My nearly new kitchen (almost brand new house) is fitted with a white
mixer tap on the sink. It has a central swan neck-type spout with hot
and cold taps either side of the body (180 degrees opposite each
other).

Over the last few days I have noticed that the spout is increasingly
difficult to swivel. However, it gets easier when I run the hot tap
for a minute or two. There is a threaded ferrule (a smooth white ring
on the outside, threaded inside where it screws over the boss) holding
the spout into the tap body. I unscrewed the ferrule and there appears
to be a kind of circlip that actually holds the spout in place. (The
ferrule merely covers up the clip.) However, the circlip, while having
a small gap in its circumference, is round in section and looks pretty
impossible to get out.

Is this in any way serviceable? Could I actually achieve anything by
removing the spout and possibly replacing a seal? The 'feel' you get
when you turn the spout is of a rubber seal that is 'dry'.

MM

MM wrote in message
...
My nearly new kitchen (almost brand new house) is fitted with a white
mixer tap on the sink. It has a central swan neck-type spout with hot
and cold taps either side of the body (180 degrees opposite each
other).

Over the last few days I have noticed that the spout is increasingly
difficult to swivel. However, it gets easier when I run the hot tap
for a minute or two. There is a threaded ferrule (a smooth white ring
on the outside, threaded inside where it screws over the boss) holding
the spout into the tap body. I unscrewed the ferrule and there appears
to be a kind of circlip that actually holds the spout in place. (The
ferrule merely covers up the clip.) However, the circlip, while having
a small gap in its circumference, is round in section and looks pretty
impossible to get out.

Is this in any way serviceable? Could I actually achieve anything by
removing the spout and possibly replacing a seal? The 'feel' you get
when you turn the spout is of a rubber seal that is 'dry'.

MM

You should be able to firkle that type of circlip out with a watchmaker's
screwdriver or a small scriber. They are common enough in engines although
there's usually a small cutout in the housing where you can get a
screwdriver in behind them. A little vaseline on the seal might be all it
needs.
--
Dave Baker

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Dave Baker wrote:

MM wrote in message
...
My nearly new kitchen (almost brand new house) is fitted with a white
mixer tap on the sink. It has a central swan neck-type spout with hot
and cold taps either side of the body (180 degrees opposite each
other).

Over the last few days I have noticed that the spout is increasingly
difficult to swivel. However, it gets easier when I run the hot tap
for a minute or two. There is a threaded ferrule (a smooth white ring
on the outside, threaded inside where it screws over the boss)
holding the spout into the tap body. I unscrewed the ferrule and
there appears to be a kind of circlip that actually holds the spout
in place. (The ferrule merely covers up the clip.) However, the
circlip, while having a small gap in its circumference, is round in
section and looks pretty impossible to get out.

Is this in any way serviceable? Could I actually achieve anything by
removing the spout and possibly replacing a seal? The 'feel' you get
when you turn the spout is of a rubber seal that is 'dry'.

MM

You should be able to firkle that type of circlip out with a
watchmaker's screwdriver or a small scriber. They are common enough
in engines although there's usually a small cutout in the housing
where you can get a screwdriver in behind them. A little vaseline on
the seal might be all it needs.

You might even be able to lubricate the seal by dripping some washing-up
liquid onto the circlip, and moving the spout to and fro.
--
Cheers,
Set Square
______
Please reply to newsgroup. Reply address is invalid.

On Sun, 14 Aug 2005 19:36:23 +0100, "Dave Baker"
wrote:


MM wrote in message
.. .
My nearly new kitchen (almost brand new house) is fitted with a white
mixer tap on the sink. It has a central swan neck-type spout with hot
and cold taps either side of the body (180 degrees opposite each
other).

Over the last few days I have noticed that the spout is increasingly
difficult to swivel. However, it gets easier when I run the hot tap
for a minute or two. There is a threaded ferrule (a smooth white ring
on the outside, threaded inside where it screws over the boss) holding
the spout into the tap body. I unscrewed the ferrule and there appears
to be a kind of circlip that actually holds the spout in place. (The
ferrule merely covers up the clip.) However, the circlip, while having
a small gap in its circumference, is round in section and looks pretty
impossible to get out.

Is this in any way serviceable? Could I actually achieve anything by
removing the spout and possibly replacing a seal? The 'feel' you get
when you turn the spout is of a rubber seal that is 'dry'.

MM

You should be able to firkle that type of circlip out with a watchmaker's
screwdriver or a small scriber. They are common enough in engines although
there's usually a small cutout in the housing where you can get a
screwdriver in behind them. A little vaseline on the seal might be all it
needs.

If I do manage to prise the circlip out, will the spout suddenly
spring out of the tap body? I don't know what to expect!

