How to replace worn seat in sink taps?

[Krusty]

G,day spanner turners my bathroom taps have been over reamed and I can’t seem to explain to Bunnings staff the name of needed part,spindle and washers are all fine it’s the seat inside the tap that’s worn,have tried replacement sleeves these don’t work in this instance,please help kids are sick of brushing their teeth in the kitchen,cheers Krusty.

[Krusty]

Mitchell this is photo from under sink 

[Jason]

Thanks for the photos @Krusty.

@MitchellMc will be back on the site on Friday and happy to help.

Jason

[MitchellMc]

Hi @Krusty,

I'm all for D.I.Y., but if this were my sink, I'd be calling a plumber and getting a quote on repair. The limited space and the way the copper pipe has been bent makes this job quite difficult. This is also considered mains plumbing and should be left to a plumber as it is not a cosmetic D.I.Y. like changing taps.

You could most likely use a Brassheads WELS 3 Star Forward Bowl Sink Set With 165mm Spout, but it will need to be bent to suit. You might also like to check-out the costing of a budget-friendly vanity and sink mixer.

Mitchell

[Krusty]

Cheers Mitchell,would it be possible to keep existing plumbing and replace only the tap bottoms (where tap washer seats)these seem to unbolt,if so what would these be called on their own,Thinking through Krusty.

[MitchellMc]

I might need to phone a friend on that one @Krusty; I've already looked for that for you and can't seem to locate them.

Mitchell

[MitchellMc]

@redracer01, would you have seen an individual breech seat without the connecting pipe, preferably with compression fittings on it?

Mitchell

[redracer01]

Hello @MitchellMc , Hello @Krusty 

I'm sorry Mitch but I'm afraid we don't have this particular type of breech. Looking at the assembly this could have been possibly have been hand built. The breech plus compression fittings soldered together to form this particular set up. You'll notice that the body of the breech has no basin levelling adjustment that would allow you to retro fit it into any type of basin. In these situations I would suggest to get a generic basin set such as the Estilo basin tap set. It provides you with everything you might possibly need to fix this without having to solder anything. This would be a moderate to difficult fix as it is in a very tight area of the vanity. But by preparing the parts and equipment needed it should be possible to fix this. The Estilo basin tap set has a modern breech body that is height adjustable. It comes with compression fittings already attached, bending the copper "T" would not be necessary with the new set as it is adjustable enough to accommodate a straight join.

If you do proceed with the fix I suggest putting in shut off valves to the hot and cold line to allow you to turn it off independently of the whole house. My other suggestion is to use flexi hoses to link the shut off valve to the new breech. There are many videos online showing how to update your old breech set with new modern ones. If you were to asses the amount of work you are about to do to replace just one of the breech's, it would be practical to just put new ones in on both sides.

Budget wise if you do decide to just replace the breach, it is still cheaper to buy the set. A general search for an individual breech has revealed a price point of 50 dollars. Where as the Estilo basin tap set has 2 breeches in it plus body cover and handle. It also has the copper "T" included for only 49 dollars. If you wish to disassemble the set to just use the breech's yes you can do it and it would still be more affordable than buying the breech by itself. I hope this has cleared up some of the possible solutions for you. I suggest planning a weekend where you can spend time planning how you will disassemble it and how you will re-install it.   Good luck and stay safe.

Cheers,

Red

Out of the box!

[MitchellMc]

Many thanks for checking on that for me @redracer01. At that price point, I wouldn't have expected the breech to be included with the basin set. That's a great solution and provides everything @Krusty needs, including new taps and a spout.

As always, I appreciate your assistance.

Mitchell

[Krusty]

Thanks Red this is what I’ve been looking for should have come to your shop,always appreciate good help,Krusty.

[MitchellMc]

@Krusty, we're currently investigating how we can clone @redracer01 and have him available in every Warehouse around Australia. In the meantime, we might just need to rely on his valuable assistance here.

Good luck with your project; keep us updated and let us know if you run into difficulties.

Mitchell