Omega Owners Forum

Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: feeutfo on 11 January 2010, 01:16:16

Title: hot water taps (plumbing related)
Post by: feeutfo on 11 January 2010, 01:16:16
all the hot taps in our house are seizing up. Cold are fine. I guess it the hard water in this area seizing up the tap guts?

Any thoughts on un seizing them? i'm thinking turn off the water remove the guts and soak in viacal or some other de scaler, light smear of sylicon grease and re fit... and if thats no good buy new tap guts, but no idea where from. A GOOGLE suggests de scale and grease should do the job.

Anyone had any experience with this?

Cheers

Chris :)
Title: Re: hot water taps (plumbing related)
Post by: Mr Skrunts on 11 January 2010, 01:23:42
Not a clue.  :-/
Title: Re: hot water taps (plumbing related)
Post by: Plomien on 11 January 2010, 07:38:26
it can also be worth replacing the washers at the same time, depending on severity of the problem it should work fine if not time for new taps
Title: Re: hot water taps (plumbing related)
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 11 January 2010, 08:20:05
Yeh, disassemble (if possible) and soak in vinegar.....replace washers if you can get them
Title: Re: hot water taps (plumbing related)
Post by: Chris_H on 11 January 2010, 08:31:27
If they're newish taps and not super-fandago-custom-jobbies, then they are likely to have inserts. (http://www.caravan-components.co.uk/WebRoot/BT/Shops/BT2955/492F/D4B6/20C5/BD17/8B40/0A0A/33E8/79AE/PM162_m.JPG)that can be replaced with basic tools.  That includes the washer.
Always worth turning off the water and having a look though.  It may just be gunge (cleaning chemicals for instance) that can be scraped off.
Title: Re: hot water taps (plumbing related)
Post by: feeutfo on 11 January 2010, 09:18:34
thanks guys, that pic looks spot on although alot more shiny. They are certainly nothing special as taps go, original with the house so about 30 years old i guess. Will give the vinegar a go too. :y
Title: Re: hot water taps (plumbing related)
Post by: stuthespread on 11 January 2010, 09:24:49
if cleaning up the inserts doesn't work might be just as economical to replace the taps,all the hot taps packing up at the same time would suggest deeper issues.
Title: Re: hot water taps (plumbing related)
Post by: cem_devecioglu on 11 January 2010, 10:09:29
dont know if its related to your problem but here taps generally have blocked filters inside which needs frequent cleaning so they start to leak in time ..
Title: Re: hot water taps (plumbing related)
Post by: Varche on 11 January 2010, 10:31:42
Here we have water full of calcium and the regular maintenance is to unscrew the filter on the spout of the tap and clean that of debris. Internal parts we clean using hydrocloric acid which all the supermarkets sell. It is marvellous stuff. I guess something like Viacal would do the job. 
Title: Re: hot water taps (plumbing related)
Post by: KillerWatt on 11 January 2010, 10:49:36
No point in trying to clean the old inserts Chris, you can buy them in pairs for £5.99 brand new from any plumbing supplies shop (and that includes the likes of B&Q, although they may charge slightly more as they are aimed at the punter rather than the trade).
Title: Re: hot water taps (plumbing related)
Post by: Kevin Wood on 11 January 2010, 11:40:02
Quote
No point in trying to clean the old inserts Chris, you can buy them in pairs for £5.99 brand new from any plumbing supplies shop (and that includes the likes of B&Q, although they may charge slightly more as they are aimed at the punter rather than the trade).

Agreed. If they're 30 years old they've done their time. 

Kevin
Title: Re: hot water taps (plumbing related)
Post by: MickAP on 11 January 2010, 11:51:32
Quote
Yeh, disassemble (if possible) and soak in vinegar.....replace washers if you can get them

Yeah was going to say the same, or I find the stuff the descales kettles etc is good our £ shop sells it.
Then a little vaseline around the spindles.

Mick
Title: Re: hot water taps (plumbing related)
Post by: feeutfo on 11 January 2010, 13:19:14
 they are 30 rears old at least, so may well be buggered. But on the other hand the one in the bathroom sink has never really been right and packed up just after we moved in.

