Changing shower mixer tap
Discussion
Folks,
My thermostatic mixer tap on the bath (conventional tap-like one, not valve) has been playing up for a while (can't adjust temp when hot) and today I think I've fubar-ed the shower connection.
Is it REALLY a case of simply turn water off, unbolt tap, re-bolt new tap? I am a mechanical doofus but can handle unbolting.
Want to know if this is within my mechanical talents before breaking it and then having to call a plumber out
Would rather do it myself to save both cash, and also time without shower!
If it helps, flat was built 5 years ago so fittings will be pretty up-to-date.
Thanks in advance...
My thermostatic mixer tap on the bath (conventional tap-like one, not valve) has been playing up for a while (can't adjust temp when hot) and today I think I've fubar-ed the shower connection.
Is it REALLY a case of simply turn water off, unbolt tap, re-bolt new tap? I am a mechanical doofus but can handle unbolting.
Want to know if this is within my mechanical talents before breaking it and then having to call a plumber out
Would rather do it myself to save both cash, and also time without shower!If it helps, flat was built 5 years ago so fittings will be pretty up-to-date.
Thanks in advance...
I'm no plumber but basically it is. It depends on what you system is but turn off the cold and hot water feed (if you have a tank). Although I would take off the panel first and see what the access to the tap underneath is like. You may need a special tool to get to the nuts.
If it is fairly new, it shuldnt be too much of an issue getting them undone as it can be if they are a lot older.
If it is fairly new, it shuldnt be too much of an issue getting them undone as it can be if they are a lot older.
Depends on how your hot and cold water to the tap is supplied. Either way, isolate it.
Open a few hot and cold taps, as low as possible i.e. a Bidet, but most probably the bath.
Bath panel off.
Towel under the pipes going to the bath.
Loosen the tap connectors.
Loosen the taps' back nuts.
Tap off. New one back on.
Reverse the above.
Test to check for leaks.
I'd recommend a few things;
Open a few hot and cold taps, as low as possible i.e. a Bidet, but most probably the bath.
Bath panel off.
Towel under the pipes going to the bath.
Loosen the tap connectors.
Loosen the taps' back nuts.
Tap off. New one back on.
Reverse the above.
Test to check for leaks.
I'd recommend a few things;
- Buy a basin spanner. Trying to swing a normal spanner on the back tap will be a right pain.
- Buy two new fibre washers for when you connect the water back up to the tap.
It is relatively easy to do, just a bit fiddly, I'm a lanky git a tend not to fit in confined spaces very well!
Get this tap spanner, spring loaded jaw makes it much easier to use.
http://www.screwfix.com/p/plumbing-tools-by-rothen...
Get this tap spanner, spring loaded jaw makes it much easier to use.
http://www.screwfix.com/p/plumbing-tools-by-rothen...
I'll attempt to fix ANYTHING in my life - plumbing, electrics, cars, domestic appliances - I have enough tools and reasonable tech-savvy from years of fiddling and being a mechanic in race teams.
I'll also smugly say
that 99 times out of 100, I safely repair whatever I dismantle. In my opinion, if a human being has designed something, and it's been constructed from parts - then I can dismantle said parts, look at and decipher the original designer's intentions, and sort it out.
I've done lots of plumbing, from basic stuff like dripping taps up to plumbing in new systems for Bathroom and kitchen work.
However, of all the stuff I repair and build - plumbing has to be the most annoying basterd stuff to work with, for me.
Doesn't matter how carefully and professionally I approach a plumbing project or fix, when I'm done, I can usually count on a leak somewhere
In my defence - in this area we have ridiculously powerful mains water supply - like a normal garden hose is not far away from the output of a Karcher!
I'll also smugly say
that 99 times out of 100, I safely repair whatever I dismantle. In my opinion, if a human being has designed something, and it's been constructed from parts - then I can dismantle said parts, look at and decipher the original designer's intentions, and sort it out.I've done lots of plumbing, from basic stuff like dripping taps up to plumbing in new systems for Bathroom and kitchen work.
However, of all the stuff I repair and build - plumbing has to be the most annoying basterd stuff to work with, for me.
Doesn't matter how carefully and professionally I approach a plumbing project or fix, when I'm done, I can usually count on a leak somewhere
In my defence - in this area we have ridiculously powerful mains water supply - like a normal garden hose is not far away from the output of a Karcher!
Did my first mixer tap swap for my girlfriend when she went to uni...her flat mates thought I was fantastic!
Crack Both pipe nuts first...nothing more frustrating than spending ages getting one nut fully off, only to find the stopcock has got a tiny leak (so you get a constant dribble of water coming out the pipe) then find the other nit is stuck fast...you've got no option then of having a cuppa and a swear!
Should be fairly straight forward.
When refitting I always use a bit of ptfe tape on the tap tail as well as new washers to be sure...
Crack Both pipe nuts first...nothing more frustrating than spending ages getting one nut fully off, only to find the stopcock has got a tiny leak (so you get a constant dribble of water coming out the pipe) then find the other nit is stuck fast...you've got no option then of having a cuppa and a swear!
Should be fairly straight forward.
When refitting I always use a bit of ptfe tape on the tap tail as well as new washers to be sure...
Gingerbread Man said:
But he seemed to have broken the shower connection.
Yeah, unfortunately they aren't particularly user-servicable. The thermostat still worked but was impossible to turn when hot- Pain in the arse when you want to cool down a bath!Whilst I'd lived with that for 3 years, the shower connection lunching itself was not something I was putting up with!
Next up... Basin taps (Decided I quite like the matching ones and they are on offer from Screwfix) and kitchen tap (I've had a new mixer in the cupboard for over 2 years but haven't been brave enough to fit it!)
Thermostatic cartridges can aid from being turned all the way to cold and then all the way to hot a few times every so often to loosen any scale build up that maybe happening.
In regards to the other taps, if any of them are mono block taps which is quite likely, you don't need a basin spanner, now you need a set of box spanners. Also if mono block, they won't have a fibre tap washer. They'll either have copper tails that go into a fitting, quite often an isolating valve/ straight coupler.
Or they'll have flexible tails which come with their own rubber washers. These tend to wind onto the male fitting of the above type of fittings.
In regards to the other taps, if any of them are mono block taps which is quite likely, you don't need a basin spanner, now you need a set of box spanners. Also if mono block, they won't have a fibre tap washer. They'll either have copper tails that go into a fitting, quite often an isolating valve/ straight coupler.
Or they'll have flexible tails which come with their own rubber washers. These tend to wind onto the male fitting of the above type of fittings.
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