Basic DIY questions?

[Elpenor]

New valves went in a treat. Only issue is these valves are longer than my previous taps. But they’re the only valves



so I can’t get the old tap handle on and then screw it into the tap valve. So maybe I to buy a new tap handle though where I can get one of them at 7pm on a Saturday? I can’t find anything that looks a tap handle.

A bit frustrating. Anyway the valves are in place. I feel like I know what to do if only I knew what part to get.

I have had enough for today. Mate has suggested I order some valves which also include cap and has given me an Amazon link so will do that, it will hopefully come tomorrow

Water back on. Other than no kitchen taps it’s more or less ok.

 

[Elpenor]

New valves with tap handle arrived yesterday, just fitted now (took 5 seconds).

For all my frustration on Saturday am quite happy as I’ve learned something new, and it has cost me £22 in parts. Going to take back the ones I didn’t use maybe screwfix will give me my money back (one was opened, one wasn’t)

 

[teuchter]

Not unknown for me to repair something as a matter of principle, rather than just getting a new one, and end up with some kind of frankenstein fitting which is 25% original parts and 75% new parts that don't quite match and which in total cost about 4x the price of just replacing the whole thing.

 

[Elpenor]

Spoke to soon. The stopcock is now dripping!

 

[danski]

Spoke to soon. The stopcock is now dripping!

Might just need a nip up

 

[Magnus McGinty]

Possibly a stupid question, but you did put sealant tape on the thread?

 

[Elpenor]

Might just need a nip up

It did, after a bit of swearing at the crusty nut and a few turns of the spanner it seems to be ok now, having tested it with the taps fully on, doesn’t seem to be leaking (famous last words). Will let the cupboard air for a day or so.

I also managed to crack one of the new tap handles so it now has a serrated edge - hopefully it won’t be too much of a problem going forward.

 

[Epona]

New valves with tap handle arrived yesterday, just fitted now (took 5 seconds).

For all my frustration on Saturday am quite happy as I’ve learned something new, and it has cost me £22 in parts. Going to take back the ones I didn’t use maybe screwfix will give me my money back (one was opened, one wasn’t)

Screwfix have a 30 day returns policy on "I didn't need it after all" or changed your mind type returns - the one still in the packaging you should definitely get your money back from, with the opened one make sure you have all the packaging with it and they might do that one also, if all the parts are there.

 

[existentialist]

Possibly a stupid question, but you did put sealant tape on the thread?

Compression joints shouldn't need sealant tape on the thread. The seal is between the olive and the recess in the body of the fitting.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

Compression joints shouldn't need sealant tape on the thread. The seal is between the olive and the recess in the body of the fitting.

This is why I’m not a plumber.

 

[existentialist]

This is why I’m not a plumber.

Neither am I . But you learn all kinds of stuff on threads like this!

 

[prunus]

Neither am I . But you learn all kinds of stuff on threads like this!

Is there tape on these threads of which you speak?

 

[existentialist]

Is there tape on these threads of which you speak?

Not if I have anything to do with it!

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Compression joints shouldn't need sealant tape on the thread. The seal is between the olive and the recess in the body of the fitting.

This is what I came to say.
It's the olive that needs the tape (learned from experience) not the thread.

 

[WouldBe]

Not if I have anything to do with it!

What masking tape do you recommend?

 

[existentialist]

What masking tape do you recommend?

I haven't found one yet that isn't annoying. Though I don't do much painting and decorating...

 

[WouldBe]

I haven't found one yet that isn't annoying. Though I don't do much painting and decorating...

So tape is allowed on this thread then.

 

[existentialist]

So tape is allowed on this thread then.

Even PTFE tape is allowed on this thread. Just not misused!

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Maybe more of a cleaning question, but does anyone know anything about wooden floors? The downstairs of my house is this stuff. I mop it every few weeks with a machine mop, but after living here a few years it doesn't look as shiny as it did. Is it wax I need to improve this? And a slightly off the wall idea, but can I then polish it with a car da polisher?

 

[Epona]

Maybe more of a cleaning question, but does anyone know anything about wooden floors? The downstairs of my house is this stuff. I mop it every few weeks with a machine mop, but after living here a few years it doesn't look as shiny as it did. Is it wax I need to improve this? And a slightly off the wall idea, but can I then polish it with a car da polisher?

View attachment 418041

Not wax cos you'll go arse over tit and break your neck slipping on it - you can get treatments specifically for wooden/engineered/laminate floors. Used to use something in my old flat where I had a parquet floor but can't remember what it was, so I'm not much help but a google for products for your particular floor type might throw up some modern suggestions.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Not wax cos you'll go arse over tit and break your neck slipping on it - you can get treatments specifically for wooden/engineered/laminate floors. Used to use something in my old flat where I had a parquet floor but can't remember what it was, so I'm not much help but a google for products for your particular floor type might throw up some modern suggestions.

I mean, something quite amuses me about the idea of the cats pegging it round after each other, trying to stop and failing.

I don't actually know what type of floor or finish it is. I think the rest of the house is laminate, but this looks like bits of wood that have actually been laid.

 

[teuchter]

I don't actually know what type of floor or finish it is. I think the rest of the house is laminate, but this looks like bits of wood that have actually been laid.

Might be engineered wood flooring, where a thin top layer of actual wood is bonded to layers of other stuff below, sort of like plywood.

 

[teuchter]

These types of connectors, are they a standard type with a name?

If I buy something that looks similar, is it likely to turn out to be not quite the same?

 

[Magnus McGinty]

Probably. Theres these but I imagine they’re ’not quite the same’.

Robus 20A 4-Way Screw-In Connector - Screwfix

Order online at Screwfix.com. 4-pole connector with spare live, eliminating the need for a junction box in wiring light fittings with a switched live. Large terminals accept 3 x 1.5mm² multi-strand or solid conductors. FREE next day delivery available, free collection in 1 minute.

www.screwfix.com

 

[existentialist]

Probably. Theres these but I imagine they’re ’not quite the same’.

Robus 20A 4-Way Screw-In Connector - Screwfix

Order online at Screwfix.com. 4-pole connector with spare live, eliminating the need for a junction box in wiring light fittings with a switched live. Large terminals accept 3 x 1.5mm² multi-strand or solid conductors. FREE next day delivery available, free collection in 1 minute.

www.screwfix.com

"utterly different" might be a better way of describing those!

 

[Saul Goodman]

These types of connectors, are they a standard type with a name?

If I buy something that looks similar, is it likely to turn out to be not quite the same?

View attachment 418443View attachment 418444

They're not actually matching connectors but they'll fit each other, as they're standard 2.54 pitch. It's a 4 way single row 2.54 molex.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

"utterly different" might be a better way of describing those!

They’re both 4 pole male and female connectors.

 

[teuchter]

It's a 4 way single row 2.54 molex.

Thanks. That's what I need to know.

The female one is what I want to replace. I need to replace it with something that will fit onto the male one.

 

[Saul Goodman]

They’re both 4 pole male and female connectors.

In fairness, this is also a 4-pin connector

 

[Magnus McGinty]

In fairness, this is also a 4-pin connector

View attachment 418452

Tbf at first glance on my phone I didn’t spot the pcb board so didn’t have a sense of scale.