Leaky bath mixer via pull lever for tap / shower area

[Chri5]

Hello

Our 3 year old bath mixer has gone all leaky. It's leaking from the slide / pull mech for the tap & shower diverter.

I've taken it all apart and it appears to be missing something (which I assume has simply eroded).

Lets start with a picture of a similar tap set

The main spout body has a slide to switch the shower or tap flow.

The slide when disassembled is a brass shaft with a sealing washer and conical valve at the base ( to seal the water flow between shower or tap spout).

Above this is a spring that sits over the brass shaft, then there's a small metal washer and then the handle for the lever screws in the shaft at the top.

So what appears to be knackered is the absence of any form of seal between the washer and the lever. This allows the water to run out of the lever pull part of the tap body.

If anyone understands me, well done !!

And if so, what is used as a seal and where might I get one?

At the moment I have used some s/a tape wrapped round the pull shaft to create a seal. This means the bath can be filled, but there's no way I could seal it and then offer the Mrs the luxury off the pull working

 

[RigidRaider]

Phone the manufacturer or distributor and ask them to send you a couple of washers in the post.

 

[Chri5]

Difficult since I have no idea who made it and there's absolutely no markings on the body, shaft or anywhere else.

So what sort of washers act as a seal between the inner body and the pull lever ?

 

[Chri5]

So does anyone have any idea what seals the pull shaft arm from the water flow when in tap mode.

The lower seal and valve do work at sealing the water flow to either shower or tap. However when in tap mode the water comes up the shaft towards the tap exir and 'escapes' from the pull arm area.

As I mentioned when it was all taken apart there was no evidence of any seal remaining hence why I can't even guess at the washer / seal required to fix the problem.

Help. ta.

 

[Chri5]

I have NEVER not got an answer via DIYnot. So I will persist and hopefully a guru will respond.

Here's my basic drawing (my visio is knackered).

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• Chri5
• 26 Jun 2009
• 1

When the pull for the shower / tap is in shower mode it works fine. The seal above the pull valve seals the water from the tap spout exit and all is good.

When the pull is in the tap mode, water comes out the tap AND out the hole where the pull lever handle is.

There MUST be a seal that's gone awol, I suspect the seal has perished and should be located above the spring and washer on the pull mech body.

For a seal to work and allow movement of the pull upward and downward I'd 'imagine' it was a top hat type rubber washer with a hole in it for the pull mech shaft to have the necessary up / down movement.

I really don't want to have to spend £200+ replacing the unit if a £1 washer or seal will do the job.

Can anyone offer any help please.

 

[Chri5]

Bumped, as a last attempt

 

[dextrous]

Although I'm not sure I fully understand, it sounds as though there is an o-ring missing from the shaft you describe, which should sit between the top of the washer and the housing above it.

 

[fatplumber]

I am afraid that you are asking a lot. I cannot tell you from your
drawings exactly how your mixer is built. I assume that there would be an "O" ring seal between the water body and the surface but, unless I took the thing apart, I couldn't tell you where it would be. I'd have had to chuck out three or four high ticket taps over the last few months. They were all only a few years old. They are lovely and heavy for the tot box but the seals etc. are really poor quality and design. Nice looking pieces of carp really.

 

[dextrous]

On the other hand, it seems fair to say that no water should be getting beyond the seal that lies on top of the valve in your drawing, anyway. So this looks as though it has failed through usage, which I assume (er guess!) moves up and down (or rotates - not quite sure which one) inside the brass casing as the lever is operated, and it is this sliding action that has worn it away. If you can get a replacement from somewhere, it sounds like it's going to be a recurring problem during the life of the tap, so get a few!

 

[Chri5]

Update.

The HR logo on the taps was Hudson and Reed.

I have to offer praise to the CS dept who immediately responded to my enquiry with an offer of a full mixer body replacement.
I must own up and tell you all that I had given up and didn't actually see the last few informative (and correct) posts before today.

Here's a picture of the old and failed body

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• Chri5
• 15 Jul 2009
• 1

The mixer shaft is on the LHS having been removed. As you can see in the next picture with the shaft spring pulled back, the shaft has an indent which should house a rubber ring seal.

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• Chri5
• 15 Jul 2009
• 1

So the shaft should have a spring, then a washer and finely the rubber ring seal.

I'd imagine a seal costs less than 1p to make and less than 50p to buy at the right "old world" plumbers merchant.

For any that doesn't understand the importance of the seal, the picture below is taken looking up inside the main mixer body.

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• Chri5
• 15 Jul 2009
• 1

The outer holes contain the water flow to the spout and the centre hole the shaft, spring, washer to operate the mixer.

So for the sake of a very modest outlay, should similar happen to you you can save £330 and spend 50p on a rubber band