Browse Forums Bathrooms and Laundry 1 Feb 26, 2019 12:21 pm Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Hi everyone. Can anyone tell me how I would go about changing washers on the taps shown ? There is no obvious way to remove the handle for access. If I feel under the thick collar immediately below the cross handle I think I can feel a small grubscrew, but am not certain. If it is it would be very hard to access We did have a plumber here a while back on a separate task and I asked him if he could change a washer on one of these but he said it needed a special tool? Any advice appreciated. Farness Tap washer advice please 2Feb 26, 2019 2:21 pm Get your phone and take a photo of the underside of the handle where it joins the spindle. I'm willing to bet there is a spindle nut that is screwed in from the underside of the handle that you need (what I am calling) a "C-tool" (because I don't know the real name). In the past I have tightened these with my fingers and a screwdriver. Re: Tap washer advice please 3Feb 27, 2019 9:55 am Thanks aradelt. After much faffing about the best shot I could get is the one here and is still not great. But I think I can see what you are referring to, there is a notch or groove in the stem that has a nut or grubscrew underneath. Can you descrbe the "C-tool" I would need? I can see that this is going to ve very difficult to access. Would a small hex key or phillips head be suitable? I don't want to probe around and damage it if not. Cheers Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: Tap washer advice please 4Feb 27, 2019 10:11 am Farness Thanks aradelt. After much faffing about the best shot I could get is the one here and is still not great. But I think I can see what you are referring to, there is a notch or groove in the stem that has a nut or grubscrew underneath. Can you descrbe the "C-tool" I would need? I can see that this is going to ve very difficult to access. Would a small hex key or phillips head be suitable? I don't want to probe around and damage it if not. Cheers Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ What I was thinking of was something like this picture I drew. It’s a kind of circular nut that has two or more slots in it and it screws up into the handle. Sometimes you can get two small screwdriver blades into the slots on either side of the stem and then turn anti-clockwise to loosen it up. You can then just use your fingers to remove it the rest of the way. I have no idea what you would call the tool, but a plumber would know. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ However, it you think you can feel a grub screw, then I might have it completely wrong. A grub screw is usually removed with a hex (Allen) key. Hope that helps. Re: Tap washer advice please 5Feb 27, 2019 11:00 am Ah ok thanks I see what you mean now. But no I don't think there is anything like the circular nut there, that little notch in the photo appears to be the only access in the setup and the handle is one solid piece.. All very awkward to work with, I'll hunt around for a dentist type mirror to get a better view but I'm thinking that dark circle on the blueish background in the notch might be a small grub screw. Thanks again. Re: Tap washer advice please 6Feb 27, 2019 11:02 am Farness Ah ok thanks I see what you mean now. But no I don't think there is anything like the circular nut there, that little notch in the photo appears to be the only access in the setup and the handle is one solid piece.. All very awkward to work with, I'll hunt around for a dentist type mirror to get a better view but I'm thinking that dark circle on the blueish background in the notch might be a small grub screw. Thanks again. Sorry, but without a better picture I don’t think I can help further. Re: Tap washer advice please 9Feb 27, 2019 8:38 pm I installed some taps like this a few years ago, and they came with a special tool. I thought I would save the tool in a very special place in case I needed it in future. From memory it was kind of like a fork with 2 upturned prongs The rest of the story is quite predictable When I needed to remove the tap years later of course I couldn't find it and just cut the tap off and replaced it Re: Tap washer advice please 10Feb 27, 2019 9:44 pm Yep, right you are everyone. Another photography attempt, this time with 2 phones...one for light one for camera, shows the slot/hole directly under the handle as aradelt pointed out in his diagram that would seem to suggest the "2 prong fork" is needed to get these handles off. This is what I thought may have been a grubscrew, but I think it more likely aligns with what you are all suggesting here. Cheers Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: Tap washer advice please 11Feb 28, 2019 8:54 am Bit of online digging, looks like these are called "anti-vandal rings" and the tool aradelt was referring to is an "anti-vandal tap head spanner"! https://diy.stackexchange.com/questions ... n-tap-head Interesting suggestion in this thread is to simply open the tap fully and lift the cover flange high enough to get a flat spanner in there to unscrew the spindle. May be worth trying as seems these things can be hard to get off even with the tools. Available at Reece: https://www.reece.com.au/product/ezy-cl ... i%20vandal Re: Tap washer advice please 12Feb 28, 2019 9:39 am Farness Bit of online digging, looks like these are called "anti-vandal rings" and the tool aradelt was referring to is an "anti-vandal tap head spanner"! Good find, and makes this a great thread for future reference. Well done. You can see why I called it a "C-tool" Re: Tap washer advice please 13Feb 28, 2019 9:58 am Also looks as though people have quite a few other names for it when it snaps due to the rings being corroded on! Do you know whether the rings are designed to be removed and put back, or are they one use only? Re: Tap washer advice please 14Feb 28, 2019 10:23 am Farness Do you know whether the rings are designed to be removed and put back, or are they one use only? Sorry, I have no idea as I have never owned this type. I only know about them because I was constantly tightening them when I washed my hands at a past workplace where they were fitted. So much for being anti-vandal that will depend on the kitchen bench depth. you'll have to specify it so it allows for both the tap and the sink 1 7379 7 5137 Brass or 2) Stainless steel made - which Kitchen tap is good for drinking.Brass kitchen taps in Australia contain lead… 0 6714 |