How to replace this tap?
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Discussion

Bear-n

Original Poster:

1,967 posts

112 months

Yesterday (11:21)
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Bottom pillar thing will only come out so far (as shown in photo) due to copper pipes. Even if I undid them would make no different without removing basin and lifting pillar thing over them and away.

I can’t get my hand up enough to feel where the threaded bar is.

Yours, baffled of bathroom.








Mike Legerwood

158 posts

5 months

Yesterday (11:51)
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Can you post a picture of the tap? It might be a top fitting type.

Bear-n

Original Poster:

1,967 posts

112 months

Yesterday (12:41)
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Sure.


Regbuser

6,992 posts

65 months

Yesterday (13:00)
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Possibly:
Lift basin, wiggle plinth out, access tap connections with basin wrench ?

Bear-n

Original Poster:

1,967 posts

112 months

Yesterday (13:15)
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The plinth wont move because there are copper pipes preventing it from moving more than an inch. The basin isn’t resting on it.

I can only think to undo copper pipes, and take the basin off the wall, tap and all down to the copper - which is a) too much for me to do by myself and b) insane.


lost in espace

6,614 posts

237 months

Yesterday (13:20)
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Take a cheap home plumbing insurance out and claim in a couple of months, not that I would condone such a thing.

Regbuser

6,992 posts

65 months

Yesterday (13:45)
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Does the basin lift ?

scot_aln

793 posts

229 months

Yesterday (13:54)
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Have you maybe tried the company [Think they are Thai?] to see if they have install instructions for it which might aid removal.

https://www.cotto.com/

s p a c e m a n

12,120 posts

178 months

Yesterday (14:18)
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Is the base of the tap all one thing or does that collar unscrew?

kambites

71,565 posts

251 months

Yesterday (14:36)
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Can you take a picture looking up the back of the sink to see what's up there?

Bear-n

Original Poster:

1,967 posts

112 months

Yesterday (14:52)
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Can spiders be trained to undo nuts?



And it looks like copper going directly into the tap? Everything about this is horrible.

illmonkey

19,827 posts

228 months

Yesterday (14:59)
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Grey plastic is push fit but not quick release, so it's not reusable and needs cutting. It goes to copper, then an inline adapter to copper tails for the tap, it looks...

I'd be isolating the feeds, cut the grey pipe lower down, undo the tails into the tap, then undo the tap retaining bolt. The tap will come out the top.

Then I'd be making a better job of making it serviceable lower down.

Use one of these: https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Basin-Wrench-for-1...



Edited by illmonkey on Tuesday 20th October 15:01

Regbuser

6,992 posts

65 months

Yesterday (15:16)
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From your upskirt shot, it looks like the plinth can rotate and pass the two grey water pipes ?

Greenmantle

2,181 posts

138 months

Yesterday (15:40)
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Bear-n said:
Can spiders be trained to undo nuts?



And it looks like copper going directly into the tap? Everything about this is horrible.
Is there a down shot to the floor?
From this shot it looks like you can move the plinths out of the way - otherwise it would be impossible to do the installation!
How is the basin attached to the wall? Is it just hooked onto the wall and then a bead of sealant all the way round?

Bear-n

Original Poster:

1,967 posts

112 months

Yesterday (15:46)
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Just back from the merchants - with resident friendly plumber also helping out. Conclusion is can’t be done without taking basin off.

What a PITA! Thanks all for chipping in.

netherfield

3,193 posts

214 months

Yesterday (16:04)
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If you can't get to undo it then how was it ever fitted in the first place, you still got to get to undo the waste pipe if lifting the sink up.

OutInTheShed

14,754 posts

56 months

Yesterday (16:17)
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Bear-n said:
Just back from the merchants - with resident friendly plumber also helping out. Conclusion is can t be done without taking basin off.

What a PITA! Thanks all for chipping in.
I'm not convinced.
The tap is clamped down to the basin by a nut (on a stud screwed into the bottom of the tap) and the c-shaped collar under the basin.
The nut can normally be undone with a deep socket and all your extensions and a ratchet.

The tails screw into the bottom of the tap.
You may be able to undo the pushfit fittings by unscrewing the ends, or you may have to cut the pipes.

or cutting the pipes may just be easier.
Once you can raise the tap an inch or two, undo the tails.
If you can't undo the tails from the tap, , you can cut them and fit new ones.


Fit pushfit isolators and hose tails with sensible fittings.
You may need £17 worth of random stuff to connect from the hose tails to the outlets of the isolators.

Use a dismantle-able family of push fit and don't forget the inserts.

You'll also need a block of wax and some pins or other sharp objects. Make a wax effigy of a plumber.....

Bear-n

Original Poster:

1,967 posts

112 months

Yesterday (16:37)
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Latest position:

I can get one arm up there all-creatures style.

Box spanner s acquired and I can tighten and undo the 12mm nut on the threaded bar.

I can ONLY get on arm up there though.

Asking whether I could come up with an assembly that could just be affixed to a new tap and dropped down to connect to where the isolation valves are (I could use two hand there), the conclusion was that with the adapters on the end of the tails it wouldn t fit through the basin hole.

I can t even see how to remove the sink if I wanted to - there are a couple of holes in the bottom but I don t think there s anything there unless it s a sunken screw.

Eurgh.



[url]|https://forums-images.pistonheads.com/515566/202610205955965[url]





Oh, and the waste is gummed up and won t undo either.

illmonkey

19,827 posts

228 months

Yesterday (16:42)
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You should be able to get flexi hoses (and the C bracket that holds the tap to the sink if you wanted) through the hole, from the top. You can get longer ones too, standard and 300mm.

So you'd cut all the crap off. New flexi hoses into the new tap, inset from above. Clamp tap down and plumb up to the flexi hose ends.

allegro

1,338 posts

234 months

Yesterday (19:19)
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What's wrong with the tap?