Kitchen mixer leaking from neck

[armyash]

Hi

Went to a kitchen mixer this week, leaking from the neck (where it inserts in to the tap body) It only leaks when the taps are used. It's the type where there is a 'cap' that tightens to the tap body.

I am certain this would be down to an o ring, there was also a bit of movement on the neck probably due to wear and tear.

Customer thinks it's a dodgy tap valve/washer on the valve.

The only time i have seen this a new o ring has been the solution but sometimes there has been too much wear and tear for this to fix it.

Customer got shirty and asked me to leave and said he would get a proper plumber. I didn't get a chance to attempt the repair and he has asked for a second opinion from another engineer.

What would you say the fault is?



Not these exact taps but you get the jist.

 

[armyash]

Not the sort with a screw in the back but the ones you can twist and pull out.

 

[SimonG]

Split or worn o rings at the base of the neck. I carry a box with assorted o rings to fix this sort of thing. New o ring, smear of silicone grease and as good as new.

 

[Chalked]

Very common problem caused by poor design. There is too much leverage on the spouts, which wears the o ring or the tap body.
I gave tw boxes of various o rings and as yet have never found one that fits a y tap spout. If the o ring is not split, sometimes packing with grease will sort it shot term , but it will leak again.

 

[plumben]

Hi

Went to a kitchen mixer this week, leaking from the neck (where it inserts in to the tap body) It only leaks when the taps are used. It's the type where there is a 'cap' that tightens to the tap body.

I am certain this would be down to an o ring, there was also a bit of movement on the neck probably due to wear and tear.

Customer thinks it's a dodgy tap valve/washer on the valve.

The only time i have seen this a new o ring has been the solution but sometimes there has been too much wear and tear for this to fix it.

Customer got shirty and asked me to leave and said he would get a proper plumber. I didn't get a chance to attempt the repair and he has asked for a second opinion from another engineer.

What would you say the fault is?

View attachment 22647

Not these exact taps but you get the jist.

I'd vote for your diagnosis to be correct, that's what id go with anyway
Just ignore the customer, sounds like the type that knows it all and could do the job...

 

[gassafe]

Yeah there's normally 2 o rings... If I go to a kitchen tap that keeps working loose I lube the o rings as the leverage loosens the tap body!

I too have a big box of o rings but they never fit some ptfe round the o ring & or silicone grease might improve it for awhile :/

Should have unscrewed it as it's a quick enough job!

 

[armyash]

That's good enough for me. I knew I was right, bloke was rude, an absolute fool.

I messaged the office today and said make a note on the system for whoever goes back that's it's an o ring/seal issue not a tap valve.

"I used to manage 50 blokes you know"

 

[armyash]

Split or worn o rings at the base of the neck. I carry a box with assorted o rings to fix this sort of thing. New o ring, smear of silicone grease and as good as new.

Yeah, i immediately told him that's what it needed but he was too full of his own self importance.

I hope that it can't be replaced and he needs new taps.

His wife even apologised to me on the way out and said thanks for being understanding.

 

[stani]

Should have told him you used to be a trained killer, now do one. Lol

 

[armyash]

Should have told him you used to be a trained killer, now do one. Lol

:63:

 

[Fallon1982]

Easy fix mate. They have a white plastic o ring under the screw down cap - wrap some ptfe around it, bit of grease and job done!

 

[gassafe]

I want a job at dyno rod if its just leaking tap o rings all day

 

[Best]

I think the problem with the tap is the customer is probably an idiot.
But he might though have some illness or stress issues, so don't jump to conclusions as some people can't help themselves.
I would have just taken the neck out and had a look at it straight away.
Do be careful with some of those necks on mixer taps that are held in place with a nut. I find they are usually a light neck and will jam in the body and can snap if you twist them. The bottom O ring gets jammed in the gap in the body above it, therefore the neck can only move up a fraction.
If O ring is nowhere near size you have in van, but still reasonable condition, then a turn or two of ptfe into groove & put O ring on again, or smaller new one & silicone grease it. Do not use too heavy a O ring as they swell later & neck won't turn.

