Recutting tap seats

Do modern plumbers not know about re-cutting seats in taps if a new washer fails to stop a drip?

In my experience older taps are usually the easiest to work on - if a new washer fails to stop a leak then a few twists with a seat re-cutter sorts the problem. I'm not a plumber, but I have two tap seat re-cutters of different vintages and have used them a few times over the years.

Recently in one of my (remote to me) rented flats a tap was dripping. Agents plumber's only solution was to replace the tap. Isn't it far far simpler just to fix it? Changing bath taps can be a right royal pain, and usually involves removing panels and consequent re-decorating. Or am I just old and grumpy?

AWEM

Reply to
Andrew Mawson
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"Andrew Mawson" wrote in news:OLydnZdhpbb6EM snipped-for-privacy@bt.com:

If the seat is chromed then the tool probably wont work.

Reply to
DerbyBorn

Old, grumpy, and correct!

Reply to
newshound

I have rarely encountered a dripping tap that I've been called to where "a few twists" of a seat re-cutter are sufficient: usually by the time I get called out the water has carved a channel as deep as it's wide in the seat.

If it's a decent set of taps or if it would be a PITA to replace them I'll have a go at re-cutting the seat: I have engineered an adaptation to my seat cutting tool to let me use it in my cordless drill so I can do the job in less than a few hours of laborious twisting. But many taps are so cheap and crap it's better value for the customer in terms of my labour to spend the time on replace rather than attempting to refurbish them.

Could be both ;-)

Reply to
YAPH

I rarely bother to try & re seat taps, although I have the tool. Just asking for a call back in a few weeks time. Seats that need re seating invariably end up chipping/cracking etc.

Reply to
The Medway Handyman

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