philosopher]

Oddly I have found Homebase to have a pretty good cheap range of e.g. in this case a simple basin drain

[Jethro_uk]

Ah well, no Homebase near me. And driving around all day on the off chance isn't my idea of fun.

A bit of refined googling suggests that the piece in question is a "combined vanity waste and overflow" unit. (We'll park the fact that I only wanted the gasket which is the only bit that can really "wear out").

HOWEVER, the one I removed is 32mm, but just for the lolz Screwfix only sell the 40mm version, now I've time to scour the website.

[Robin]

On 25/02/2020 17:16, Jethro_uk wrote: <snip>

I'm unclear what you mean by the gasket but Screwfix offer both plain poly washers for 32mm basin wastes and a choice of 3 piece kits:

[T i m]

;-)

This is England *these days* and to a degree we have brought it upon ourselves. 'Use it or Lose it.'

We had 4 traditional ironmongers / hardware stores within a mile or here and of course, now all gone.

I used to use them all fairly frequently, from buying a paper bag of

10 screws from a draw containing hundreds to getting wood cut up for me (while you wait). Then the sheds appeared (closer than those other stores unfortunately), had parking for when you needed a fair few bits, had a much greater overall range and in many cases, were cheaper.

However, they didn't typically stock all the little things so would often only go back to the hardware stores for those bits ... and so did most other people and so they lost all the revenue for everything else.

'O's'. ;-)

<snip>

I think an issue with plumbing stuff is it generally lasts a long time (so that make mode become obsolete ... more so than electric stuff probably) plus the strange thing with old English pipe / threads / diameters, tapered / parallel etc.

There have also been many brands lasting for many years that all did their own thing (similar with CU's etc) so washers and sub parts were the wrong size or profile.

I have a few sheets / rolls of different thickness of neoprene rubber and often assume I can't get a particular washer (especially right then) and so just make my own, given I can often make it a better fit and so be more suitable than the original.

The 3D printer and lathe can something help as well.

I guess it's similar with PC's where you go to upgrade your machine, only to find your CPU socket is no longer supported, not the RAM or HDD interface. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[Jethro_uk]

No, it's none of those. I would call it a gasket, and it goes between the actual body of the sink and the thing that goes to the waste. It only comes with the entire assembly.

I *think* this is it

[alan_m]

._SL1500_.jpg

[Brian Gaff (Sofa 2)]

I've known people to use blu tack and get away with it! Brian

[T i m]

<snip>

I think they are quite a light foam, designed to accommodate the undulations on the unglazed bit under the sink.

Basically, because that area is only 'wet' when you pull the plug and sees little pressure at any time, you could probably make one yourself from some expanded polythene sheet (the stuff you often find at the back of a new motherboard)?

A smear of compound or silicone (on both sides) would make it 100%.

Cheers, T i m

[T i m]

Whatever the 'builder' was doing round my Mums wasn't getting away with it and that was because he didn't understand what was happening.

That was an external overflow that was held captive on a stainless steel waste 'tube', meaning that the nut thread was 'wet' (when you pulled the plug or the basin overflowed). This meant a simple rubber washer wouldn't seal it and you had to seal the nut and thread with something (Plumbers mait / silicone).

Cheers, T i m

[tabbypurr]

And there are ways round it if you can't find the right fit. Silicone, plumber's mait, linseed putty, probably some sort of soft gasket from a car accessory place, chair webbing, etc.

NT

[The Natural Philosopher]

If you are cheapskating this, simply make a new gasket out of silicone sealant.

Apply sealant, Tighten down very loosely Remove surplus. Wait a few hours Tighten down properly

But frankly waste units are so cheap and the chrome wears so badly its usually better to simply buy a shiny new one.

[John]

I used to worry about a similar fitting in our bath. The head of rhe screw seemed a bit corroded. I worried that the "nut" could easily pull out of the plastic moulding.

Not very impressed by the design at all,

[PeterC]

Is it possible to get 'proper' outlets? I'm keeping mine as they're all solid brass. Basin, nearly 30 years old; sink, about 45, bath, around 70 (original). Never liked the screw going into plastic. Apart from being a weak point it also makes the assembly more complex and has more traps for crud.

[T i m]

This one was a large diameter (1-1/4"?) chrome plated brass tube, held in by a large nut underneath (also 1-1/4") by sandwiching the overflow fitting under the basin. Apart from any rubber washers that may collapse over time, that wasn't going anywhere.

The 'problem' with that design though is that the nut-thread was exposed to output water and do needed sealing with some form of sealant (rather than a rubber olive or washer).

I agree the one shown in the link is easier (from a sealing POV) but as mentioned elsewhere, does add more bits to catch stuff and they can and do fail (especially the plastic ones if over tightened).

Cheers, T i m