Any plumbers in? How do I get the covers off? Basin Taps

DorsetDude

DorsetDude

Spud
Suspended / Banned
Messages
7,018
Name
Keith
Edit My Images
Yes
Have these taps and they've started dripping.
Cant for the life of me figure out how to get at the washer/gland inside, any ideas?

There dont seem to be any allen key holes anywhere and I cant get a blade let alone a screwdriver in between the brass knurling and the chrome top bit.

They are quarter turn from off to on so I think that means they are ceramic washers.

Thanks
basin taps.jpg
 
Last edited:
As suggested above, it is possible the chrome 'dome' is removable either by unscrewing it or pressure fitting.

In either case it is grip purchase required. Anything that aids grip is needed e.g. rubber gloves to hold each part and aid rotation if screwed on or in the of a pressure fitting get a lump of Bluetack and stick it firmly on/around the dome and use that to genty pull the dome off!

Do you know the make & model of tap. Fwiw there is an older style plumbers merchant called Lunns in Farnborough Hampshire........ perhaps email them a picture for guidance and advice?
 
In my experience as a plumber sometimes all you need do is pull them off, they are held on by a splined fitting. I would of thought the domed part would lift though to reveal a small machine screw.
 
I have similat taps, albeit without the knurling. The chrome dome on mine unscrew after a lot of effort, wd40, a lot of effort, swearing and a lot of effort. If it really does not want to turn try using a watch case opener ball.
 
The top chrome dome does unscrew, no doubt about it. They are a b****r, perhaps put a towel or something similar over then and then use grips over that to stop it damaging chrome.
 
Keith, if there's a sports centre nearby (or a squash club), see if they can give you a split squash ball to use as a traction improver. A rubber glove might be enough but if the taps are old enough to be dripping, I have a feeling you'll need all the grip you can get.
 
Yep! Unscrew the chrome bits and there is a Phillips screw inside to take the body of the handle off.
Sometimes a Stanley knife will loosen off any soap gunge that is sticking. Just be careful not to slip and scratch the taps or cut yourself!
 
I got some similar ones off using self amalgamating tape and a pair of grips. Wrap the tape round the shiny bits and let it grip to itself then get busy with the WD40 and some grips.

Vinegar can sometimes work to loosen any limescale but it can also eat into the chrome surface.
 
We used to have those exact same taps in the bathroom basin.
I can confirm that they do unscrew between the chrome and gilt plated sections.
We still have the loo roll holder, and I have just unscrewed it by hand. I held the gilt plated ring and turned, and that and the chrome/stainless plated cap bit at the end moved in unison.
You would need to hold the stainless ring nearest the tap base and unscrew the top gilt/stainless cap.
 
Oddly enough we have realised that the ceramic 1/4 turn kitchen mixer tap is seeping water from the cold water part (must have been doing it a while but has now increased!) but try as I might I could not undo the screw that holds the lever onto the gland unit.

Never been defeated by a screw in that position, what is best? WD40, olive oil, fine machine oil (such as shredder oil) to penetrate enough to help it loosen???

On a related note I have been looking up to buy a couple of 1/2inch glands to replace both H&C and discovered that there are apparently at least 3 variants with slightly different size 'elements' and the only way to know exactly which one to buy is take out the old and measure the dimensions.

But first I have to get the lever(s) off :lol: :(
 
Box Brownie said:
Oddly enough we have realised that the ceramic 1/4 turn kitchen mixer tap is seeping water from the cold water part (must have been doing it a while but has now increased!) but try as I might I could not undo the screw that holds the lever onto the gland unit.

Never been defeated by a screw in that position, what is best? WD40, olive oil, fine machine oil (such as shredder oil) to penetrate enough to help it loosen???

On a related note I have been looking up to buy a couple of 1/2inch glands to replace both H&C and discovered that there are apparently at least 3 variants with slightly different size 'elements' and the only way to know exactly which one to buy is take out the old and measure the dimensions.

But first I have to get the lever(s) off :LOL: :(
Click to expand...


I think that you will find there are far more than just 3 variants. I had this problem the other week and got in touch with these people. They supply glands for all types of taps.

https://www.tapmagician.co.uk/TMDefault.aspx

I would be tempted to use some limescale inhibitor to try to free the grub screw, particularly if you live in a hard water area.
 
andy700 said:
We used to have those exact same taps in the bathroom basin.
I can confirm that they do unscrew between the chrome and gilt plated sections.
We still have the loo roll holder, and I have just unscrewed it by hand. I held the gilt plated ring and turned, and that and the chrome/stainless plated cap bit at the end moved in unison.
You would need to hold the stainless ring nearest the tap base and unscrew the top gilt/stainless cap.
Click to expand...
Thanks. Had another heave last night and the brass and chrome top unscrewed, 2 separate pieces, on the cold side ok. Huzzah. Couldnt shift the hot by hand but at least I now know how they do come apart. Pair of pipe wrenches and some protective cloth or summat should do it if need be.
However for some reason theyve stopped dripping now o_O
 
I'd try WD40 and give it some time to work first. There are better penetrants/lubes, but it's cheap, available everywhere and quite effective. I prefer Plusgas, Kroil or ATF/acetone for anything that's really frozen/rusted solid but these are probably overkill for this.

Pipe wrenches and brute force should be sufficient too, but I'm clumsy and prefer to avoid the risk of buggering it up! :D
 
I was chatting to a plumber about ceramic taps dripping and he reckons that it usually works out cheaper for people to replace the taps than to replace the bits - as you've found, it can be a b****r to get some of the taps apart to start doing the real job, then you can see exactly which of the several variants of "washers" you need to replace, sometimes requiring a trip to the plumbers' merchant to collect the one you need (it's NEVER the same as the set(s) you've got in the van!) etc.. Of course, if you have gold plated taps, complete replacement might not be economically viable but should be undertaken on taste grounds anyway!!!
 
Nod said:
I was chatting to a plumber about ceramic taps dripping and he reckons that it usually works out cheaper for people to replace the taps than to replace the bits - as you've found, it can be a b****r to get some of the taps apart to start doing the real job, then you can see exactly which of the several variants of "washers" you need to replace, sometimes requiring a trip to the plumbers' merchant to collect the one you need (it's NEVER the same as the set(s) you've got in the van!) etc.. Of course, if you have gold plated taps, complete replacement might not be economically viable but should be undertaken on taste grounds anyway!!!
Click to expand...

The plumbers love that route because it earns them more money.
I was given the option of paying a £70 call out plus parts, or doing it myself. I took the latter option and spent £14 pluss stress, and now I know how to do it, I may as well order a couple of new ceramic glands for £28 and put them away for a rainy day.
 
Hope you get the correct glands for your taps! Might be worth a smear of Copperslip or similar on any external threads that have no water contact with the supply - should help reduce the problem that Keith's having.
 
These ones look like old fashioned washers :)
 
kendo1 said:
These ones look like old fashioned washers :)
Click to expand...

The OP says they are 1/4 turn, I do not recall such limited turn taps being "old" style washers???
 
Box Brownie said:
The OP says they are 1/4 turn, I do not recall such limited turn taps being "old" style washers???
Click to expand...

I missed that. :(

rereads - Yep, they are ceramic :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top