Re: Re-seating a dripping tap

> What is a cheap but effective tool for re-seating a dripping tap? > I've seen manual ones that you screw into the thread and turn by hand, > but do they work?

I've used them, and they worked much better than I expected them to.

Reply to
Andrew Gabriel
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I've got a tap reseating tool here and have used it a few times in the past.

Usually very good to cut a new surface onto a well-used tap for the washer to mate with when the tap is closed. However if the surface is in need of this sort of repair then the likelihood is that the tap winding gear is probably feeling its age too.

The other thing I had with one particular tap was that the seat had what appeared to be a manufacturing defect - no amount of reseating could fix that because a chunk of the seat was completely missing.

Worth a go, but I wouldn't predict it will save that many taps.

Andrew

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Reply to
Andrew McKay

Are you sure it's just not gunge on the seat or threads? Unless the seats have been damaged by trying to turn the taps off with no washers they're not usually so damaged or worn that they drip. And if they are that worn, so will be the rest of the tap.

Gunge build up on the threads of the mechanism is the usual reason. Take it apart completely - usually some form of circlip - and clean with a brass wire brush, and change the 'O' rings at the same time. Use a touch of vaseline on re-assembley and you'll have a new feeling tap.

Reply to
Dave Plowman

Dave, Thanks to you and the others for the suggestions. No - the problem is a mysterious one that plagues taps in my house.. after several years, they develop a groove going accross the seating that the washer tightens down onto. I don't have a clue what causes it. IIRC, it looks like someone went accross it with a litlle engraving tool. May be erosion from chemicals in the water perhaps. I'm in a hard water area..

Frank

Reply to
Frank Z

It's probably from a leak which went unrepaired for a while, the water wears away a slot in the seat if allowed to leak.

Be _very_ careful about what sort of reseating tool you use, the ones usually sold in diy shops which have three or four straight 'cutters' are useless, you must try to get an old fashioned one which has teeth like a saw.

And, if you do manage to find one like that, let me know as I can't find the one I had!

Alan

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Reply to
Alan Holmes

Hi Yes the seat of the taps usually start leaking due to a groove which goes across the seat. This is common in hard water areas. This maybe, as you say due to chemicals in the water or impurities in the brass. The cure as you know is to reseat the tape with a re-seating tool. Some of the cheaper ones are useless and would take hours the take away the brass to expose a nice clean seat. I bought one from one of the DIY stores and after finding it useless I cut off the turning handle and put the shaft into a battery drill and you can do a tap in a few minutes. Hope this helps, but do keep checking the seat as you don't won't to take of more brass than neccessary. Richard

Reply to
Richard

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