Kitchen sink mixer tap drips - can it be fixed?

Adrian Brentnall · 2017-12-27T21:48:29+00:00

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

Dec 27, 2017 24 Replies

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Andrew 8 years ago

As Peter Parry would probably point out, it's at this point you discover that the gate valve that shuts off the supply from the hot tank to the kitchen tap is seized solid.

You decide to be brave and whip out the old one and screw in the new using an old towel to stop the hot water splashing around but you cross thread the new one in the process.

By this time hot water at 60 Centigrade has made it to the tap and you cannot screw or unscrew the new ceramic unit, while hot water is pissing everywhere all around you .....

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John Rumm 8 years ago

At which point the more prudent, would stick a bung into the outlet pipe of the cold cistern ;-)

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Adrian Brentnall 8 years ago

Sort of success - managed to get the cover off (6" of self-amalgamating tape to protect the chrome and 12" of Stillson wrench to shift it).

Even managed to get the cartridge out and disassembled, cleaned up as best I could, regreased and reassembled. Still drips, perhaps not quite so much as it did.

New cartridge time, I think... Will wait until next week when our local plumber's merchants reopens (free sucking-in-of-breath-through-teeth and gentle sarcasm with every purchase) - and if they're not feeling cooperative there's various online possibilities.

Gained some brownie points for trying! Thanks for the advice Adrian

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