Plumbing and Building Queries????? S.A.

[celeste]

Hi Bricks

Me again, how are you, good I hope. Anyway serious question -

I know how to fix / replace the taps inside the house. But, what do I do to fix the outside taps that are leaking from the top of the casing at the base of the handle? Notice I didn't say thingy or oozy what!

Oh they only leak when the tap is on.

Celeste

[bricks]

If its a cheep tap- you can't fix it just replace it.

Good taps ( still only $20 max)- if its badly rusted then replace
if in good condition;

turn of the water,

unscrew the top half of the tap

hold the top half and turn the tap as though your turning it fully off ( clockwise), eventually you should see a little black O-Ring around the shaft as it screws out.
Pull this off and replace it with the same size ( I think it's a 5/8 O-Ring ) but take it to the local hardware store and match it with a new one.

change the washer while your there.

Put some thread tape around the thread on the top half and screw it back in.

P.S.
-I never change these O-rings for one reason, It's cheaper and easier for me to replace the whole tap.

- when you screw a new top half in, turn the tap as tho your opening it a little so that the new washer isn't damaged as you tighten it up.

[celeste]

Hi Bricks

Thanks for that.

Celeste

[celeste]

Hi Bricks

I have another Q. I may have made a boo boo.

Ok, bathroom had a bath & shower on one side, that whole side of the bathroom was sunk 50-60mm. therefore giving you a shower base of 50mm tiled and the bath low.

I took out the bath and put a new one at the end of the room, took out the shower screen. (and I chickened out using the brick, made a wooden frame for the bath)

Now, I had a sunken section where the new vanity and shower is to go.
I decided to extend the shower waste and fill the whole thing up with cement (cement slab floor) as it was easier than trying to work out the exact measurements for the vanity and allow me to put in a 600mm. I did it yesturday - man mixing 120kg of cement by hand is hard work!! Note I have made a slope to the shower waste.


I was speaking to girl friend re above last night, when something dawned on me.

I planned to have a new screen made to just sit on the floor, is this LEGAL or do I need to have some sort of base?

[bricks]

quick reply: I can't say, it depends on where you live.

Practical answer. No matter where you live It's a good idea to have drainage from the floor area outside your shower. I do not know of anywhere that specifically states you must have separate floorwates for outside ( this doesn't mean it's not true where you live).

Not having drainage to the main floor of your bathroom ( where you drip all over when you get out) is not a good idea.

Having a compleately flat floor is how we do disabled and elderly showers here in S.A also some high rise apartments aswell I have seen done that way, As far as I know it's not illegal anywhere.

Just make sure that water can travel into your shower recess and down the floor waste. maybe have the shower built with a 5mm gap under the door or made with weep holes in the frame. Ive see both of those plenty of times.

[celeste]

Hi Bricks

Thanks for that, I ended up ring a plumber to get advice - apparently all is OK and he said the same as you, to have some sort of access into the shower for the outside water.

Curiously, we built a new house 04 and the ensuite is open to the bedroom (I have a couple of chest high glass block walls at the entrance - added later) the tiler has a row of 1/2 tiles at the entrance that have been kicked up ? He also did this in the shower (the water does not run off propertly pools in the corners rrrrr!) and the powder room??

Is this a new trend or did he muck up the levels?

I am floating 19mm bamboo down the hall, this will leave me with a drop of 9-10mm into the bathroom, so I plan on laying the last 2 rows of floor tiles at the doorl after the bamboo is layed and then lay them kicking them up to match the bamboo.

Does that sound OK?? I know your not a tiler, but I expect you see what tricks they use.

celeste

[bricks]

Usually I see a peice of tapered marble or hardwood put in the doorway outside the bathroom.
But if you already have the tiles up maybe get some epoxy or nonshrick grout and just add to the falls already there youll need to scabble the concrete to get a good bond but it will feel like a better job to walk on.

[Ashore]

turn of the water,

unscrew the top half of the tap.

Before you do this turn the tap to fully open to take the valve off the seat

hold the top half and turn the tap as though your turning it fully off ( clockwise), eventually you should see a little black O-Ring around the shaft as it screws out.
Pull this off and replace it with the same size ( I think it's a 5/8 O-Ring ) but take it to the local hardware store and match it with a new one.

change the washer while your there.

Put some thread tape around the thread on the top half and screw it back in..

Do not put thread tape on the thread as it is a parallel thread and sealed by the washer , only ever use thread tape on a tapered thread .

- when you screw a new top half in, turn the tap as tho your opening it a little so that the new washer isn't damaged as you tighten it up.

open the tap fully as a little may not clear the seat, (better safe than sorry) and then you are sure you are tighterning down on the washer and not the seat

Rgds