New bathroom sink tap in old bathroom

Jedzi · 2020-11-02T09:21:56+00:00

I need to replace the hot tap in my bathroom sink. The bathroom is ancient, 30+ years old, and will be replaced in the next year, so I just need something simple to keep it working until then. I've not fitted a new tap before, but I've done some research and have a couple of questions:1. Assuming that the old tap is a 1/2 inch tap, do I need to buy a 1/2 inch tap, or will a modern 15m tap be OK? 2. From looking round on the net, a sensible option seems to be to use a flexible hose. Am I right to think I should buy a 1/2 fitting for the pipe end and, depending on the answer to Q1, a half inch or 15mm fitting for the other end?3. 3. Should I use a push or compression fitting (bearing in mind I haven't done this before)?Thanks

Nov 02, 2020 Last reply: 5 years ago 22 Replies

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Dave Liquorice 5 years ago

Normally splines rather than screw on, though there will be screw under a cover to hold the handle on.

Splines look a bit knackered but a new handle ought to fit and the possibly bad assumption that they haven't changed the number of "standard" splines theer are over the years...

That's a composite kit with various collars and washers to enable the valve body fit 1/2" of 3/4" taps. At aguess you'll need the right hand collar and the smaller conical washer. You may need to remove the flat washer to fit the conical one. Not sure what open top hat things are for. Fiddle about and see where they fit?

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Jedzi 5 years ago

Sorry, poor explanation on my part ? the plastic tap head pushes on (no screw). I was referring to the ?thread? inside the plastic tap head that the splines fit into, which is now worn.

I?ve tried swopping the cold and hot around. The ?good? plastic tap head from the cold works on this hot top, which suggests the valve & splines while ancient, still work.

I?ve also tried swapping a valve in from another sink and that works.

The 2nd from the left on the middle row works to allow me to screw the valve in to the tap itself.

The problem I then have is that the new valve is too short to turn the flow off. I?m pretty sure it needs one of the two fittings on the left of the front row, which I assume fit over the bottom of the valve. The problem is that they?re a hard plastic and I can?t get them on. I?ve tried warming them in water, but no joy.

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Roger Hayter 5 years ago

Possibly the hard plastic bits are supposed to fit in the valve seat inside the tap to raise/narrow it so the new washer will fit?

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