How to get new handles to sit flush against the wall?

[dweston04]

Hi Everyone! 

So I recently purchased a new set of taps for my shower and came across a problem being that the sleeve and flange won’t sit flush against the end of the locknut and/or the wall respectively  

The first time I tried to install it the sleeve screwed too far in, leaving the locknut exposed and the flange barely attached to the sleeve (see below) 

The instructions said that if this was an issue spindle extenders could be purchased however I could only find one size and that was too long so the flange wouldn’t sit flush with the wall  (see below) 

The instructions then said that this issue could be resolved with flange extenders. However if I purchase those and leave it as it is above then the lever handle won’t attach to the spindle properly. 

So with this in mind I came up with some possible solutions so I thought I’d propose them here or see if anyone else had any ideas:

1. Use some nuts and/or washers to shorten the locknut to the desired length so that the sleeve sits flush with the end of said locknut and the flange is flush against the wall

2. I’m not sure if this is a possibility or the product even exists but use the spindle and flange extenders and then see if there’s a way to extend the inner part of the spindle so the lever handle can actually attach properly (however this seems impractical for our small shower space not to mention expensive to buy all those extra parts) 

3. Screw the sleeve in just enough so it’s flush with the end of the locknut (see below) However this means it will be quite loose which I didn’t think was a good thing 😅

Please let me know if any of these are good ideas or if anyone knows of a better solution I’d love to hear it 🙏

[EricL]

Hi @dweston04 

Thank you for sharing your question about the flange on your spindle. If you purchased the Kinetic 15mm PVC Spindle Bonnet Extender - 2 Pack it is possible to cut down the plastic bottom so that you can keep going lower on the spindle. This in turn will allow you to lower the flange piece that is too high.

In regards to adding washers to the locking nut, I don't recommend it as it will interfere with locking motion of the nut. 

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

[dweston04]

Ahhh yep - those were the ones I brought. Wasn’t sure if I could cut them down cos I thought the ridges down the bottom were there to help in detaching the sleeve from the bonnet but I’ll defs give it a go later What would you recommend in terms of the best way to cut it? Cheers and again thank you so much for all your help 🙏

[EricL]

Hello @dweston04 

A hack saw should be sufficient to cut the plastic. I also suggest sanding the rough edge once you've cut the plastic.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric