How to fix leaking tap - but not leaking from the usual place!

[milleniumaire]

Around 4 years ago I installed a Swirl Magellan Bath Shower Mixer Tap onto a bath. This tap looks something similar to the following in terms of the design:

Separate hot and cold taps, with pull up to divert water to the shower head. The underneath of the tap and the tap heads actually look like this (which doesn't show the mixer version):

So, the connections fit down two holes cut in the bath. Between the tap and the bath is a white foam gasket, which covers the complete underside of the tap. Where the black plastic nuts fit, there is a flimsy plastic washer.

The supply pipes and waste are all water tight, however, when the shower attachment is turned on, any water running onto and around the tap is somehow leaking out between the white foam gasket and the black plastic nuts and dripping underneath the bath. I'm not sure how long this has been happening, but it definitely didn't happen when the tap was first installed. The black plastic nuts are more than finger tight and I had to loosen them using a spanner, so it's not as though the tap has come loose!

What is the best way to prevent this leak of water under the tap fitting and through the holes in the bath?

 

[centralheatking]

The foam gasket might have become too compressed. I usually run a bead of clear or white sillycon
under the tap base, tighten up and wipe any excess away. centralheatking

 

[milleniumaire]

The foam gasket might have become too compressed. I usually run a bead of clear or white sillycon
under the tap base, tighten up and wipe any excess away. centralheatking

Thanks for the suggestion. Would you remove the gasket completely? I guess so as it isn't doing its job any more. Also, would it be better to run the silicon just around the bath holes or around the edge of the tap base, or possibly both (maybe overkill).

 

[centralheatking]

Thanks for the suggestion. Would you remove the gasket completely? I guess so as it isn't doing its job any more. Also, would it be better to run the silicon just around the bath holes or around the edge of the tap base, or possibly both (maybe overkill).

Foam gaskets are rubbish and do not last...yes as you guessed remove. Sillycon Under Edge of tap body as water is naughty and will track down thro the holes in the bath apron down the pipes and pop up somewhere silly. do not undo the tap connectors just the plastic usually nuts that secure the deck mixer to the bath...and dont bother about too tight afterwards ...deck mixers are ace as they will not
swivel. centralheatking