1/4 turn mixer taps, wrong orientation?

alinwales

Have put in replacement mixer tap in kitchen. All was going OK until I turned the water back on. I find that the taps in the 'pointing up' position was on (full flow) and having them horizontal was off.

(fyi, it's this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/FELICIA-Kitchen-Mixer-Tap-Chrome/dp/B003ZI0JXC)

Now, in order to make sure up is off, I have to remove the handles, turn them 90 degrees and put back on. OK fair enough. However, I now have to swivel the entire tap aroun 180 degrees, otherwise up is off, and on is 90 degrees backwards, and not forwards. It's a bit fiddly to think about if you ask me without having them to hand.

So I turn them around, but this means I get an unsightly hole in the central pillar where a grub screw is. I'm sure that this is supposed to be out of sight around the back (which it was before I noticed a problem!)

1. are taps serviceable in that I can turn/invert the ceramic mechanism?
2. Is the tap faulty by design (no other bad reviews, so would be just one of those things)?

Also, the cold water flow is very low, not much off a trickle. The hot water is absolutely fine. I fiddled with the connection to the main pipe and can confirm there is a good amount of pressure in the system (plus I fill up the central heating system to 1.5 bar from the cold supply). Perhaps a blockage? I mean to drain the water back out and swap H and C to confirm a blockage in the tap when I get a chance (wife not nagging me that she needs a shower).
thanks

keystone

Try swapping the cartridges over - hot to cold and vv.

Cheers

alinwales

Hi. thanks. Can I confirm that you mean the mechanism inside the taps. I must confess I didn't pay much attention as to whether they could be removed or not.

edit: don't worry, I've found a video on Youtube

keystone

Yes. Remove the lever and you'll see that they are screwed into the tap body. Keep the levers on the same side as they are now. Hot on left and cold on right - right?

Cheers

alinwales

it would be hot on the left if it wasn't for the whole body being 180 degrees out. We're not bothered about which way around they are... the two sets of taps in the bathroom are different ways around!
Thanks... not doing it tonight, will finish the post when I'm done!

DVardysShadow

I think the grub screw, although unsightly, might be intended for the front, particularly if it needs tightening - because you probably don't have the space between the tap and the splashback.

southcoastrgi

DVardysShadow wrote: »

I think the grub screw, although unsightly, might be intended for the front, particularly if it needs tightening - because you probably don't have the space between the tap and the splashback.

no not normally the screw goes at the back as the OP said

keystone

southcoastrgi wrote: »

no not normally the screw goes at the back as the OP said

not only that in most cases its dealt with with an allen key which isn't space restricted between the tap and the tiles. But on the other hand DVS may be onto something. Perhaps this one is designed so that when installed the grub screw is supposed to be to the front. Who knows - don't have the paperwork for it! Agreed not at all normal as you said but not beyond the bounds of possibility.

Cheers

DVardysShadow

keystone wrote: »

not only that in most cases its dealt with with an allen key which isn't space restricted between the tap and the tiles. But on the other hand DVS may be onto something. Perhaps this one is designed so that when installed the grub screw is supposed to be to the front. Who knows - don't have the paperwork for it! Agreed not at all normal as you said but not beyond the bounds of possibility.

Cheers

I would agree a hex socket grub screw will probably be fine at the back with just enough room to get an allen key in. But a slotted grub screw will present a problem.

alinwales

Yeah, it's a hex socket. Would prefer it at the back, I can't see it on the Amazon photo.
I was in b&q yesterday, same tap for £180!

alinwales

Righto, a modicum of success.

I swapped the cartridges over (which works to get the centre pillar grub screw around the back), and as a first try to get to the bottom of the water flow situation, I kept the pipes the same way around, thus was able to get good flow from the cold, and not much from the hot.
I then swapped the pipes back again (the missus prefers decent hot water), and ensured that the all colour codings were correct (assuming that they were right, it was just the cartridges that were wrong).

Hey presto, I get good flow from both sides now. How strange. It may have been a blockage that has freed itself, I don't know.

The only 'problem' that remains is that the H and C taps only fit on their respective cartridge (i.e. the wrong ones), so I can't swap them over (slight size difference on the stubby bit?)! I may play with swapping the inputs over again... or I might just leave it (the markings on the sides of the taps are just lightly etched, you can hardly see them anyways!).