Tap reseating

[AnthonyL]

Dripping taps so bought

Wierdly the packaging doesn't say it is not 451S export model and only an SKU number is given with a warning that the 451S is not for use in the UK. Apparently this is the way Monument explain things.

Anyhow it is a nice little tool though it took a long while and a lot of turning to clean one seat on 1/2" tap.

Did the bath tap 3/4" whilst at it, and now on a roll so went into the utility room to do the taps there.

The 19mm cutter (which I used on the 1/2" tap) was too big so I used the 17mm cutter. All well and good but of course I'd bought washers for 1/2" taps. The washer needs to fit in a cup and was too large. Trimmed with a knife but I can't see on Screwfix what the correct washers should be.

[gareth evans]

Oh, it's one of those, with the "safety" (ie, blunt and useless) cutters which as you say takes ages to achieve very little.

What you need is one of these ...

... with a proper cutting bit on the end.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Had similar experiences with that tool.

(a) took a long time for a seat with a lump actually missing - faulty manufacture? (b)pack of tap washers I bought had none of the correct size.

[Brian]

As Gareth says, the one you have takes ?forever?. From memory, it can also be a pain to fit in some taps.

Plus, it can leave a ridge on some taps - I suspect the cutter is slightly under diameter. I noticed this when a repaired tap started dripping again and the new washer had been cut around the edge. I was able to find a slightly under sized washer as a temporary fix as the whole bathroom was about to be replaced.

AFAIK, we don?t have any conventional taps left. Just the modern, pain in the rear, modern ones.

[AnthonyL]

Pretty mixed reviews there.

[AnthonyL]

To be fair it was only one tap which must be original 1960's that was quite gauged out and so one hollow spot I had to grind down to.

The other 3 taps I've done were all clean and shiny after about 10 turns.

[Thomas Prufer]

This or those like it

will take the entire seat off in ten turns... the cutters have pronounced teeth raked to cut clockwise.

I was taught to turn these forwards until the tap was "shiny all round", i.e. any low spots were removed, and then turn the cutter backwards to burnish and remove burrs.

(For anyone buying one new: avoid the ones with a one-size-fits-all conical brass piece, i.e one like

)

Thomas Prufer