Securing Bath Taps

[NOSPAMnet]

I have just spent ages replacing my bath taps ...I got the one tap fitted ok and all looks good so far .It seems secure and turning the water on and off does not make the tap move .. The other tap,which is the furthest from the outside of the bath is proving a different matter . Obviously it is trickier getting one hand on the tap to keep it straight and another on the spanner underneath . Firstly the rubber washer under the tap kept moving around so when the backnut was tightened it was out of place so I took the tap off and put Fernox LS-X on the underside of the washer and put it in place and left it for a while ( but probably not long enough) and tried again ...Now the rubber washer is all squashed up and stick out from under the tap around the back so I'll need to start again .

The old taps had harder nylon(?) washers and I'm wondering if I might be better using them instead .

Any thoughts . ?

[John Stumbles]

I usually discard the various washers supplied with taps! My current method is to use Toolstation's Stixall to seal/glue the taps to whatever, and to avoid like the plague single taps on baths unless they have a very light ceramic disc action. Mixer taps don't twist!

[NOSPAMnet]

That's true ..I'll try dumping the rubber washers first and try the nylon ones but ..If this fails I'll get a set ..Just as well I drilled the holes at the right distance when I got the bath ..lol

[NOSPAMnet]

Went to screwfix today and on my list was a basin wrench but they were out of stock .Went round the corner to Toolstation to get Stixall and a basin wrench but what did I spy in the catalogue but a Box Spanner for Bath and Basin back nuts and that should do the job nicely ..

[YAPH]

Yes, or you can get individual box spanners in a range of sizes from Drews (which is what I did before either Screwfix or Toolstation were here: I'm guessing we're talking about the same town ;-))

Can't remember what sizes I've got but I have one which fits bath tap backnuts and larger (e.g. plastic) basin ones, and another which fits various basin and 15mm compression nuts. The bigger one doubles as tool to hold tap spouts steady while twisting the connection underneath with the other.

[NOSPAMnet]

Only if it's Glasgow ..

The last one sounds quite useful...How does that work?

[John Stumbles]

Oops, no - Reading here also has a Toolstation practically next door to Screwfix.

Just use it as a tube, stick it over spout of tap to hold it steady so it doesn't twist when turning the nut underneath.