DIY Plumbers
 

I am quite sure that many people have come across this at some time.

You want to replace the taps on the bathroom basin. You don't wish to get a
plumber in for financial reasons or fear of getting well and truly ripped
off (they're not all crooks), so you decide to have a go yourself......

An easy job, or is it.?

Disconnecting the water pipes is easy, providing you have remembered to turn
the water off first. You have one of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-C...7187765&sr=8-2

and one of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-C...7187816&sr=8-7

some of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-35373...7188169&sr=1-7

and finally, one of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-W...188342&sr=1-25

but, you still can not get up inside the basin to the tap fixing nut because
all the tools you have seem to be too big or is it the basin isn't big
enough, and the tap itself will not turn on the sink.

Apart from smashing the sink, which kind of defeats the object of the
excercise, how does one get the illusive tap fixing nut off.

Would love to know how others approach and solve this problem.

By the way, it is not a job that I am embarking on, but one I have come
across before.

Kindest regards,

Jim

DIY Plumbers
 

In message ,
the_constructor writes
I am quite sure that many people have come across this at some time.

You want to replace the taps on the bathroom basin. You don't wish to get a
plumber in for financial reasons or fear of getting well and truly ripped
off (they're not all crooks), so you decide to have a go yourself......


Or rather because DIY actually stands for "do it yourself"

Can't really advise however, since I only had such a problem with bath
taps and it was just a matter of frigging and farting about
until I succeeded






--
geoff

DIY Plumbers
 

On Jun 5, 3:49*pm, geoff wrote:
In message ,
the_constructor writes

I am quite sure that many people have come across this at some time.

You want to replace the taps on the bathroom basin. You don't wish to get a
plumber in for financial reasons or fear of getting well and truly ripped
off (they're not all crooks), so you decide to have a go yourself......

Or rather because DIY actually stands for "do it yourself"

Can't really advise however, since I only had such a problem with bath
taps and it was just a matter of frigging and farting about
until I succeeded

--
geoff

Friends of my wife had four plumbing jobs to do - a day's chargeable
work. That was change the electric shower (like for like as the old
one had failed), replace bath and basin taps and sort out the piping
to the outside tap.

Two plumbers quoted - neither turned up. I got volunteered and as a
DIY plumber did the job well inside the working day and got payment
that was good for me and probably good for the payer. The only
investment I did make was a set of tap box spanners which made dealing
with tap nuts so much easier.

DIY Plumbers
 

On 05/06/2011 15:06, the_constructor wrote:
I am quite sure that many people have come across this at some time.

You want to replace the taps on the bathroom basin. You don't wish to get a
plumber in for financial reasons or fear of getting well and truly ripped
off (they're not all crooks), so you decide to have a go yourself......

An easy job, or is it.?

Disconnecting the water pipes is easy, providing you have remembered to turn
the water off first. You have one of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-C...7187765&sr=8-2

and one of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-C...7187816&sr=8-7

some of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-35373...7188169&sr=1-7

and finally, one of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-W...188342&sr=1-25

but, you still can not get up inside the basin to the tap fixing nut because
all the tools you have seem to be too big or is it the basin isn't big
enough, and the tap itself will not turn on the sink.

Apart from smashing the sink, which kind of defeats the object of the
excercise, how does one get the illusive tap fixing nut off.

Would love to know how others approach and solve this problem.

You spend an outrageous sum of money on a set of these;


http://www.screwfix.com/p/armeg-jaw-...mbing%20Wrench

They are worth every penny. You can have mine when you pry them from my
cold dead hands....

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

DIY Plumbers
 

On 05/06/2011 15:06, the_constructor wrote:
I am quite sure that many people have come across this at some time.

You want to replace the taps on the bathroom basin. You don't wish to get a
plumber in for financial reasons or fear of getting well and truly ripped
off (they're not all crooks), so you decide to have a go yourself......

An easy job, or is it.?

Disconnecting the water pipes is easy, providing you have remembered to turn
the water off first. You have one of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-C...7187765&sr=8-2

and one of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-C...7187816&sr=8-7

some of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-35373...7188169&sr=1-7

and finally, one of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-W...188342&sr=1-25

but, you still can not get up inside the basin to the tap fixing nut because
all the tools you have seem to be too big or is it the basin isn't big
enough, and the tap itself will not turn on the sink.

Apart from smashing the sink, which kind of defeats the object of the
excercise, how does one get the illusive tap fixing nut off.

Would love to know how others approach and solve this problem.

By the way, it is not a job that I am embarking on, but one I have come
across before.

I use one of these and have yet to run into a problem:

http://www.wickes.co.uk/taptool-univ...r/invt/420064/

Colin Bignell

DIY Plumbers
 

"Nightjar "cpb"@" "insertmysurnamehere wrote in message
...
On 05/06/2011 15:06, the_constructor wrote:
I am quite sure that many people have come across this at some time.

