Reduce power from basin taps

[ajp]

Just fitted a pair of new lever 1/4 turn wash basin taps (from the Screwfix commercial range) and they're fine except that the jet of water is so powerful if turned on full the water has a tendency to jump out of the wash basin and soak your feet :-)

There are plastic inserts in the taps, presumably to improve water flow. If I was to take them out would the water power be reduced and still flow Ok?

Question 2 is - how do I get them out - I guess they're a push fit. I'd like to be able to get them out and, if it makes things worse, put them back again.

The actual taps are H&C Commercial Lever Bath Tap Pair on view at

[fictitious]

If you mean in the end of the tap then you'll probably find they screw in and out but I have found they come loose after a time .They do affect the way the water comes out of the taps but would valves in the supply pipes not work better .

[Toby]

If you are refering to the plastic inserts up the end of the tap, then these jusr direct the water down nicley, if anything, they will rstrict the flow, not make it better.

Do you have service valves under the basin, like these?

not, then if you fit them, you can then reduce the flow with them.

I had this same problem in my cloakroom with a small basin and a waterfall type tape like this

ended up so powerfull, it would shoot out and hit the other side of the basin splashing everywhere, a quick tweak of the service valve sorted the problem.

Toby...

[ajp]

I had enough fun and games replacing the taps - a job for a contortionist in our rather small and cramped bathroom - so I'd rather not have to do more plumbing there until my neck & back have recovered.

I'll have a go at /gently/ unscrewing the inserts to see if it helps.

Alan

[Toby]

In future,whenever you do any plumbing work to "end" items such as taps, toilets etc, always fit some isolation valves! The cost very little, and are extremely useful later on, saves turning off all the water to do maintenance, or if a tap is faulty, and needs to be isolated, then you can just turn this off, without depriving the rest of the house from water :-)

If your new tap has flexible tails, then these will usually just screw directly to the isolation valve too...

Toby...

[John]

The plastic inserts may be to straighten the flow - or to aerate it.

[John]

What about fitting some Flow regulator ball valves:

to bottom

[Owain]

Could you gently flatten the supply pipes with a hammer?

Owain

[meow2222]

If you're not prepared to fit an iso valve, next best thing is to apply a clamp to the pipe and screw it part shut. Have the water on while doing it of course, you cant go back

NT

[The Medway Handyman]

Nooooooooooo! Please tell me I missed the smiley?

[TheOldFellow]

It's much easier if you've got proper lead pipe. :-) This copper stuff ruins good plumbing.

R.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember Owain saying something like:

LOL! Cheap and effective.

[PCPaul]

Noisy and risky..

When you replaced the taps, you did fit inline isolators? Just turn them down a touch...

[ajp]

I seem to have started something here :-)

Seriously, all I really wanted to know was how to get the inserts (aerators or whatever) out without damage so I could re-fit them if there was no improvement.

Thanks for all the other suggestions though :-)

Alan

[fictitious]

What's keeping you .Have you not done it yet? :-)

[meow2222]

why? used to make things out of flattened copper tube long ago, it works fine.

NT