Basic DIY questions?

[Elpenor]

Ironically I had planned to reposition the gate (basically have the hinges a few inches higher which would make the bottom bar higher off the ground) anyway in the next few weeks as was aware of the dragging issue. A new bottom bar would need to be reattached to the rest of the gate, I wonder if replacing the bottom bar might take the same amount of time as just getting a new gate (though of course cheaper)

Hmm a two pipe problem

 

[existentialist]

Ironically I had planned to reposition the gate (basically have the hinges a few inches higher which would make the bottom bar higher off the ground) anyway in the next few weeks as was aware of the dragging issue. A new bottom bar would need to be reattached to the rest of the gate, I wonder if replacing the bottom bar might take the same amount of time as just getting a new gate (though of course cheaper)

Hmm a two pipe problem

I don't know how old the existing gate is, but from experience, new timber is usually a lot more prone to warping and general grottiness. If the old gate isn't too screwed, you might well be better off fixing it up than buying a new gate that ends up giving you grief in a year or two.

And, if you do get a new gate, go to town on rot proofing, etc. Probably not recommended these days, but when my dad made a garden fence out of floorboards (from demolished Victorian houses), he treated the whole thing with multiple coats of a solution made from sump oil and white spirit. It did the job - that fence wasn't even slightly rotten after 20 years.

 

[Elpenor]

I don't know how old the existing gate is, but from experience, new timber is usually a lot more prone to warping and general grottiness. If the old gate isn't too screwed, you might well be better off fixing it up than buying a new gate that ends up giving you grief in a year or two.

And, if you do get a new gate, go to town on rot proofing, etc. Probably not recommended these days, but when my dad made a garden fence out of floorboards (from demolished Victorian houses), he treated the whole thing with multiple coats of a solution made from sump oil and white spirit. It did the job - that fence wasn't even slightly rotten after 20 years.

Just gone to use it again coming back from the tip, the bottom bar is completely rotten which means the body of the gate isbeing blown into the alleyway by the wind

For a quick fix (it was raining and I have work to do in a bit) I’ve used a joining plate to attach the gate to the gatepost, a bit higher up than I’d have liked but had to put it above the rotten wood, and obviously I now can’t use the gate which isn’t ideal - am going to have to take off the joining plate in the week to get the bins out / in which is a bit of a pain. Might see if I can attach one the other side of the gate tomorrow in a way means I can still use the gate.

 

[Elpenor]

Still haven’t changed the gate over. For now it’s a bodge fix. Will worry about fixing it when the weather improves.

Got a new problem. Need to change the washer on my kitchen tap as it’s dripping a lot more the last few weeks (and has also started sometimes taking a second or two for water to come out, then it comes out suddenly like there’s been an air block). It has dripped a little since I moved in mid 2022 but you know how it is.

First I need to buy some washers, should I take the old one off before buying them as unsure on the size I need? It’s a mixer tap probably installed mid noughties?

I will then watch a YouTube video on how to do it, several times. Anything else I should consider?

 

[Epona]

Still haven’t changed the gate over. For now it’s a bodge fix. Will worry about fixing it when the weather improves.

Got a new problem. Need to change the washer on my kitchen tap as it’s dripping a lot more the last few weeks (and has also started sometimes taking a second or two for water to come out, then it comes out suddenly like there’s been an air block). It has dripped a little since I moved in mid 2022 but you know how it is.

First I need to buy some washers, should I take the old one off before buying them as unsure on the size I need? It’s a mixer tap probably installed mid noughties?

I will then watch a YouTube video on how to do it, several times. Anything else I should consider?

Turn the water off at the stopcock before taking the tap apart to remove the washer

 

[Elpenor]

Turn the water off at the stopcock before taking the tap apart to remove the washer

That is on the video I watched a week or so ago

 

[Epona]

That is on the video I watched a week or so ago

Last time we got a new washing machine, N decided to be "helpful" and get the old one ready for collection - disconnected the hose that takes water into the machine without turning off the valve - the force at which water was coming out was incredible, the first I knew about any of this was screaming from the kitchen and then I had to go paddling across the kitchen floor, get him to open a window and hold the hose pointing out of the window, while I got into the kitchen cabinet base unit to find the valve.
He has been banned from attempting any plumbing tasks at home since.

 

[WouldBe]

Turn the water off at the stopcock before taking the tap apart to remove the washer

If you do it quick enough you shouldn't flood the kitchen too much.

 

[existentialist]

Still haven’t changed the gate over. For now it’s a bodge fix. Will worry about fixing it when the weather improves.

Got a new problem. Need to change the washer on my kitchen tap as it’s dripping a lot more the last few weeks (and has also started sometimes taking a second or two for water to come out, then it comes out suddenly like there’s been an air block). It has dripped a little since I moved in mid 2022 but you know how it is.

First I need to buy some washers, should I take the old one off before buying them as unsure on the size I need? It’s a mixer tap probably installed mid noughties?

I will then watch a YouTube video on how to do it, several times. Anything else I should consider?

Check first. Most taps these days have a unit that's pretty much a slot-in job. Yes, you can replace the washer, but it may be easier just to grab another gland unit and be done with it.

 

[existentialist]

Last time we got a new washing machine, N decided to be "helpful" and get the old one ready for collection - disconnected the hose that takes water into the machine without turning off the valve - the force at which water was coming out was incredible, the first I knew about any of this was screaming from the kitchen and then I had to go paddling across the kitchen floor, get him to open a window and hold the hose pointing out of the window, while I got into the kitchen cabinet base unit to find the valve.
He has been banned from attempting any plumbing tasks at home since.

I give thanks for the fact that I am not an N.

 

[Epona]

I give thanks for the fact that I am not an N.

Seriously when common sense was being handed out he was "ooh, a squirrel".
I say that with love but if I see him reaching for any tools I start to panic a bit.

 

[Epona]

There was also the time (different occasion) when we spent the afternoon in Wickes buying a new U Bend for our kitchen sink because he'd dismantled the existing one to try to unblock it and managed to break it.
This was on our wedding anniversary and I can tell you now I was Not Amused.
I'm fairly easy going in that regard and don't expect a card or some sort of great display or expenditure of money or anything (couple of pints in the pub and a takeaway tends to make me very happy), but not spending the afternoon dealing with a plumbing emergency is good.
(And I still ended up calling a plumber to come and fix it anyway).

 

[Saul Goodman]

Seriously when common sense was being handed out he was "ooh, a squirrel".
I say that with love but if I see him reaching for any tools I start to panic a bit.

Maybe it's time to stage a burglary. Where all the burglar steals is all the tools.

 

[Elpenor]

Still haven’t changed the gate over. For now it’s a bodge fix. Will worry about fixing it when the weather improves.

Got a new problem. Need to change the washer on my kitchen tap as it’s dripping a lot more the last few weeks (and has also started sometimes taking a second or two for water to come out, then it comes out suddenly like there’s been an air block). It has dripped a little since I moved in mid 2022 but you know how it is.

First I need to buy some washers, should I take the old one off before buying them as unsure on the size I need? It’s a mixer tap probably installed mid noughties?

I will then watch a YouTube video on how to do it, several times. Anything else I should consider?

This job has not proved very straight forward so far though on the positive nothing broken and I can reinstate

I’ve removed the cap on the tap and the screw.

At this point the tap head should lift off and I’m left with the tap itself. Except the tap head doesn’t lift off. I’m left with this metal face which is what the cap was sitting on. I’ve tried adjusting how the tap is (fully on or off)


Edit - given it a bit more aggression and it’s come off

 

[existentialist]

This job has not proved very straight forward so far though on the positive nothing broken and I can reinstate

I’ve removed the cap on the tap and the screw.

At this point the tap head should lift off and I’m left with the tap itself. Except the tap head doesn’t lift off. I’m left with this metal face which is what the cap was sitting on. I’ve tried adjusting how the tap is (fully on or off)
View attachment 416911

Edit - given it a bit more aggression and it’s come off

I was going to say - it's seized on the splines.

Your next interesting job will be removing the valve, which will - I shit u not - be on as tight as fuck, and the tap will probably move on the sink before the valve does.

 

[Elpenor]

I was going to say - it's seized on the splines.