You want to replace the taps on the bathroom basin. You don't wish to get
a
plumber in for financial reasons or fear of getting well and truly ripped
off (they're not all crooks), so you decide to have a go yourself......

An easy job, or is it.?

Disconnecting the water pipes is easy, providing you have remembered to
turn
the water off first. You have one of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-C...7187765&sr=8-2

and one of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-C...7187816&sr=8-7

some of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-35373...7188169&sr=1-7

and finally, one of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-W...188342&sr=1-25

but, you still can not get up inside the basin to the tap fixing nut
because
all the tools you have seem to be too big or is it the basin isn't big
enough, and the tap itself will not turn on the sink.

Apart from smashing the sink, which kind of defeats the object of the
excercise, how does one get the illusive tap fixing nut off.

Would love to know how others approach and solve this problem.

By the way, it is not a job that I am embarking on, but one I have come
across before.

I use one of these and have yet to run into a problem:

http://www.wickes.co.uk/taptool-univ...r/invt/420064/

I have one too, and I've found very little that they actually fit!

DIY Plumbers
 

On 05/06/2011 20:34, Farmer Giles wrote:
"Nightjar"cpb"@""insertmysurnamehere wrote in message
...
On 05/06/2011 15:06, the_constructor wrote:
I am quite sure that many people have come across this at some time.

You want to replace the taps on the bathroom basin. You don't wish to get
a
plumber in for financial reasons or fear of getting well and truly ripped
off (they're not all crooks), so you decide to have a go yourself......

An easy job, or is it.?

Disconnecting the water pipes is easy, providing you have remembered to
turn
the water off first. You have one of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-C...7187765&sr=8-2

and one of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-C...7187816&sr=8-7

some of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-35373...7188169&sr=1-7

and finally, one of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-W...188342&sr=1-25

but, you still can not get up inside the basin to the tap fixing nut
because
all the tools you have seem to be too big or is it the basin isn't big
enough, and the tap itself will not turn on the sink.

Apart from smashing the sink, which kind of defeats the object of the
excercise, how does one get the illusive tap fixing nut off.

Would love to know how others approach and solve this problem.

By the way, it is not a job that I am embarking on, but one I have come
across before.

I use one of these and have yet to run into a problem:

http://www.wickes.co.uk/taptool-univ...r/invt/420064/

I have one too, and I've found very little that they actually fit!


It works well enough on taps and is cheap enough to replace when I
forget where I put it between plumbing jobs.

Colin Bignell

DIY Plumbers
 

"Nightjar "cpb"@" "insertmysurnamehere wrote in message
...
On 05/06/2011 20:34, Farmer Giles wrote:
"Nightjar"cpb"@""insertmysurnamehere wrote in message
...
On 05/06/2011 15:06, the_constructor wrote:
I am quite sure that many people have come across this at some time.

You want to replace the taps on the bathroom basin. You don't wish to
get
a
plumber in for financial reasons or fear of getting well and truly
ripped
off (they're not all crooks), so you decide to have a go yourself......

An easy job, or is it.?

Disconnecting the water pipes is easy, providing you have remembered to
turn
the water off first. You have one of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-C...7187765&sr=8-2

and one of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-C...7187816&sr=8-7

some of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-35373...7188169&sr=1-7

and finally, one of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-W...188342&sr=1-25

but, you still can not get up inside the basin to the tap fixing nut
because
all the tools you have seem to be too big or is it the basin isn't big
enough, and the tap itself will not turn on the sink.

Apart from smashing the sink, which kind of defeats the object of the
excercise, how does one get the illusive tap fixing nut off.

Would love to know how others approach and solve this problem.

By the way, it is not a job that I am embarking on, but one I have come
across before.

I use one of these and have yet to run into a problem:

http://www.wickes.co.uk/taptool-univ...r/invt/420064/

I have one too, and I've found very little that they actually fit!


It works well enough on taps and is cheap enough to replace when I forget
where I put it between plumbing jobs.


Fair enough, but I have honestly found it next to useless. It must be me!

DIY Plumbers
 

"The Medway Handyman" wrote in message
...

You spend an outrageous sum of money on a set of these;


http://www.screwfix.com/p/armeg-jaw-...mbing%20Wrench

They are worth every penny. You can have mine when you pry them from my
cold dead hands....

At £50, it is easy to see where the jaw-dropper name come from ;-)

DIY Plumbers
 

On 05/06/2011 21:32, Java Jive wrote:
Or even just: "Change the washers to stop the taps dripping".



To change a washer in the kitchen cold mixer tap, you have to turn off
the main and then drain the feeder to the loft tank, with the
consequent danger of causing airlocks.


