Fitted a new kitchen tap at the weekend. The type with a base that goes
into a single hole in the sink with a nut on the underside. But it came
with a rubber washer to go between the nut and the sink and however much
I tighten it there is some give and the tap has a tendency to lean when
touched. I can't see the point of a rubber washer and was wondering if
there was any reason why I should not replace it with a nylon one to try
to give a bit more stability.

Andrew

Andrew May wrote:
Fitted a new kitchen tap at the weekend. The type with a base that
goes into a single hole in the sink with a nut on the underside. But
it came with a rubber washer to go between the nut and the sink and
however much I tighten it there is some give and the tap has a
tendency to lean when touched. I can't see the point of a rubber
washer and was wondering if there was any reason why I should not
replace it with a nylon one to try to give a bit more stability.

Monobloc mixers usually come with a horseshoe shaped metal plate & a
matching rubber washer. Have yiu got the metal plate? You should have this
lot
http://www.plumbers-mate-sales.co.uk...-kit-212-p.asp


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

Andrew May wrote:
Fitted a new kitchen tap at the weekend. The type with a base that goes
into a single hole in the sink with a nut on the underside. But it came
with a rubber washer to go between the nut and the sink and however much
I tighten it there is some give and the tap has a tendency to lean when
touched. I can't see the point of a rubber washer and was wondering if
there was any reason why I should not replace it with a nylon one to try
to give a bit more stability.

Andrew
Are you sure the rubber washer does not go on top of sink?

F Murtz wrote:
Andrew May wrote:
Fitted a new kitchen tap at the weekend. The type with a base that goes
into a single hole in the sink with a nut on the underside. But it came
with a rubber washer to go between the nut and the sink and however much
I tighten it there is some give and the tap has a tendency to lean when
touched. I can't see the point of a rubber washer and was wondering if
there was any reason why I should not replace it with a nylon one to try
to give a bit more stability.

Andrew
Are you sure the rubber washer does not go on top of sink?

Well, there are no assembly instruction but there is a groove on the
underside of the tap body and a matching O Ring which I assume goes on
the top of the sink to form a waterproof seal. Then there is a wide
thread probably about 30mm which goes through the sink and a rubber
washer and a nut which I have assumed goes on the underside.

I stand to be corrected on any of this since, as I say, there are no
instructions.

Andrew

The Medway Handyman wrote:
Andrew May wrote:
Fitted a new kitchen tap at the weekend. The type with a base that
goes into a single hole in the sink with a nut on the underside. But
it came with a rubber washer to go between the nut and the sink and
however much I tighten it there is some give and the tap has a
tendency to lean when touched. I can't see the point of a rubber
washer and was wondering if there was any reason why I should not
replace it with a nylon one to try to give a bit more stability.

Monobloc mixers usually come with a horseshoe shaped metal plate & a
matching rubber washer. Have yiu got the metal plate? You should have this
lot
http://www.plumbers-mate-sales.co.uk...-kit-212-p.asp




Nope. Nothing like that. The tap is one of these:

http://www.tapcentre.com/en/kitchen-...itchen-tap.php

There is a rubber O ring underneath where it sits on the sink. There is
a 30mm odd diameter threaded brass tube that screws into the underside
of the tap and then goes through the hole in the sink. Then a similar
sized rubber washer with a brass nut on top. Two 10mm tap tails screw
into the underside of the tap body and connect to the water supply.

As I tighten the nut the rubber washer compresses and stops the tap
rotating in the hole but there is enough give to make the tap wobble a
bit when turned on or off.

I have thought about replacing the rubber washer with a similar sized
nylon one but given nylon's slipperiness I am not sure that that would
not make it easier to rotate the tap, thus replacing one problem with
another.

Andrew

On Tue, 27 Apr 2010 10:43:06 +0100, Andrew May wrote:

As I tighten the nut the rubber washer compresses and stops the tap
rotating in the hole but there is enough give to make the tap wobble a
bit when turned on or off.

Sure it's not "give" in the sink top allowing the tap to wobble?

--
Cheers
Dave.

Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Tue, 27 Apr 2010 10:43:06 +0100, Andrew May wrote:

As I tighten the nut the rubber washer compresses and stops the tap
rotating in the hole but there is enough give to make the tap wobble a
bit when turned on or off.

Sure it's not "give" in the sink top allowing the tap to wobble?

There is a little give in the sink but not as much as the tap moves. If
that makes sense.

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


Well, there are no assembly instruction but there is a groove on the
underside of the tap body and a matching O Ring which I assume goes on
the top of the sink to form a waterproof seal. Then there is a wide
thread probably about 30mm which goes through the sink and a rubber
washer and a nut which I have assumed goes on the underside.

I stand to be corrected on any of this since, as I say, there are no
instructions.

These monoblock types are notoriously wobbly if the sink is a bit on the
thin side. You can fit a load-spreading washer underneath if clearance
allows.

Andrew May wrote:
The Medway Handyman wrote:
Andrew May wrote:
Fitted a new kitchen tap at the weekend. The type with a base that
goes into a single hole in the sink with a nut on the underside. But
it came with a rubber washer to go between the nut and the sink and
however much I tighten it there is some give and the tap has a
tendency to lean when touched. I can't see the point of a rubber
washer and was wondering if there was any reason why I should not
replace it with a nylon one to try to give a bit more stability.

Monobloc mixers usually come with a horseshoe shaped metal plate & a
matching rubber washer. Have yiu got the metal plate? You should
have this lot
http://www.plumbers-mate-sales.co.uk...-kit-212-p.asp




Nope. Nothing like that. The tap is one of these:

http://www.tapcentre.com/en/kitchen-...itchen-tap.php

There is a rubber O ring underneath where it sits on the sink. There
is a 30mm odd diameter threaded brass tube that screws into the
underside of the tap and then goes through the hole in the sink. Then
a similar sized rubber washer with a brass nut on top. Two 10mm tap
tails screw into the underside of the tap body and connect to the
water supply.

Never seen the like - thank heavens. Who designs this stuff?


As I tighten the nut the rubber washer compresses and stops the tap
rotating in the hole but there is enough give to make the tap wobble a
bit when turned on or off.

I have thought about replacing the rubber washer with a similar sized
nylon one but given nylon's slipperiness I am not sure that that would
not make it easier to rotate the tap, thus replacing one problem with
another.

Reckon it needs a metal plate between the sink & the washer/nut.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk