Author Topic: Leaaky tap  (Read 1044 times)

Tim Hall

  • Victoria is my queen
Leaaky tap
« on: 05 April, 2020, 09:53:45 am »
Or more accurately leaky tap/bath interface.

Under my bath it's a soggy mess.  The back nut that holds the hot tap tight to the bath was loose, allowing water when I'm showering to get through the tap mounting hole. It's a grp bath with a ply wood  batten spanning the tap holes on the underside of the bath and the back nuts tighten against this.  A month or two ago I tightened the nut as best I can but the piece of ply is squidgy and falling apart limiting how tight I can get the nut.

Today's thing to Make and Do is to find another piece of ply, remove the taps, replace the squidgy ply with firm piece of ply, replace taps and tighten up.  Presumably there's an o ring/rubber seal on the top side of the bath. I'll probably use some silicone sealant here.

Good idea? Bad idea?
There are two ways you can get exercise out of a bicycle: you can
"overhaul" it, or you can ride it.  (Jerome K Jerome)

Re: Leaaky tap
« Reply #1 on: 05 April, 2020, 10:08:06 am »
Sunday? - Check
Builder's Merchants / DIY stores in lockdown? - Check
What could possibly go wrong?

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: Leaaky tap
« Reply #2 on: 05 April, 2020, 10:34:05 am »
That's basically the only way to fix it.  It's surprising how much modern plumbing relies on silicone.  Things like taps and wastes (and, if you're feeling brave, tank connectors) come with rubber gaskets but they're not always effective on their own.  In olden times, they used plumber's putty, which you can still buy.
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

Re: Leaaky tap
« Reply #3 on: 05 April, 2020, 11:56:32 am »
That's basically the only way to fix it.  It's surprising how much modern plumbing relies on silicone.  Things like taps and wastes (and, if you're feeling brave, tank connectors) come with rubber gaskets but they're not always effective on their own.  In olden times, they used plumber's putty, which you can still buy.

AKA Plumbers Mait.
We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

Tim Hall

  • Victoria is my queen
Re: Leaaky tap
« Reply #4 on: 05 April, 2020, 01:22:44 pm »
Done. No leaks As far as I can see.  Waiting for the sealant under the taps to cure.

One small injury, two Bad Swears.

Home win.
There are two ways you can get exercise out of a bicycle: you can
"overhaul" it, or you can ride it.  (Jerome K Jerome)

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Leaaky tap
« Reply #5 on: 05 April, 2020, 01:31:19 pm »
Things like taps and wastes (and, if you're feeling brave, tank connectors) come with rubber gaskets but they're not always effective on their own.

This is exacerbated by the usual landlord bodge of buying the cheapest taps in the shop, which are inevitably designed for sink-sized holes, and fitting them to the bath.

Re: Leaaky tap
« Reply #6 on: 05 April, 2020, 02:28:52 pm »
That's basically the only way to fix it.  It's surprising how much modern plumbing relies on silicone.  Things like taps and wastes (and, if you're feeling brave, tank connectors) come with rubber gaskets but they're not always effective on their own.  In olden times, they used plumber's putty, which you can still buy.

AKA Plumbers Mait.

Plumbers Mait used to eat (still might) the surface of some baths, when I worked at a plumbers merchants we had at least 2 baths back when the waste just dropped through/out! Can't remember what bath material was but probably Acrylic?

Re: Leaaky tap
« Reply #7 on: 05 April, 2020, 02:52:12 pm »
Done. No leaks As far as I can see.  Waiting for the sealant under the taps to cure.

One small injury, two Bad Swears.

Home win.
Well done!
I recon that (once we get to three o'clock) you can treat yourself to a small glass of sweet sherry.