How to remove this tap?

[Ted777]

Sorry for late reply, mother in law for tea on Sundays. . Well it looks like you have got sound advice needed, hope you get it sorted.

 

[AndyJ88]

Hi guys,

Apologies for reviving this thread. Managed to get the centre tap head off this weekend, however I am now stuck with another problem. The hexagonal nut (32mm) is sunken into the tap hence I cannot use a wrench to undo it. Any ideas what sort of tool I would need to get this off?

 

[Burnerman]

It looks like you need a box spanner or deep drive socket.....the former will have thinner walls.
John

 

[AndyJ88]

Thanks mate. Would you know if from what you can see I'd just need to replace the washer or the entire thing?

 

[Burnerman]

If its just the shower head that's dripping Andy, surely that is controlled by the hot and cold taps? If they cant pass any water, the head can't drip.
Does the shower head drip when you are running the bath though? If it does I guess it needs a new cartridge. Do you know the make of it?
John

 

[AndyJ88]

Hi Burnerman,

This trick here is that the outside taps do not control or influence the shower at all?

 

[Burnerman]

Oh hell...confused.com here!
So - to run the bath, you turn both the hot and cold taps on, and the water flows through the filler spout.
How to you switch to the shower?
John

 

[AndyJ88]

It's not possible to switch to the shower! The centre tap turns the shower water on and off! The outside taps control the bath. It's possible to run both at the same time!

 

[Madrab]

Cant figure how one tap can control the flow and the temp. Do you turn the 2 outside taps on then twist the centre tap anticlockwise and it then sends the water to the shower head, the more anticlockwise the hotter it gets? It would make sense that the centre tap head would come off the same way as the other two, if not is there maybe a grub screw on the tap spindle?

The centre tap controls flow and temperature. The side taps don't have an influence on the shower. You can turn the shower and bath on at the same time if you turn centre and outside taps. I've searched everywhere for a grub screw but I can't find one anywhere! The outside ones don't have a grub it's the stem that unscrews but on the centre tap I can't unscrew the stem?

So the centre tap controls the flow and there must be a thermostat element to the tap which will adjust those flows, therefore keeping the temp as dictated by the tap, it's not a common design.

As @Burnerman mentions a tap backnut box spanner would usually be 32mm ended, try one of them.

 

[AndyJ88]

I'll keep you guys updated once I manage to get my hands on a box spanner!

 

[Burnerman]

A bizarre idea, this one.....it sure must be one hell of a casting for the water to bypass the hot and cold valves - unless there's some trick pipework underneath! Never seen the likes of this before.
Not intending to be a pessimist Andy but it may need a new set of taps at the end of the day....
John

 

[Ted777]

It reminds of the kind of set up you see if foreign hotels.

 

[AndyJ88]

The saga continues...

I ordered a new box spanner and managed to (albeit the box spanner being too big), using the coin trick, undo the nut. Underneath the nut there is a cartridge, see below.

I took the cartridge to Plumbase and although they could not identify it, Plumbase told me I need a new cartridge. Looks very similar to https://www.showerdoc.com/sirrus-1503-series-thermostatic-cartridge-assembly-skbq1503-973c however they are kindly going to investigate!

 

[Madrab]

hope you remember how that all came out

It'll be that bottom rod piece that controls the water flow with the thermostat being higher up, it'll be the lower piece that needs serviced/replaced if it was a drip you were getting but it may come as a complete set.

 

[Ted777]

I was just about to say the same thing madrab. Hopefully that's the part you need I'm shocked by the price though it's no wonder taps are becoming throw away and replace.