Woke up this morning, washed the breakfast plates, only to find the hot
water tap on the kitchen sink stuck open. It's a Oliver Häffner "Izia"
tap, 1/4 turn ceramic "cruciform" mixer tap. The tap rotates the normal
90 degrees without any influence on the rate of water discharge. In the
last week or so it has seemed to bind slightly when closing, so I think
this is the final breakdown of the tap.

So.

I understand that there's a valve insert that can be removed from the
tap body, one each for hot and cold. I've located a hole under each tap
which, with the tap closed alignes with a hole in the rotary part of the
tap. but despite my best torch, and the wife's best hand mirror I can't
for the love of me work out what I need to do to get the valve out. I
would expect a hex-head grub screw, or something, but it just looks like
a smooth bore hole, pretty much through the tap mount and the rotary
part of the valve assembly.

Any clues?, I've tried googling for the manufacturers website, a general
google - which just returns stockists, and a group search which brings
nothing for "Oliver Häffner".

Mike Dodd wrote:
Woke up this morning, washed the breakfast plates, only to find the hot
water tap on the kitchen sink stuck open. It's a Oliver Häffner "Izia"
tap, 1/4 turn ceramic "cruciform" mixer tap. The tap rotates the normal
90 degrees without any influence on the rate of water discharge. In the
last week or so it has seemed to bind slightly when closing, so I think
this is the final breakdown of the tap.

So.

I understand that there's a valve insert that can be removed from the
tap body, one each for hot and cold. I've located a hole under each tap
which, with the tap closed alignes with a hole in the rotary part of the
tap. but despite my best torch, and the wife's best hand mirror I can't
for the love of me work out what I need to do to get the valve out. I
would expect a hex-head grub screw, or something, but it just looks like
a smooth bore hole, pretty much through the tap mount and the rotary
part of the valve assembly.

Any clues?, I've tried googling for the manufacturers website, a general
google - which just returns stockists, and a group search which brings
nothing for "Oliver Häffner".

Should include... tried 3mm hex-head, which spins freely, 4mm which just
doesn't fit in. Tried T10, T15, T20, which spin freely, and T25 which
doesn't fit.

Mike Dodd wrote:



Ah, never mind, found a proper hex key (rather than a screwdriver/socket
head) that fits. Yup, hex key.

Now to find a supplier of the complete valve insert :s

"Mike Dodd" wrote in message
...
Mike Dodd wrote:



Ah, never mind, found a proper hex key (rather than a screwdriver/socket
head) that fits. Yup, hex key.

Now to find a supplier of the complete valve insert :s

I am fairly certain that Oliver Haffner is an own brand of Wolseley.

Try Plumb Center.

SalesGuy

salesguy wrote:
"Mike Dodd" wrote in message
...
Mike Dodd wrote:



Ah, never mind, found a proper hex key (rather than a screwdriver/socket
head) that fits. Yup, hex key.

Now to find a supplier of the complete valve insert :s

I am fairly certain that Oliver Haffner is an own brand of Wolseley.

Try Plumb Center.

SalesGuy



Thanks, that is indeed where I bought the tap from, in the first place,
and yes, the pair of inserts that I bought for a tenner was in a
Wolseley bag. Job done, and - for once, a seemingly potentially
expensive job done for very little money.

One happy bunny.

(except the tap now operates in the opposite direction - if it bugs me
enough I'll try swapping the red-marked valve with the currently
superfluous blue marked valve, to see if that cures it)

Thanks.