AVB Posted February 19, 2013 Report Share Posted February 19, 2013 Two taps in the bathroom and one in the kitchen have been leaking (from around the handle area) making a right mess. The plumber was in fixing a radiator so told the wife to get him to put new washers in. But you can't of course as these are 'sealed' units. So new taps are the only option. When did taps stop having washers in them? How can that be a development? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chady Posted February 19, 2013 Report Share Posted February 19, 2013 Are you sure?? Is there a red and blue dot on them some times the grub screw is behind that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackpowder Posted February 19, 2013 Report Share Posted February 19, 2013 They could be ceramic taps, you will know this if they are only a quarter turn on and off. These dont have washers but two ceramic discs with cut outs, this part of the tap needs to be replaced if the originals have become worn or scratched allowing water to pass. A washer for traditional taps would cost 10p a ceramic unit £10. Its progress, if you care to believe it. Blackpowder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Geordie Posted February 19, 2013 Report Share Posted February 19, 2013 I replaced the BRAND NEW "well 6 month old" 1/4 turn taps in the kitchen with a new set of old style tops. Took me 15 mins to change and cost me all of £12.50 The 1/4 turn taps are absoloute carp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted February 19, 2013 Report Share Posted February 19, 2013 Likewise the new ceramic washer taps are utter rubbish I have had two sets in the kitchen in two years and will soon need the third , They are even more useless in hard water areas like ours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monster1971 Posted February 19, 2013 Report Share Posted February 19, 2013 you seem to have forgotten that we live in a throw away society that means its more often cheaper to replace than repair ,sad but there it is. by the time your plumber has chased around for two hours looking for the correct drives with the correct splines to fit the heads and then done the job it works out cheaper to change them for another set of imported carp that wont last either. good quality english made taps are no longer availible at any cost Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackpowder Posted February 19, 2013 Report Share Posted February 19, 2013 you seem to have forgotten that we live in a throw away society that means its more often cheaper to replace than repair ,sad but there it is. by the time your plumber has chased around for two hours looking for the correct drives with the correct splines to fit the heads and then done the job it works out cheaper to change them for another set of imported carp that wont last either. good quality english made taps are no longer availible at any cost You've hit a sore point there monster. There is no such thing as a standard spline fitting, I have a box of the blankety things and sure as little green apples none of them fit the taps when you are 20 miles from the nearest plumbers merchant.. Blackpowder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuC Posted February 19, 2013 Report Share Posted February 19, 2013 I had a leaky kitchen mixer with ceramic discs that I kept putting off fixing. Took the cartridges out, measured and tried to find replacements online; No joy! Tried to clean and reassemble; No joy Went into Wilko's for something unrelated and ****** me the correct replacement cartridges were in stock £13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daz2202 Posted February 19, 2013 Report Share Posted February 19, 2013 One thing we forget. It is us the consumer that has driven the market this way. We all look for the cheapest. In my shop we get customers complaining that toilet seats cost £10 for a cheap one. They moan that's too much money then moan that they are poor quality. Can't blimin win. The plumbing game has been hit very hard by this mentality. Look at it like this. In 1990 it would cost you around £700 for an average boiler. Today 23 years later it costs you around £700 for the average boiler ! Difference is boilers used to last 20 plus years now you are lucky if it lasts 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
figgy Posted February 19, 2013 Report Share Posted February 19, 2013 (edited) I have in the past managed to eek out a few more years from quarter turn ceramic disc type taps by removing the cartridge and putting a tap washer behind the cartridge to take up the wear in the ceramic discs,the best washers are the rubber ones for hep tap connectors. As for the op when they leak from the handle it's usually because the gland, seal or shaft bit with the splines is worn allowing water to pass up and run down outside, normally hot goes first. On older well made taps you could tighten them up and repack them,sadly not anymore. When friends or family tell me they want new taps as they are sick of the well made old ones I nearly plead with them to leave alone.Same with old reliable boilers without all the electrical gubbins,you need to use a lot of gas to recoup the cost of replacement most would never get it back as new boiler will break down before your back in the black. Figgy Edited February 19, 2013 by figgy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVB Posted February 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2013 Progress . My dear old dad was a plumber. He left me his tools including the gadget for reseating taps. A museum piece now. Replacement taps are circa £150 each. That's £450 gone. As for boilers I agree. Ours breaks down twice a year. British Gas are as good as gold though and they come down and rear it pronto. The replace the same circuit board every time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruno22rf Posted February 20, 2013 Report Share Posted February 20, 2013 (edited) Bought our 1/4 turn taps at least 10 years ago from Aldi and they just started leaking a few months back-easiest thing in the world to replace both cartridges (and tops) for less than a tenner on ebay. Edited February 20, 2013 by bruno22rf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
four-wheel-drive Posted February 20, 2013 Report Share Posted February 20, 2013 My big shower tap started leaking about three months ago it was about five years old and it was a very expensive one me being old I thought I will buy good stuff and it will last wrong the plumber said that the makers have closed down and he could not get parts for it. I got him to replace it with a cheaper one still ended up costing me £300 as he has to remove some of the tiles and change the pipes so much for buying good quality stuff I now buy cheep and replace the whole thing when it goes wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diceman Posted February 21, 2013 Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 The plumbing game has been hit very hard by this mentality. Look at it like this. In 1990 it would cost you around £700 for an average boiler. Today 23 years later it costs you around £700 for the average boiler ! Difference is boilers used to last 20 plus years now you are lucky if it lasts 10 Our oil boiler was second hand in 1965. It runs on red diesel from the tank we fill the plant up from, is the size of a small bungalow and sounds like a Lancaster bomber when it starts up. We have a little man who is supposed to be retired but services it every year and occasionally finds parts for it in his shed from when he first started in the business. He keeps telling us to replace it before he dies because no-one else will touch it, but the MIL won't hear of it as it works just fine... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asa Bear Posted February 21, 2013 Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 One thing we forget. It is us the consumer that has driven the market this way. We all look for the cheapest. In my shop we get customers complaining that toilet seats cost £10 for a cheap one. They moan that's too much money then moan that they are poor quality. Can't blimin win. The plumbing game has been hit very hard by this mentality. Look at it like this. In 1990 it would cost you around £700 for an average boiler. Today 23 years later it costs you around £700 for the average boiler ! Difference is boilers used to last 20 plus years now you are lucky if it lasts 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazsl Posted February 22, 2013 Report Share Posted February 22, 2013 you can buy new cartidges for them if they leaking from around the handle they may only need new rubber seals Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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