MM

On Sun, 14 Aug 2005 20:32:01 +0100, "Set Square"
wrote:

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Dave Baker wrote:

MM wrote in message
...
My nearly new kitchen (almost brand new house) is fitted with a white
mixer tap on the sink. It has a central swan neck-type spout with hot
and cold taps either side of the body (180 degrees opposite each
other).

Over the last few days I have noticed that the spout is increasingly
difficult to swivel. However, it gets easier when I run the hot tap
for a minute or two. There is a threaded ferrule (a smooth white ring
on the outside, threaded inside where it screws over the boss)
holding the spout into the tap body. I unscrewed the ferrule and
there appears to be a kind of circlip that actually holds the spout
in place. (The ferrule merely covers up the clip.) However, the
circlip, while having a small gap in its circumference, is round in
section and looks pretty impossible to get out.

Is this in any way serviceable? Could I actually achieve anything by
removing the spout and possibly replacing a seal? The 'feel' you get
when you turn the spout is of a rubber seal that is 'dry'.

MM

You should be able to firkle that type of circlip out with a
watchmaker's screwdriver or a small scriber. They are common enough
in engines although there's usually a small cutout in the housing
where you can get a screwdriver in behind them. A little vaseline on
the seal might be all it needs.

You might even be able to lubricate the seal by dripping some washing-up
liquid onto the circlip, and moving the spout to and fro.

Yep. I'll give that a go first.

MM

"MM" wrote in message
...
My nearly new kitchen (almost brand new house) is fitted with a white
mixer tap on the sink. It has a central swan neck-type spout with hot
and cold taps either side of the body (180 degrees opposite each
other).

Over the last few days I have noticed that the spout is increasingly
difficult to swivel. However, it gets easier when I run the hot tap
for a minute or two. There is a threaded ferrule (a smooth white ring
on the outside, threaded inside where it screws over the boss) holding
the spout into the tap body. I unscrewed the ferrule and there appears
to be a kind of circlip that actually holds the spout in place. (The
ferrule merely covers up the clip.) However, the circlip, while having
a small gap in its circumference, is round in section and looks pretty
impossible to get out.

Is this in any way serviceable? Could I actually achieve anything by
removing the spout and possibly replacing a seal? The 'feel' you get
when you turn the spout is of a rubber seal that is 'dry'.

MM

With my kitchen tap, similar problem. Alleviated - if not eliminated by:
a) removed the 'ferrule'
b) removed the 'spout' by pulling up - a REALLY GOOD pull (did not need the
removal of circlip)
c) cleaned out - including two rubber seals, which were then sprayed with
silicon spray (acquired from Screwfix).
d) push fit back the 'spout'
e) replace the 'ferrule'
Net: significant improvement in spout movement - but I have had to repeat
the exercise, but this gets easier with more confidence and probably because
it is more lubricated on each occasion I choose to pull the spout out.

Paul R

On Sun, 14 Aug 2005 21:07:56 +0100, "Paul R"
wrote:


"MM" wrote in message
.. .
My nearly new kitchen (almost brand new house) is fitted with a white
mixer tap on the sink. It has a central swan neck-type spout with hot
and cold taps either side of the body (180 degrees opposite each
other).

Over the last few days I have noticed that the spout is increasingly
difficult to swivel. However, it gets easier when I run the hot tap
for a minute or two. There is a threaded ferrule (a smooth white ring
on the outside, threaded inside where it screws over the boss) holding
the spout into the tap body. I unscrewed the ferrule and there appears
to be a kind of circlip that actually holds the spout in place. (The
ferrule merely covers up the clip.) However, the circlip, while having
a small gap in its circumference, is round in section and looks pretty
impossible to get out.

Is this in any way serviceable? Could I actually achieve anything by
removing the spout and possibly replacing a seal? The 'feel' you get
when you turn the spout is of a rubber seal that is 'dry'.

MM

With my kitchen tap, similar problem. Alleviated - if not eliminated by:
a) removed the 'ferrule'
b) removed the 'spout' by pulling up - a REALLY GOOD pull (did not need the
removal of circlip)
c) cleaned out - including two rubber seals, which were then sprayed with
silicon spray (acquired from Screwfix).
d) push fit back the 'spout'
e) replace the 'ferrule'
Net: significant improvement in spout movement - but I have had to repeat
the exercise, but this gets easier with more confidence and probably because
it is more lubricated on each occasion I choose to pull the spout out.

Thanks, Paul.

When you pulled the spout free, did the circlip stay in its groove or
pop out?

When you replaced the spout, did you just shove it back in and did it
kind of 'click' into place? What happened with the circlip then?

MM