What's the best way of freeing a non-swivelling swivelling kitchen sink tap? It takes a real effort to move it at all at present. Is it a dismantle and replace something job, or will something as simple as a good external squirt of WD40 do the trick?
Dismantle, descale, replace the O-ring seals, lubricate with silicone grease which is suitable for use on potable water fittings, reassemble.
When you've descaled it, inspect for wear. If it's got worn through lack of maintenance, then it may never work properly, so be prepared to cut your losses.
I have a similar problem, but rather than being retained with a grub screw as the old ones were, this one just had a spring-loaded ball-bearing that went down a slot. I can't get it out again for love nor money. Is there a standard direction the outlet should face to lift it out again, before I damage the sink ?
Anticipating that advice, I've dismantled it now and found a few rock-hard black fragments between the sliding chrome-plated surfaces where the moveable spout rests down against the body of the tap. Presumably there was once an O-ring there which as you say should be replaced
Ah, I'll have to get some (and hope that it's available in small quantities) unless there's an acceptable alternative which I already have.
This is where you go to your selection box of O-rings, bought from Aldil the last time they were on sale[1] (cheaply at around 6quid) and find a suitable replacement.
The selection box is useful, I have done similar recently and found the correct diameter O-ring made the action on the spout a little stiff so I used the size smaller, stretching it slightly and the reduction in section made the fit just right. If you buy singles then maybe buy a couple of sizes.
It is, either in pot or tube and cheaply, see toolstation etc. Nowt else will do either compatibility wise or potable water wise
I did have a suitable O-ring, fitted it and tried a test re-assembly without lubricant. The result was a spectacular leak from around the O-ring. So I obtained some silicone grease (exorbitantly priced from B&Q - Toolstation denied all knowledge of the stuff) and tried again. The "grease" proved to be rather more liquid than solid and was absolutely useless: it simply ran off.
I gave up temporarily but later took the tap spout to a small plumber's merchant (where I should have thought of going in the first place). There I was told that there should be no O-ring: the sliding surfaces simply rotate against each other. What about lubrication? Oh - use Vaseline, the chap said.
Hmmn, doesn't sound right, even unlubed the O-ring should have sealed if it was the right size for the job.
Surprised not to see it at TS as it's just what you need to lube seals on pushfit drainage and I see Sfx don't carry it either, just a couple of quid here:
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for the smallest size but you have to go local when you're in a hurry. Local plumbers' merchant shouldn't have been too much. Runny doesn't sound right at all, the BES stuff mentions 'high tack' and it has the texture of vaseline
If there is a rectangular slot running radially around the spout then it still sounds like an O-ring seal, just the wrong profile used.
Given the bother you're having maybe a cheap replacement tap may be the way to go.
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