Fault in 'waterfall' style bathroom tap. Water goes everywhere.

red_imps_2003

Our bathroom features 'waterfall' style taps and the one in the sink is developing a fault. Instead of flowing out smoothly and falling nicely into the sink, there is some kind of turbulence as it exits the tap and consequently it is becoming increasingly difficult to turn it on without getting soaked. The jet of water exits more horizontally and sometimes even a little upwards. Looking in he gap the water comes out of there appears to be a gauze of some sort at the back and I suspect this is becoming obstructed in places with limescale. I would like to remove this to check it out but I'm fearful of breaking something resulting in a costly repair. Can anybody advise please? I have tried Googling it multiple times but I don't even know what this gauze is called. Any suggestions appreciated. It is hampering my boy's toilet training as he risks getting soaked in potentially very hot water.

Image:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7c2LWtxcTqKM1YtelljRmF2VmM/view?usp=sharing

phill99

We fit these quite often now and I always tell customers that the limescale will cause them problems.


Awful taps. Sorry.

red_imps_2003

Thank you. We inherited the taps when we bought the house last year. Is the best option to replace them, do you think?

Doozergirl

Yes. I won't specifiy that kind of tap for people because of limescale either!

Was the bathroom done just before you moved in?

A lot of those taps are quite cheap and the labour to pull them apart and subsequently fail again will be more than replacing them with something decent where you have the guarantee.

Are you friendly with the previous owners? It might be worth checking if they are of quality and come with a proper guarantee, but I wouldn't hold breathe.

red_imps_2003

Aye. We didn't specifically ask them but I do get the impression it was new just before it went on the market. Probably less than a year old even now.

PasturesNew

Get some viakal and a small sandwich bag/freezer bag, the cheap ones.

Squirt a bit of viakal into one corner of the bag (2-3 squirts is enough), then slide it over the tap - it'll stick to the tap as the plastic inside of the bag's wet enough to just do that. Just hold that corner/puddle against the nozzle, it'll grab/stay.

Make sure the the viakal puddle in the bag is over the end of the nozzle area, where it seems to you to be most appropriate .... it'll be easy to do because the bag will be clinging everywhere round the tap/nozzle .... leave it overnight. Remove in the morning.

Job done, no sweat.

If you can't be bothered to buy the bags, then just a freebie bag you get from the supermarket when you grab a bag to fill with loose veg/fruit will do, same sort of cheap/clingy plastic.

red_imps_2003

Thank you for the suggestion. I may try to treat the limescale in the first instance. It's not building up on the outside/end of the tap, though. It's inside, right at the back of the 'channel', almost underneath the handle.

Doozergirl

Is it this one, do you think?

https://victoriaplum.com/product/escala-waterfall-basin-mixer-tap-esc01

andyhop

Decent taps of this style can be bought from Crosswater and Hansgrohe

Most come with aerators and are fitted with check valves and flow reducers on the tap tails. Lime scale won't make any different as the water is mixed in the body not the spout

We've done plenty of Crosswater Sqaures, even one in my main bathroom that's 5yrs + and works as good now as it did when it was fitted

red_imps_2003

It does look like that Victoria Plum one, yes. Can that bit at the back of the 'channel' be lifted/removed do you think? Does anybody know the purpose of the gause?

andyhop

You won't get spares for unbranded junk

You won't find someone willing to strip a tap like this down either to clean . There will be a few O rings in this tap given its cast in many pieces , no plumber worth his salt would attempt repair unless spares are on hand