On 28/12/2017 12:42, John Rumm wrote:
On 28/12/2017 08:21, Adrian Brentnall wrote:
On 28/12/2017 03:31, John Rumm wrote:
On 27/12/2017 21:48, Adrian Brentnall wrote:

HI Folks
We had a lever-operated kitchen kitchen sink mixer tap fitted about
four
years ago - in the past few months it's started dripping.
It has quarter-turn levers - I'm guessing that these operate ceramic
valves?

Yup pretty likely...

If so - does anybody have experience of obtaining replacement valves,
and how are they fitted. I'm expecting that the lever is held on by a
screw, under the end-cover - but how do you get the conical cover off
without damaging the chrome?

Take off the H/C cap - should unscrew. Then remove the screw and the
lever should come off. The conical trims ought not be done up that
tight - you may find you can undo by hand or with a "gripper" glove.
If you need to use grips (water pump pliers etc), then shims of
leather or a short length of rubber hose (plumbers merchant - they
sell it for connections to manometers and gas pressure meters) make
good grippy protectors.

Ah - there's some ideas - thanks


Anybody been there & done that, successfully?

You may find just unscrewing the valve, and pulling the disks out f
the end of it (you normally need to prise off a retaining C clip on
the shaft), will let you clean them - often that is enough if they are
still nice and smooth. A descale, and re-lube with silicone grease can
also help.

Ah - having said that I'm considering replacing the whole thing, you've
now appealed to the skinflint in me! g
Trouble is, it's the Kitchen Tap - so any prolonged faffing about with
it isn't likely to be popular....


I notice that the Amazon item carries a 15-year guarantee - "(excluding
working and serviceable parts, abuse or neglect)" - we have pumped
well-water supply - so it's quite possible that some grit as found its
way into the valve...

Yup, they don't like grit... I fitted a good quality new mixer a coupe
of days back, and managed to get some debris in there that caused it
to leak on about the third use (probably some solder residue, or
copper fragments etc). The dismantle and rub discs between fingers
procedure fixed that.


Ah - that's worth knowing. 'Spose I could try, it'd be a nice
'eco-friendly' fix if it was something that simple..

Its also only a 10 minute job[1], so worth a punt!

[1] or at least would be, if having prised the clip off, it did not drop
to the floor, roll, and then fall with a clink into a large exposed
section of floor void that I have open for pipe wrangling...

Ten mins later hunting about in all the crap and sawdust that
accumulates under floors, to find it sitting there straddling an old
discarded floor board nail like a rather good shot in horse shoe hurling!


I'm glad it's not just me! g

I might dig out my strap wrench (or similar) and give it a go.
After all - it'll take another week before online folks are back at
work, and then it'll be another week before the new item gets to Ireland
from the UK..... - so it's probably worth a punt.

Step one - see if the covers can be removed - they've been made
helpfully conical, so getting a decent grip on them will be a challenge!

Thanks
Adrian