Hi, i replaced both hot and cold bath tap washers. both hot and cold sides
feed into the one bath tap exit nozzle. it is the standard u.k. set up. i.e.
boiler outside downstairs at the back of a two storey terraced house and
electric immersion heater tank in the bedroom next to the bathroom and a
cold water tank in the roof of the house. i guess this system is 15 to 20
years old, i.e. the potterton heating boiler is that kind of age.

the turn off supply stop taps to the bathroom taps and the toilet in the
bathroom are in the bedroom. but even turned fully off they do not
completely stop the gentle rise of water out of the bath tap holes once the
washers are removed. to prevent flooding i find if just keep the sink taps
running slowly that are downstairs in the kitchen it does stop this gentle
flow upstairs, whilst i change the washers.

i had new washers ready to go and the change over only took fifteen minutes
or so. great. but now no water comes out of the bath taps. (yes i did
turn on the turn off supply taps in the bedroom again water will now
come out of the bathroom 'basin' taps ok, but only the occasional drip i.e.
next to nothing from the bath taps. grateful for any advice, thanks.

Are the stems coming out (up) as you twist the tap? Did you get the
right sized washers?

The slow drip was just water pressure bleeding down. In a job like
that, you shut off main valve, then drain the system down at the lowest
point, then change washers whereever...

"professorpaul" wrote in message
oups.com...
Are the stems coming out (up) as you twist the tap? Did you get the
right sized washers?

The slow drip was just water pressure bleeding down. In a job like
that, you shut off main valve, then drain the system down at the lowest
point, then change washers whereever...

Many thanks professorpaul. Actually the washers were a bit on the big side
(i.e. in diameter). the ones i ideally want are 24mm in dia but the only
ones i could find here in north London, Finchley area are a few mm bigger in
diameter. So i forced them down over the brass threads (pushed down a bit
hard). But since the diameter in the hole ( around where the washer seats
down) was wider below the threads, i was thinking this would be o.k.?
Since the washers don't actually come up into the brass threads because they
mesh with the brass housing i tighten in with the ring spanner.

Do hope this makes some sense as i dont have the technical terms for all
this, and am not so good at explaining.

"JWH" wrote in message
...

"professorpaul" wrote in message
oups.com...
Are the stems coming out (up) as you twist the tap? Did you get the
right sized washers?

The slow drip was just water pressure bleeding down. In a job like
that, you shut off main valve, then drain the system down at the lowest
point, then change washers whereever...

Many thanks professorpaul. Actually the washers were a bit on the big
side (i.e. in diameter). the ones i ideally want are 24mm in dia but the
only ones i could find here in north London, Finchley area are a few mm
bigger in diameter. So i forced them down over the brass threads (pushed
down a bit hard). But since the diameter in the hole ( around where the
washer seats down) was wider below the threads, i was thinking this would
be o.k.? Since the washers don't actually come up into the brass threads
because they mesh with the brass housing i tighten in with the ring
spanner.

Do hope this makes some sense as i dont have the technical terms for all
this, and am not so good at explaining.

You are taking the p**s right? Or you are a troll!

Cheers

John

I'd make it a point to get the right size. Take the old ones with you
when you go to the hardware store (ironmonger???). Also a good plumbing
supply house should have what you need. No idea how easy/common such
things are over there.

"JWH" wrote:
Hi, i replaced both hot and cold bath tap washers. both hot and cold
sides feed into the one bath tap exit nozzle. it is the standard u.k. set
up. i.e. boiler outside downstairs at the back of a two storey terraced
house and electric immersion heater tank in the bedroom next to the
bathroom and a cold water tank in the roof of the house. i guess this
system is 15 to 20 years old, i.e. the potterton heating boiler is that
kind of age.

the turn off supply stop taps to the bathroom taps and the toilet in the
bathroom are in the bedroom. but even turned fully off they do not
completely stop the gentle rise of water out of the bath tap holes once
the washers are removed. to prevent flooding i find if just keep the sink
taps running slowly that are downstairs in the kitchen it does stop this
gentle flow upstairs, whilst i change the washers.

i had new washers ready to go and the change over only took fifteen
minutes or so. great. but now no water comes out of the bath taps. (yes
i did turn on the turn off supply taps in the bedroom again water will
now come out of the bathroom 'basin' taps ok, but only the occasional
drip i.e. next to nothing from the bath taps. grateful for any advice,
thanks.

Sounds like the washers are the wrong size. The only other explanation I
know of is that the taps are the rising spindle type and you removed the
small metal clip (looks like the Omega symbol) that sits in the spindle
groove and didn't replace it in the correct groove, and when you re-fitted
the taps the spindle and washers were in the down/water off position. If
that happened then the tap handles will turn clockwise and anticlockwise but
the spindle and washer don't actually rise and fall in relation to the tap
seat. If you didn't remove the small metal clips then it's back to the wrong
size washers. I think you have asked about this before. If so, I recommended
that you take the internal tap assembly to a plumbers merchant to get new
washers to match the old.

Omega symbol:
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Foru...ion/uterus.jpg

Many thanks to all, (except John). Since the washers were only a tad
oversized i assumed that wasn't going to be a problem and it was something
complicated like an air lock. I got a scapel blade and shaved carefully all
around the
washer to get it to the original size and bingo, it all works fine. we
novices do suffer you know. thanks for your kind patience.

"JWH" wrote:
Many thanks to all, (except John). Since the washers were only a tad
oversized i assumed that wasn't going to be a problem and it was something
complicated like an air lock. I got a scapel blade and shaved carefully
all around the
washer to get it to the original size and bingo, it all works fine. we
novices do suffer you know. thanks for your kind patience.

Well done, you can't get more DIY than that!

MPhil Misanthropist wrtoe:
"JWH" wrote:
Many thanks to all, (except John). Since the washers were only a tad
oversized i assumed that wasn't going to be a problem and it was something
complicated like an air lock. I got a scapel blade and shaved carefully
all around the
washer to get it to the original size and bingo, it all works fine. we
novices do suffer you know. thanks for your kind patience.

Well done, you can't get more DIY than that!



Cutting the washers out of old tyre inner tube.

Mike