Fitting new taps for the bathroom


 

Replacing your bathroom taps can be a quick way to spruce up your bathroom. In addition, if you have worn out leaky taps  it goes a long way to saving you money on your utility bill. Its's fairly simple to do if you follow our steps below:

Step 1: Removal of old taps
  • Before fitting new taps you need to disconnect the water supply at the mains stopcock. Turn on the taps full to drain any water still in the system.
  • The process of removing the existing taps can prove to be quite problematic due to the restricted access between the wall and the bath or basin. Make sure you have the right tools for the job, a crow foot spanner is best for this job. When fitting new taps use the crow foot spanner or a tap tool to undo the nut which connects the supply pipes to the taps. Some water will come from the pipes so have a cloth ready.
  • Once the supply pipes have been removed use the same tool to loosen the nut that is holding the taps onto the bath or basin. The single taps will need to be stopped from turning during this process.
  • Now that the taps have been removed the holes in the bath or basin have to be cleaned of any old sealing compound.
Step 2: Fitting new taps
  • If the tails of the new taps are plastic then a plastic connector is required to prevent damage to the thread. One end of the connector fits on the plastic tail of the tap and the other end provides a connection to the existing supply pipes.
  • If a monobloc mixer tap is to be fitted then flexible monobloc tap connectors will be required. The flexible monodloc tap connectors allow the monobloc mixer to connect to the standard 15mm supply pipe.
  • Fitting the new taps, position the tap in the mounting hole in the bath or basin ensuring that the washers are in place on top between the tap and the sink. Then secure the tap in place with the back nut provided.
  • When the tap is securely in place the supply pipes can be connected to the tails of the taps. The taps can either be connected with normal tap connectors or by using flexible tap connectors. The flexible tap connectors have the advantage of been able to bent to compensate for misalignment of the supply pipes to the taps. The flexible tap connectors have a tap fitting at one end and compression fitting at the other. The flexible tap connectors should be connected to the tap ends first, tightening only by hand. The supply pipes can then be connected to the other end. Once they have been connected both ends can be tightened with a spanner.
  • Once the taps have been connected the water supply can be turned back on. Any new pipework should be checked for leaks. If any leaks occur they can mostly be stopped by simply tightening joins otherwise the system will have to be drained and a closer and more thorough investigation should be done.

 

If you are still not confident enough to replace the taps in you bathroom, and need to find a plumber?

 

推薦帖子:

返回