Why? If you tie up the ball valve (or just don't open any taps fed from
the header) the feed pipe will remain full if you don't hang about.

To change a washer in any other cold tap, you have to turn off the
main and throw away all the water in the header tank.


Why? Just put a cork in the tank's outlet.

To change a washer in any hot tap, you have to throw away all your hot
water as well.


Why? If there's no tap in the cold feed pipe between the header and the
hot cylinder, just put a cork in the appropriate outlet, as before.

Then you find that because the taps were manufactured in the eighties
to look good rather than last well, you find that you can't get, say,
a new brass screw to hold the washer in position, but have to buy at
least a new tap innards, more probably a new set of taps.

All my life I've been used to changing washers the moment I saw a
dripping tap, but these days I grit my teeth and just let them drip.


Why not just bite the bullet and insert stop taps/ service valves in all
the appropriate places to make life easier in future?
--
Cheers,
Roger
____________
Please reply to Newsgroup. Whilst email address is valid, it is seldom
checked.

DIY Plumbers
 

On 06/06/2011 13:47, Roger Mills wrote:
On 05/06/2011 21:32, Java Jive wrote:
Or even just: "Change the washers to stop the taps dripping".



To change a washer in the kitchen cold mixer tap, you have to turn off
the main and then drain the feeder to the loft tank, with the
consequent danger of causing airlocks.


Why? If you tie up the ball valve (or just don't open any taps fed from
the header) the feed pipe will remain full if you don't hang about.

To change a washer in any other cold tap, you have to turn off the
main and throw away all the water in the header tank.


Why? Just put a cork in the tank's outlet.

To change a washer in any hot tap, you have to throw away all your hot
water as well.


Why? If there's no tap in the cold feed pipe between the header and the
hot cylinder, just put a cork in the appropriate outlet, as before.

Then you find that because the taps were manufactured in the eighties
to look good rather than last well, you find that you can't get, say,
a new brass screw to hold the washer in position, but have to buy at
least a new tap innards, more probably a new set of taps.

All my life I've been used to changing washers the moment I saw a
dripping tap, but these days I grit my teeth and just let them drip.


Why not just bite the bullet and insert stop taps/ service valves in all
the appropriate places to make life easier in future?

Indeed. I have full bore quarter turn isolating valves on every feed to
every tap.

Colin Bignell

DIY Plumbers
 

On 06/06/2011 08:56, Farmer Giles wrote:
"Nightjar"cpb"@""insertmysurnamehere wrote in message
...
On 05/06/2011 20:34, Farmer Giles wrote:
"Nightjar"cpb"@""insertmysurnamehere wrote in message
...
On 05/06/2011 15:06, the_constructor wrote:
I am quite sure that many people have come across this at some time.

You want to replace the taps on the bathroom basin. You don't wish to
get
a
plumber in for financial reasons or fear of getting well and truly
ripped
off (they're not all crooks), so you decide to have a go yourself......

An easy job, or is it.?

Disconnecting the water pipes is easy, providing you have remembered to
turn
the water off first. You have one of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-C...7187765&sr=8-2

and one of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-C...7187816&sr=8-7

some of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-35373...7188169&sr=1-7

and finally, one of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-W...188342&sr=1-25

but, you still can not get up inside the basin to the tap fixing nut
because
all the tools you have seem to be too big or is it the basin isn't big
enough, and the tap itself will not turn on the sink.

Apart from smashing the sink, which kind of defeats the object of the
excercise, how does one get the illusive tap fixing nut off.

Would love to know how others approach and solve this problem.

By the way, it is not a job that I am embarking on, but one I have come
across before.

I use one of these and have yet to run into a problem:

http://www.wickes.co.uk/taptool-univ...r/invt/420064/

I have one too, and I've found very little that they actually fit!


It works well enough on taps and is cheap enough to replace when I forget
where I put it between plumbing jobs.


Fair enough, but I have honestly found it next to useless. It must be me!


No. I found mine useless as well.



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

DIY Plumbers
 

On 06/06/2011 14:08, Nightjar "cpb"@ insertmysurnamehere wrote:

Indeed. I have full bore quarter turn isolating valves on every feed to
every tap.

I do on all the ones I have fitted. Those that predate me do not.

Andy

DIY Plumbers
 

On 07/06/2011 00:31, Java Jive wrote:
I had to read that twice ... momentary visions of copper pipe wrapping
itself around you and crushing you to death, and then swallowing you
whole!

On Mon, 06 Jun 2011 19:57:58 +0100, Andy
wrote:

I do on all the ones I have fitted. Those that predate me do not.

:O lol

Would antedate suit you better? Or just a hyphen?

Andy

DIY Plumbers
 

On Jun 5, 3:06*pm, "the_constructor"
wrote:
I am quite sure that many people have come across this at some time.

