Kitchen sink mixer tap drips - can it be fixed?

[Adrian Brentnall]

HI Folks We had a lever-operated kitchen kitchen sink mixer tap fitted about four years ago - in the past few months it's started dripping. It has quarter-turn levers - I'm guessing that these operate ceramic valves?

If so - does anybody have experience of obtaining replacement valves, and how are they fitted. I'm expecting that the lever is held on by a screw, under the end-cover - but how do you get the conical cover off without damaging the chrome?

Anybody been there & done that, successfully?

Photo of what looks to be the same beast here -

I notice that the Amazon item carries a 15-year guarantee - "(excluding working and serviceable parts, abuse or neglect)" - we have pumped well-water supply - so it's quite possible that some grit as found its way into the valve...

Thanks, Adrian

[Chris Hogg]

You'll probably find what you want here

???? or more specifically, here

I had/have a similar problem. You need to get the size of the alumina disc inserts specific to your tap, which means going through the dismantling process twice, once to measure the discs and the second to change them. Don't forget to turn the water off first. The images on that web site give you an idea as to how they come apart. Remove the lever by removing the plastic cap on top of the tap, to expose the screw which you undo and then lift or knock/tap off the lever upwards. You can then unscrew the body from the tap fitting, pull out the coloured (red or blue) washer at the bottom and then remove the alumina disc inserts. Not difficult.

The only problem I had was that I couldn't find an exact match for my discs. So I swapped over the hot and cold discs, reassembled the whole thing and for a while the tap stopped dripping, although I see it's recently started again.

If you live in a hard water area, then deposits of lime may have built up on the discs. Soaking them overnight in vinegar may be all that's needed.

Failing all that, simply buy a whole new pair of cartridges.

[Richard]

Might be of use:

[John Rumm]

Yup pretty likely...

Take off the H/C cap - should unscrew. Then remove the screw and the lever should come off. The conical trims ought not be done up that tight

- you may find you can undo by hand or with a "gripper" glove. If you need to use grips (water pump pliers etc), then shims of leather or a short length of rubber hose (plumbers merchant - they sell it for connections to manometers and gas pressure meters) make good grippy protectors.

You may find just unscrewing the valve, and pulling the disks out f the end of it (you normally need to prise off a retaining C clip on the shaft), will let you clean them - often that is enough if they are still nice and smooth. A descale, and re-lube with silicone grease can also help.

Yup, they don't like grit... I fitted a good quality new mixer a coupe of days back, and managed to get some debris in there that caused it to leak on about the third use (probably some solder residue, or copper fragments etc). The dismantle and rub discs between fingers procedure fixed that.

[Adrian Brentnall]

Yes - very handy, thanks. Looks like ?30 plus p&p for a pair of valves. The complete tap cost about ?130, four years ago, and I see that the same tap unit is available brand new on Amazon for UKP 54.... so it may make more sense to replace the whole tap.

[Adrian Brentnall]

HI Chris Ah - you've been there too . I don't think I want to get down to 'component level' one the repair / replacement - but I suppose it's good to know it's possible. Seems that a pair of replacement cartridges will set me back UKP 30, while Amazon will sell me a complete new (shiny!) tap for only ?25 more

- so I'm tempted just to drop a new one in....

I've changed hundreds of 'old-fashioned' tap washers in the past - but this is the first time I've needed to fiddle with one of the quarter-turn jobbies... hence the reason for asking.

Thanks Adrian

[Adrian Brentnall]

Ah - there's some ideas - thanks

Ah - having said that I'm considering replacing the whole thing, you've now appealed to the skinflint in me! Trouble is, it's the Kitchen Tap - so any prolonged faffing about with it isn't likely to be popular....

Ah - that's worth knowing. 'Spose I could try, it'd be a nice 'eco-friendly' fix if it was something that simple..

Thanks Adrian

[GB]

Get the whole tap and you'll be able to see how the handles come apart, plus have some spare bits. It's a faff to replace the tap body, but it's easy to replace all the moving parts.

[John Rumm]

Its also only a 10 minute job[1], so worth a punt!

[1] or at least would be, if having prised the clip off, it did not drop to the floor, roll, and then fall with a clink into a large exposed section of floor void that I have open for pipe wrangling...

Ten mins later hunting about in all the crap and sawdust that accumulates under floors, to find it sitting there straddling an old discarded floor board nail like a rather good shot in horse shoe hurling!

[Adrian Brentnall]

I'm glad it's not just me!

I might dig out my strap wrench (or similar) and give it a go. After all - it'll take another week before online folks are back at work, and then it'll be another week before the new item gets to Ireland from the UK..... - so it's probably worth a punt.

Step one - see if the covers can be removed - they've been made helpfully conical, so getting a decent grip on them will be a challenge!

Thanks Adrian

[Chris Hogg]

Another tip, as well as turning off the water, put the plug in the hole (saves having to crawl about under the sink uncoupling the waste trap, to recover that little screw with the totally unique thread and diameter)!

[Adrian Brentnall]

Good thought. One of those 'obvious after the fact' things Thanks

[GB]

My darling wife *now* puts the plug in when removing her contact lenses.

[TMH]

Correct.

If it's knurled I usually use water pump pliers & a cloth.

Many times.

[TMH]

They can be a bugger to match up. I have a 'proper' plumbers merchant who carries a wide selection. You need to take the valve AND the operating head/lever.

I'm expecting that the lever is held on by a

[Adrian Brentnall]

Grand

Nope - smooth as a smooth thing, and tapered with it. The 'hot' once loosened off with a grippy garden glove - the cold one won't budge (so far). Gave it a bit of limescale remover, might whip the lever off and see if that give me better access...

Thanks Adrian

[TMH]

Grippy glove and water pump pliers?

[Adrian Brentnall]

Something like that... probably - or even a stout rubber band wrapped many times round the thing to give a bit of purchase....

Adrian

[Andy Burns]

Rubber strap wrench?

[Adrian Brentnall]

That'd probably work - don't think I have one. I 'think' I've got one of the woven strap ones that you work with a socket set (?oil filter?) - but it's somewhere in the shed that I promised to tidy up last summer...

I'll have another look at alternative 'grippy' methods in a bit.. Thanks Adrian