Help tightening mixer tap in kitchen

[Missjoe]

Hi,

i needed to replace my mixer tap in the kitchen.

i have fitted it (kind of!)but can't get it tightened up.

I tried to fit to bolt first then the flexi hoses - the tap is nice and tight but the flexi hoses won't screw on. Then I tried to loosen the bolt and attach the flexi hoses. So the hoses are attached but they are all so close to each other that I cannot get a spanner or even a specific monobloc spanner up to tighten the nut!

Any ideas???

 

[plumben]

If you cut a hole in a piece of wood same size as the whole in the sink, use that as a packer so the bolt is lower down where theres more room on the flexi to get a monoblock spanner on

 

[townfanjon]

Congrats for getting this far joe , it isnt an easy job, if you cant get a spanner on them ...... I had better be careful here lol. You need to get a firm grip and the best way i can describe it is get the hose hard without bending it lol . Then turn it as far clockwise as poss. 9 times out of 10 it will be tight enough. Just have a good luck when you turn the water back on and check for any leaks . These hoses are often overtightened when you use a spanner

 

[townfanjon]

^ i may have misread, i was more thinking hoses

 

[Missjoe]

^ i may have misread, i was more thinking hoses

Not sure what you mean.

The tops of the flexi pipes and the bolt I need to turn are so close together I can't get the mono bloc spanner up far enough.

A spacer or something might work but where could I get one??

 

[Ch4 plumbing]

You need a set of these.
The braided hoses going into the tap should just be hand tight, any tighter and you risk snapping them inside the tap.

 

[Missjoe]

I got a set of these yesterday thinking they were the solution! but can't get them onto the brass bolt because the flexi hose pipes are so close

 

[SJB]

Any chance you've got the nut on upside down?

 

[kris]

Hi there missjoe, is the tap from liddle or aldi by any chance because I've came accross this problem quite a few times when my customers have bought taps from these places and the way the tap is designed the nut always hits the top of the flexis, this can help keep nut away,

 

[Missjoe]

Just checked its the same size all the way but thanks for the suggestion

 

[Missjoe]

The tap is a relay make from my local plumbers providers

 

[Ch4 plumbing]

Get under the sink in the unit, face up, pull the flexi hoses away from you and push the hex spanner onto the nut do this before connecting the hoses up to the pipes.

 

[Missjoe]

Ch4 plumbing - flexis won't budge :-( can't get the hex on

 

[Ch4 plumbing]

Okay sometimes that happens when the tap is to far forward in the hole? Can you undo the nut a bit with you hand then wiggle the whole tap around to get the spanner on then remove after?

 

[Missjoe]

Okay sometimes that happens when the tap is to far forward in the hole? Can you undo the nut a bit with you hand then wiggle the whole tap around to get the spanner on then remove after?

Ch4 plumbing - loosened up not and got hex on but it will only retighem so far

 

[Ch4 plumbing]

I'm at the end then without having a look, sorry but never had this much of a problem.

 

[Missjoe]

I'm at the end then without having a look, sorry but never had this much of a problem.

Thanks for your help.

Could i I get a longer bolt? Is there a specific nAme?

 

[smallbore]

The more recent Franke monoblock and Triflow taps came with a threaded brass tube with a nut brazed on one end...in effect a long nut. It screws on to the threaded rod that fits into the monobloc. It's about 5cm long so it's easy to spin on with fingers and to tighten with a spanner.
I haven't seen them except in Franke tap kits but then I haven't had to look! You'll also need to find if they have the same thread as your monobloc but it could be what you need.
Good luck