Silicone on bath waste and overflow?

[Katie_Jennings]

I am giving my friend a hand installing a new bath waste, overflow banjo thingy and trap. The old waste and trap had started to leak quite badly – all of the joints had been bunged up with Plumber’s Mait which seems to be frowned upon on this site (understandably). We have got some clear silicone stuff but should we use this on all of the washers (the one above the bath and below) as well as on the banjo bit? The bath is steel, by the way.

Thanks a lot for any suggestions.

 

[big-all]

hhheeelllooo Katie_Jennings

you shouldnt need anything the joints should be 100%watertight
if its not somthings wrong like washer missing or displaced ,cross threaded ,porcelan uneven

the main waste should be watertight by hand [if its too stiff it could be cross threaded]

ptfe tape does a good job

 

[Paul Barker]

A lot of baths have got poor shape to interface with the rubber washer of the waste so you have to suplement it. Since we are on waste it is not a crime to use hemp and boss white, this is a certain cure. If you don't like that, dry it all, meths clean it, assemble just so with silicone and go away and leave it overnight. Nip it up a touch next day.

You see the problem with slippy things like silicone is if you mix it with rubber the rubber slips out and you are worse off, so you have to do it upo just so and then leave it until the silicone is proper hard.

 

[Katie_Jennings]

Okay, All, thanksalot. Just to be clear, though, do we not even need to put any silicone around the top plastic washer (the one that sits under the grate)?

 

[Nige F]

Well, I`d put it all over but not loads.....and leave it to go off before removing where it`s seen.ie. inside bath.

 

[ChrisR]

around the top plastic washer (the one that sits under the grate)?

Those bits never seem to fit into metal baths, so they end up squiffy. Silicone is the only stuff I've had hold them, but it'll be thick so it'll take overnight to cure.
As Paul says, if you do it up tight , you come back and it's moved. If that joint leaks, the bath will slowly empty, but only down the drain.

 

[Katie_Jennings]

A lot of baths have got poor shape to interface with the rubber washer of the waste so you have to suplement it.

You see the problem with slippy things like silicone is if you mix it with rubber the rubber slips out and you are worse off, so you have to do it upo just so and then leave it until the silicone is proper hard.

Sorry, Paul (and Nige), I should have said that the washers provided with the waste are plastic, not rubber. So the silicone should do the trick in this case?

 

[ChrisR]

The plastic ones slip too, while the silicone is wet.

 

[Katie_Jennings]

So when the silicone has dried then the whole thing will become more fixed in place?

 

[Agile]

I have to disagree with Paul. It IS a crime to use Boss White with plastic fittings as it can cause them to deteriorate.

Although you SHOULD not need any jointing compound with fittings, as Paul says, many baths have poorly finished waste holes and sometimes do need a little compound.

Whilst compound is not needed quite a lot of professionals do use some silicone on waste joints. I view this as unprofessional but I also agree that it does reduce the likelyhood of a leak.

Tony

 

[Gasguru]

And you may need to get a bigger poly washer for the overflow on the side of the bath - use plenty of silicon to "glue" it in place - the overflow hole is always way too big ffor some reason.

big-all do you ever go back to see your own work? - bet its leaking

 

[Katie_Jennings]

Thanks for the advice guys. In the end we did it using silicone and have left it overnight to cure as advised. My friend will test it in the morning.

In the process I went down to the Plumber’s merchants to buy the trap and received a bit of an interrogation from the guy (old) in the shop. He reckoned it was plumbing heresy not to be using Plumber’s Mait – actually I bought some just to shut him up. Her pursued this line when processing the bill saying everything on the market in plumbing was complete **** and everything had deteriorated since about 1970. Thought of asking him if he had any lead traps but thought better of it.

Thanks again guys, I will let you know how turns out.

Katie.

 

[Nige F]

Thanks for the advice guys. In the end we did it using silicone and have left it overnight to cure as advised. My friend will test it in the morning.

In the process I went down to the Plumber’s merchants to buy the trap and received a bit of an interrogation from the guy (old) in the shop. He reckoned it was plumbing heresy not to be using Plumber’s Mait – actually I bought some just to shut him up. Her pursued this line when processing the bill saying everything on the market in plumbing was complete s**t and everything had deteriorated since about 1970. Thought of asking him if he had any lead traps but thought better of it.

Thanks again guys, I will let you know how turns out.

Katie.

It has since 1980 actually including the wages The roofers do the lead.the plastic fascia boys do the gutters ....the Corgis do the gas ...and prats like me are left answering questions on the net Pass the Luger

 

[Katie_Jennings]

Well I hope things pick up soon, Nige.

B*gg*r. The waste, the overflow banjo thingy and trap were all fine but it seems that water is dripping from the plastic nut that tightens the whole thing. I thought we siliconed that as well but apparently not. Liz, my mate, has taken the whole lot apart and cleaned it up and re-siliconed the lot. Just have to wait until tomorrow morning now. Not a good time to be without a shower/bath.

 

[Paul Barker]

Well Katie the hemp would have sorted that for you first attempt, silicone though good is not as good as the old ways. You can buy a good paste at Plumb Centre called Jet Blue which is safe on potable water and on gas. Unlike the purely potable water pastes which took over from boss white it is easy to apply and does remain where you put it. I can't imagine it eats plastic like Agile says boss white does (whose' view I respect). For sure Hemp and Jet Blue would kill your leak dead!