You want to replace the taps on the bathroom basin. You don't wish to get a
plumber in for financial reasons or fear of getting well and truly ripped
off (they're not all crooks), so you decide to have a go yourself......

An easy job, or is it.?

Disconnecting the water pipes is easy, providing you have remembered to turn
the water off first. You have one of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-C...n-Wrench/dp/B0...

You can buy tap spanner exactly for this purpose. the spanner bit is
perpendicular to a long shaft so yo ucan rech right up into the basin
and grip the nut. Search for "tap spanner" on ebay and you'll find
many types. With these you can tighten the nut while the tap is
still connected to the pipe.

Robert

DIY Plumbers
 

My solution was a bit cheaper but probably just as effective. I turned up a
couple of S/H Snap-On "crows-foot" spanners on e-bay in the US - and pushed
the ratchet, extension bars and UJ from a knackered old 3/8ths socket set
back into service. I now have one HELL of a tap spanner!

I think I paid about $13 for each including postage - which is a bargain
really as Snap-On stuff fetches silly prices over here, even when used.


"The Medway Handyman" wrote in message
...
On 05/06/2011 15:06, the_constructor wrote:
I am quite sure that many people have come across this at some time.

You want to replace the taps on the bathroom basin. You don't wish to get
a
plumber in for financial reasons or fear of getting well and truly ripped
off (they're not all crooks), so you decide to have a go yourself......

An easy job, or is it.?

Disconnecting the water pipes is easy, providing you have remembered to
turn
the water off first. You have one of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-C...7187765&sr=8-2

and one of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-C...7187816&sr=8-7

some of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-35373...7188169&sr=1-7

and finally, one of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-W...188342&sr=1-25

but, you still can not get up inside the basin to the tap fixing nut
because
all the tools you have seem to be too big or is it the basin isn't big
enough, and the tap itself will not turn on the sink.

Apart from smashing the sink, which kind of defeats the object of the
excercise, how does one get the illusive tap fixing nut off.

Would love to know how others approach and solve this problem.

You spend an outrageous sum of money on a set of these;


http://www.screwfix.com/p/armeg-jaw-...mbing%20Wrench

They are worth every penny. You can have mine when you pry them from my
cold dead hands....

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

DIY Plumbers
 

On Fri, 10 Jun 2011 23:02:02 +0100, "Midge"
wrote:

My solution was a bit cheaper but probably just as effective. I turned up a
couple of S/H Snap-On "crows-foot" spanners on e-bay in the US - and pushed
the ratchet, extension bars and UJ from a knackered old 3/8ths socket set
back into service. I now have one HELL of a tap spanner!

I think I paid about $13 for each including postage - which is a bargain
really as Snap-On stuff fetches silly prices over here, even when used.

I thought that USAnians used "wrenches" rather than "spanners" ;-)

--
Frank Erskine

DIY Plumbers
 

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

To change a washer in any hot tap, you have to throw away all your hot
water as well.

No, you just shut off the valve at the bottom of the hot cylinder that's
on the feed pipe. If, of course, it isn't seized or broken.

DIY Plumbers
 

My sincerest thanks to all who contributed to this thread and the advice.

T'was a wonderful experience.

Kindest regards,

Jim

DIY Plumbers
 

On 12/06/2011 12:04, Java Jive wrote:
On Sun, 05 Jun 2011 21:32:14 +0100, Java
wrote:

Or even just: "Change the washers to stop the taps dripping".

...

To change a washer in any other cold tap, you have to turn off the
main and throw away all the water in the header tank.

Actually, I've just re-examined the stop-cocks, and there is one to
isolate the bathroom cold-taps

To change a washer in any hot tap, you have to throw away all your hot
water as well.

This is correct. There is a stop-cock to the HW tank. But if I close
it right down the hot-taps in the bathroom still run full on.


In that case, do what I suggested earlier. Reach down into the cold
header tank and bung a cork in the outlet which feeds the hot cylinder.
--
Cheers,
Roger
____________
Please reply to Newsgroup. Whilst email address is valid, it is seldom
checked.

DIY Plumbers
 

On Jun 12, 12:04 pm, Java Jive wrote:
On Sun, 05 Jun 2011 21:32:14 +0100, Java Jive
wrote:

Or even just: "Change the washers to stop the taps dripping".

...

To change a washer in any other cold tap, you have to turn off the
main and throw away all the water in the header tank.

Actually, I've just re-examined the stop-cocks, and there is one to
isolate the bathroom cold-taps

To change a washer in any hot tap, you have to throw away all your hot
water as well.

This is correct. There is a stop-cock to the HW tank. But if I close
it right down the hot-taps in the bathroom still run full on.

so freeze the fecker with pipe freezing spray?

Consider where and whether ycba to fit an iso valve when frozen or
wing it with just the tap repair...

Jim K