Your next interesting job will be removing the valve, which will - I shit u not - be on as tight as fuck, and the tap will probably move on the sink before the valve does.

Cold one came off fine. The washer seemed fine compared to the one I was going to replace with. So haven’t replaced it, just put back

The hot one (which has the drip) will not come off. You can probably see why from the pictures.
Cold:



Hot:


Right now the hot tap is having a soak of wd40 to see if it that helps.

If not I guess put back together. I don’t want to do anything I can’t then undo. The drip is annoying but minor and ultimately I’m not getting a plumber out to fix it if I can’t. On the positive side everything seems to have worked so far and nothing broken

 

[prunus]

Cold one came off fine. The washer seemed fine compared to the one I was going to replace with. So haven’t replaced it, just put back

The hot one (which has the drip) will not come off. You can probably see why from the pictures.
Cold:

View attachment 416912

Hot:

View attachment 416913
Right now the hot tap is having a soak of wd40 to see if it that helps.

If not I guess put back together. I don’t want to do anything I can’t then undo. The drip is annoying but minor and ultimately I’m not getting a plumber out to fix it if I can’t. On the positive side everything seems to have worked so far and nothing broken

They can be an absolute bugger to get out. What tool are you using? Ideally you've got a long handled plumbers wrench, or something else you can get both good purchase on it and good leverage.

I've had luck in the end with a good spray of WD40, a long wrench, and a lot of elbow grease. A tip I've used (no idea if it makes any difference but eventually it came out) is to try going backwards and forwards with the wrench (ie repeatedly tightening it and loosening it) until it starts to move freely. The last bastard one I did took several attempts of WD40, backwards and forwards turning and a scary amount of force, but it came out eventually Good luck!

 

[Elpenor]

They can be an absolute bugger to get out. What tool are you using? Ideally you've got a long handled plumbers wrench, or something else you can get both good purchase on it and good leverage.

I've had luck in the end with a good spray of WD40, a long wrench, and a lot of elbow grease. A tip I've used (no idea if it makes any difference but eventually it came out) is to try going backwards and forwards with the wrench (ie repeatedly tightening it and loosening it) until it starts to move freely. The last bastard one I did took several attempts of WD40, backwards and forwards turning and a scary amount of force, but it came out eventually Good luck!

A good question and it made remember to my socket set and removed the pesky hot tap.

So everything now off. I have decided to just replace the washers, which I’ve done for the cold one I think and of course now I can’t screw the tap head to the hot tap.

Maybe I need to get new valves after all, not going to have time to get and get these before I need to leave at 1330 for rugby.

 

[existentialist]

A good question and it made remember to my socket set and removed the pesky hot tap.

So everything now off. I have decided to just replace the washers, which I’ve done for the cold one I think and of course now I can’t screw the tap head to the hot tap.

Maybe I need to get new valves after all, not going to have time to get and get these before I need to leave at 1330 for rugby.

Given that it was problematic at the start, would it not be worthwhile just getting a new valve unit? They're pretty much one standard size - the only thing to watch out for is that the splined bit at the top has the right diameter and number of splines so that the tap handle will fit.

 

[Elpenor]

Given that it was problematic at the start, would it not be worthwhile just getting a new valve unit? They're pretty much one standard size - the only thing to watch out for is that the splined bit at the top has the right diameter and number of splines so that the tap handle will fit.

Yeah am leaning towards that as can get from screwfix. Presume something like this is needed

Flomasta 1/2" BSP Full Turn Brass Threaded Tap Glands Pack - Screwfix

Order online at Screwfix.com. 8mm spline. Threaded tap glands to fit most ½" taps. Suitable for taps that require a threaded collar. FREE next day delivery available, free collection in 1 minute.

www.screwfix.com

This has been a bit of an adventure so far. Thanks for all the help

 

[existentialist]

Yeah am leaning towards that as can get from screwfix. Presume something like this is needed

Flomasta 1/2" BSP Full Turn Brass Threaded Tap Glands Pack - Screwfix

Order online at Screwfix.com. 8mm spline. Threaded tap glands to fit most ½" taps. Suitable for taps that require a threaded collar. FREE next day delivery available, free collection in 1 minute.

www.screwfix.com

This has been a bit of an adventure so far. Thanks for all the help

Yep. I think there are two spline styles, so at the very least, laboriously count the number of splines on the existing valve, and confirm that it's 20, per those items from Screwfix.

