Kitchen tap issue - any ideas?
Discussion
Just fitted a new mixer kitchen tap set. The design is such that there is one base which has a swivel arm to direct the water. The on/off function is achieved by a 1/4 turn lever, one each for hot and cold.
Nothing too fancy, everyone will have seen the type, just a bit trickt to describe.
Anyway, fitted them and the problem is that when I turn either the hot or cold off, there remains a trickle of water for up to 30 seconds before the water stops completely.
Now these were quite expensive (I thought so anyway!) at over £100 trade price. I don't really want to take them out and go back to the trade place where I bought them in case I should have adjusted something whilst fitting.
You know what it's like in these trade places when a 'private' takes stuff back. Theres always about 4 tradesmen there willing and able to take the mick and you end up slinking out with your tail between your legs.
So rather than going out in the cold to get humiliated, I thought I'd try PH and get humiliated in the comfort of my own home.
Nothing too fancy, everyone will have seen the type, just a bit trickt to describe.
Anyway, fitted them and the problem is that when I turn either the hot or cold off, there remains a trickle of water for up to 30 seconds before the water stops completely.
Now these were quite expensive (I thought so anyway!) at over £100 trade price. I don't really want to take them out and go back to the trade place where I bought them in case I should have adjusted something whilst fitting.
You know what it's like in these trade places when a 'private' takes stuff back. Theres always about 4 tradesmen there willing and able to take the mick and you end up slinking out with your tail between your legs.
So rather than going out in the cold to get humiliated, I thought I'd try PH and get humiliated in the comfort of my own home.
I have take the taps off just to double check but everything seems ok - nothing hidden to adjust. It's not like we have fantastic water pressure here anyway.
One thing that struck me as I removed the taps was the almost total lack of water from the flexible tails from the tap to the copper water inlet pipes. When I took the original (freshly broken this morning) and very similair in design taps off, a reasonable amount of water drained out into the waiting bucket.
Weird.
One thing that struck me as I removed the taps was the almost total lack of water from the flexible tails from the tap to the copper water inlet pipes. When I took the original (freshly broken this morning) and very similair in design taps off, a reasonable amount of water drained out into the waiting bucket.
Weird.
Ferg said:
Sounds like water held in the spout by the instantaneous shut off characteristics of a ceramic disc tap.
Allowing water to trickle - not drip- for 30 seconds after thetaps shut off?Sounds like a design flaw surely? I would have thought the whole point of turning a tap off would be that the water stopped immediately.
Scenario: Yes marketing team, I have designed a new ceramic disc tap. One of its features is that when you turn the tap off, the water stops flowing. Well, it stops eventually.....
Not having a pop Ferg, but what would force the water to flow upwards and outwards once the tap has been shut off.
Plumbings a black art, with dodgy science as far as I can tell. In fact I think it's an ideal job for a wannabee or ex gynacologist! There's never any room to do get a spanner in.
Ferg said:
When the valve shuts the water is held by the fact that there's no air getting in. I'd be amazed if it's water actually getting through the valves. Spouts on kitchen taps do it all the time.
+1 Its the shape of the spout, it acts like a syphon with air pressure holding the water between the valves and the end of the tap. If its a swans neck style tap this is quite common. Best bet it to turn the tap off slowly
Edited by allegro on Friday 13th February 22:35
I had a similar problem on a tap we fitted for a customer. It only happened on the cold (mains pressure).We changed it for a similar, better quality tap and the same thing happened. Having looked around at other taps, it seems to occur quite often, particularly if there is a tall spout.
andygo said:
Just fitted a new mixer kitchen tap set. The design is such that there is one base which has a swivel arm to direct the water. The on/off function is achieved by a 1/4 turn lever, one each for hot and cold.
Nothing too fancy, everyone will have seen the type, just a bit trickt to describe.
Anyway, fitted them and the problem is that when I turn either the hot or cold off, there remains a trickle of water for up to 30 seconds before the water stops completely.
Our tap is nothing fancy, made by Carron, and sounds physically the same as yours. I just went a tried it and it shuts off instantly and completely, with not a drip.Nothing too fancy, everyone will have seen the type, just a bit trickt to describe.
Anyway, fitted them and the problem is that when I turn either the hot or cold off, there remains a trickle of water for up to 30 seconds before the water stops completely.
Qcarchoo said:
I had a similar problem on a tap we fitted for a customer. It only happened on the cold (mains pressure).We changed it for a similar, better quality tap and the same thing happened. Having looked around at other taps, it seems to occur quite often, particularly if there is a tall spout.
Exactly the same here: hot shuts off instantly, cold dribbles for a second or two. A friend who has the same make & model of tap has the same issue.FWIW I've always put it down to the water syphoning out of the long neck as the path the cold water takes seems to be around the outside of the spout so it's easier for air to get in from the open end. The hot comes through a narrower tube in the centre and air simply can't get in so the vacuum holds the hot water in the spout.
Just tried turning the taps off slowly. No difference. House built in 1926, so water tank fairly high up, so water pressure should be ok. Not a combi boiler or such, so I can't imagine pressure is anything out of the norm.
Wouldn't mind if it was a second or two, but 30 seconds seems a bit OTT. Never had a tap do anything like that before, and certainly its B&Q predecesor before never did.
Strange.
In fact what is almost as strange is that nobody is ripping the piis out of me, given that this is piistonheads...
Wouldn't mind if it was a second or two, but 30 seconds seems a bit OTT. Never had a tap do anything like that before, and certainly its B&Q predecesor before never did.
Strange.
In fact what is almost as strange is that nobody is ripping the piis out of me, given that this is piistonheads...
Edited by andygo on Friday 13th February 23:19
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