Fairly certain its just the thread on the inserts gumed up, it unsrews, as if to turn the tap on, but then stops seized solid before the water flows.

The bigger bath tap still flows but its really stiff.

I guess i'll do the sink one first and see how a clean up goes, take some, measurements while its out and if it dont work ill know what i need to buy.

On the other hand she's mumbling about a new bathroom in the summer so no point going mad, we've lived with it this long... ::)

Thanks again ;)
Title: Re: hot water taps (plumbing related)
Post by: Kevin Wood on 11 January 2010, 13:40:18
Quote

On the other hand she's mumbling about a new bathroom in the summer so no point going mad, we've lived with it this long... ::)

Ahh. I can help you there. You need to replace the bathroom floor with Marine ply then move on to the next "project" (I suggest "making Chrisgixer's bike go faster"), leaving the bathroom floor unfinished for 3 years. Mrs. Chrisgixer will soon stop requesting any further home improvements. :y

Kevin
Title: Re: hot water taps (plumbing related)
Post by: Jimbo B on 11 January 2010, 17:49:44
Quote
they are 30 rears old at least, so may well be buggered. But on the other hand the one in the bathroom sink has never really been right and packed up just after we moved in.

Fairly certain its just the thread on the inserts gumed up, it unsrews, as if to turn the tap on, but then stops seized solid before the water flows.

The bigger bath tap still flows but its really stiff.

I guess i'll do the sink one first and see how a clean up goes, take some, measurements while its out and if it dont work ill know what i need to buy.

On the other hand she's mumbling about a new bathroom in the summer so no point going mad, we've lived with it this long... ::)

Thanks again ;)


You're gonna have to change em  ;) ;) ;) ;)
Title: Re: hot water taps (plumbing related)
Post by: feeutfo on 11 January 2010, 19:16:12
Quote
Quote

On the other hand she's mumbling about a new bathroom in the summer so no point going mad, we've lived with it this long... ::)

Ahh. I can help you there. You need to replace the bathroom floor with Marine ply then move on to the next "project" (I suggest "making Chrisgixer's bike go faster"), leaving the bathroom floor unfinished for 3 years. Mrs. Chrisgixer will soon stop requesting any further home improvements. :y

Kevin

...ah yes, a word from the wise. ;D
knew i kept going wrong somewhere and finishing jobs off....well...ish, the kitchen still needs finishing touches, but in my defence it'll never be "proper" until the boiler finally goes pop and the new one re sited other side of the wall in the garage (to keep the bike warm :y ) then there will be no excuse....."what ? ....i havent finished the kitchen yet!" ....good old boiler, steady as she blows. :y


Title: Re: hot water taps (plumbing related)
Post by: Kevin Wood on 11 January 2010, 19:19:50
Quote

...ah yes, a word from the wise. ;D
knew i kept going wrong somewhere and finishing jobs off....well...ish, the kitchen still needs finishing touches, but in my defence it'll never be "proper" until the boiler finally goes pop and the new one re sited other side of the wall in the garage (to keep the bike warm :y ) then there will be no excuse....."what ? ....i havent finished the kitchen yet!" ....good old boiler, steady as she blows. :y



Yep. You're getting the hang of this..

.. and old boilers have a habit of hanging around for years when you want to get shot of them. :-X

 ;)

Kevin
Title: Re: hot water taps (plumbing related)
Post by: feeutfo on 11 January 2010, 19:33:51
Quote
Quote

...ah yes, a word from the wise. ;D
knew i kept going wrong somewhere and finishing jobs off....well...ish, the kitchen still needs finishing touches, but in my defence it'll never be "proper" until the boiler finally goes pop and the new one re sited other side of the wall in the garage (to keep the bike warm :y ) then there will be no excuse....."what ? ....i havent finished the kitchen yet!" ....good old boiler, steady as she blows. :y



Yep. You're getting the hang of this..

.. and old boilers have a habit of hanging around for years when you want to get shot of them. :-X

 ;)

Kevin
yep, i'm counting on it...on full wack it sounds for all the world like a hammer drill, whaaawhaaawhaaa. So turned down nice and low and used little and often...i give it a little pat when nobodys looking. ;D