 

[WaterTight]

trouble is usually the o-rings you get in boxes of o-rings are too thick i find. must be somewhere that does an assortment of thinner ones.

 

[plumben]

trouble is usually the o-rings you get in boxes of o-rings are too thick i find. must be somewhere that does an assortment of thinner ones.

Ive found that with a lot of o rings when your trying to find a match

 

[Best]

I find the O rings in the kits are mostly too thick and that's imperial or metric boxes. But still worth having them for the odd job they fit

 

[WaterTight]

could it be tap manufacturers deliberately use unusually thin ones so that you have to pay £5 + P+P for a service kit consisting of a couple of o-rings, a plastic clip and a satchet of grease?

 

[Best]

I was at a job to install two O rings that the customer had ordered from the agent of the mono sink mixer. Cost was £10 for the two identical sized O rings!
Irony was when I went to fit them, I checked my brand new box of assorted O rings which all only cost exactly £10 and found in the box were plenty of same size!

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

That's good enough for me. I knew I was right, bloke was rude, an absolute fool.

I messaged the office today and said make a note on the system for whoever goes back that's it's an o ring/seal issue not a tap valve.

"I used to manage 50 blokes you know"

i eat them for dinner,can make him look like a small man,dont let it get to you,you will learn to be perceptive of people

 

[Best]

i eat them for dinner,can make him look like a small man,dont let it get to you,you will learn to be perceptive of people

I agree, - hit back at rude people straight away with a response. No need to be very abusive or use foul language unless the customer does. I have learnt this, but was too polite for years.
Best thing is to challenge the customer by asking them a question - such as in this case -
" Explain to me what you think is wrong and how you manage to come to that idea? "
They usually dig themselves into a hole and get defensive.
One job I regretted being too polite was a Warmflow condensing boiler broken down at only 18 months. I went immediately to it (I hadn't installed it). Turned out I knew the lady as I had went to same school as her son who was a mate & her daughter.
She boasted about her daughter having a great home & I said I knew the houses well & they certainly are posh.
It was a broken RDB oil pump, which were failing at the time everywhere. I told her they were terrible & breaking. I charged her nothing really (£90) for the work & fitted new oil pump, nozzle & serviced the boiler. So big favour for her. When I next saw her she said her daughter asked why I had replaced the oil pump since I said they were trouble & said her daughter said she wouldn't have let me fit another of these. She said her daughter was suspicious of people and thinks everyone is on the make.
I regret what I should have replied was this - " How come your daughter lives in a posh house? How did she get the money for it? Could you ask her, is she on the make?" :smile:
I also was trying to fix an old syphonic toilet for a new customer and she argued that it was original, then later remembered it wasn't. Proper new Airex wouldn't fit the non original syphon. She later got a universal Airex, but it wouldn't have fitted. She asked me why I didn't fit it and before I could fully explain she repeatedly insisted I should have fitted it. I said I know my job. That knocked her back, but then she said the guy at merchants knows his job & says it will definitely fit. I then said - tell him to come here and fit it then! She was beaten by that one and frankly I was right to not let her walk over me. :smile:

 

[Plumbstar Tom]

The fact he thinks it is the valves clearly shows he doesn't understand the basic workings of a tap.

 

[armyash]

I am far too polite and take too much. I'm the guy who snaps one day and lets everyone have it

The thing is, the work we do is all this insurance cover stuff and taps are not covered. If it's the case of changing a washer then we will do it. Kitchen mixers (such as this) are not covered at all. I explained this to him and he was trying to make me look stupid saying he would get a proper plumber in.

Ceramic cartridges are not covered, he kept saying they might not be ceramic. I said maybe so but it is a kitchen mixer so it's not covered regardless. He didn't like it and kept bleating on about the tap valves. I told him what the problem was but he wouldn't have it.

Unfortunately I didn't get to go back but I cover his area and hopefully I will go back one day. I will know what to expect, chances are some repaired the tap with ptfe or new o ring and when he tells me that, i will happily stand and tell him that i'm happy for him but that i was happy to do the same as i explained before the valve had nothing to do with it.