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How are these tap heads removed/maintained?

tristan_h
Just Starting Out

How are these tap heads removed/maintained?

Our kitchen sink has a tap head with a switch to change from flow to spray settings. The switch has developed a bit of play in it recently.

 

I thought I'd open up the tap head to see if it's easy enough to tighten something from the inside.

 

But I can't get it open. I've removed what appears to be a grub screw above the switch but nothing comes loose or can be twisted.

 

I've tried applying a little pressure using the screw hole by using a small Allen key for leverage and still nothing wants to move.

 

How do I get this tap head open?

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Akanksha
Retired Team Member
Retired Team Member

Re: How are these tap heads removed/maintained?

A huge welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, @tristan_h. It's a pleasure to have you join us and I trust our helpful members will be able to provide lots of handy advice and inspiration for all your projects around the home and garden.

 

Thanks for your question. Our resident Bunnings D.I.Y. expert @MitchellMc will be happy to provide some advice on removing those tap heads as soon as he can. Let me also call upon our experienced members @DIYGnome@Noyade and @Tyro for their thoughts.

 

Thanks for your patience in the meantime.

 

Akanksha

 

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MitchellMc
Bunnings Team Member
Bunnings Team Member

Re: How are these tap heads removed/maintained?

Hi @tristan_h,

 

Do you happen to know the brand of tap? I'm sorry, but I am unfamiliar with this design, whether there are any serviceable parts inside, and how to access them. 

 

Now that you've removed the grub screw, can you push the switch in fully so that the bottom section can be pulled off? I'd imagine the switch is what is preventing it from being removed.

 

Mitchell

 

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Re: How are these tap heads removed/maintained?

Thanks @MitchellMc it's possibly IKEA (going off the cabinetry) but I couldn't find a similar model on their website, and cannot find details of anything they might have discontinued.

 

The switch for the modes goes up and down - it also comes out.

 

There is a tiny amount of movement at the join above the grub screw spot, well less than 1mm.

 

It looks like the tap head has a spring under the switch, which probably explains the play it's got as the spring is, or has, lost its springy-ness.

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Re: How are these tap heads removed/maintained?

That's a bit of a mystery, @tristan_h. I'd say that the lower section either pulls or unscrews off. Perhaps it is a bit gummed up and frozen in place. You could spray some WD-40 on it to see if it loosens it up.

 

Mitchell

 

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