 

[Elpenor]

I have had a look and have no idea where the splines are not the valve (I know where they should be having googled!)

Will have to take a punt at screwfix

In investigating the valve one of them has come apart and I can’t seem to reassemble it. I hope the new valve works otherwise I’m not sure I can afford anyone to come out until pay day (Thursday) but I am determined to fix myself

 

[existentialist]

The splines are what the tap head slots onto on the valve - the bit you had trouble separating before you had trouble removing the valve from the tap body!

 

[Saul Goodman]

Cold one came off fine. The washer seemed fine compared to the one I was going to replace with. So haven’t replaced it, just put back

The hot one (which has the drip) will not come off. You can probably see why from the pictures.
Cold:

View attachment 416912

Hot:

View attachment 416913
Right now the hot tap is having a soak of wd40 to see if it that helps.

If not I guess put back together. I don’t want to do anything I can’t then undo. The drip is annoying but minor and ultimately I’m not getting a plumber out to fix it if I can’t. On the positive side everything seems to have worked so far and nothing broken

I'd just replace the whole unit. They're dirt cheap and easy to fit. Failing that,
percussive maintenance is your friend. Get a hammer and a drift, and give the brass valve a few taps around the six sides of the hex (in the direction of the arrow below), but open the tap first, to take the pressure off everything inside, lest you damage anything.

 

[Elpenor]

Will have a go at replacing the unit when back from rugby, so a bit later tonight!

 

[WouldBe]

I have had a look and have no idea where the splines are not the valve (I know where they should be having googled!)

As existentialist said the splines are the gear tooth like bits round the top end of the valve.

 

[danski]

Yeah am leaning towards that as can get from screwfix. Presume something like this is needed

Flomasta 1/2" BSP Full Turn Brass Threaded Tap Glands Pack - Screwfix

Order online at Screwfix.com. 8mm spline. Threaded tap glands to fit most ½" taps. Suitable for taps that require a threaded collar. FREE next day delivery available, free collection in 1 minute.

www.screwfix.com

This has been a bit of an adventure so far. Thanks for all the help

Ime, I’ve found quarter turn ceramic valves to be better as they tend not to drip. I prefer the feel as well.

 

[existentialist]

Ime, I’ve found quarter turn ceramic valves to be better as they tend not to drip. I prefer the feel as well.

Because I just used a valve I happened to have hanging around, I now have a kitchen tap with a full turn hot tap, and a quarter turn cold tap. Meh.

 

[Saul Goodman]

Yeah am leaning towards that as can get from screwfix. Presume something like this is needed

Flomasta 1/2" BSP Full Turn Brass Threaded Tap Glands Pack - Screwfix

Order online at Screwfix.com. 8mm spline. Threaded tap glands to fit most ½" taps. Suitable for taps that require a threaded collar. FREE next day delivery available, free collection in 1 minute.

www.screwfix.com

This has been a bit of an adventure so far. Thanks for all the help

Those are 1/2" BSP. Make sure yours aren't 3/4 BSP before you buy it. A 1/2" BSP thread is about 3/4" diameter, while a 3/4" BSP thread is about an inch diameter... Just to confuse things

 

[Elpenor]

As existentialist said the splines are the gear tooth like bits round the top end of the valve.

Yeah I know (having googled a diagram) but seemingly not apparent on the one I removed

Those are 1/2" BSP. Make sure yours aren't 3/4 BSP before you buy it. A 1/2" BSP thread is about 3/4" diameter, while a 3/4" BSP thread is about an inch diameter...

Well a bit late now, I have the full turn 1/2 inch one now. Though I have time to get to screwfix before they close I can’t compare against the old one as that’s at home and I’m not. Think I have got In a muddle when taking into account the other characteristics I didn’t understand about the tap. May as well get the other one just in case. I suppose it either works or it doesn’t

Just to confuse things

Confusion it certainly is!