Cost of tap washer replacement

littlemoney

I have a dripping cold water bath tap. The speed of the drip is increasing and I need to find a plumber to replace the washer. The bath and taps are very old, fitted in 1949, would replacement washers be available? I am hoping that taps might be a standard size but before I try to find a plumber who isn't going to charge me a fortune or insist I need new taps as they are so old I thought I would try to find out what is feasible first.



Can anyone give a a ball park figure on the going rate for a plumber to replace a washer so I don't fall over with shock later.


A DIYer friend tried to replace it for me but he couldn't move the housing with the wrench he had and I didn't want to have to replace the bath as well if something went wrong and he broke the bath whilst he was doing the job.

sevenhills

£20-£80


http://www.whatprice.co.uk/prices/plumbing/repair-leaky-tap.html#axzz5wPq6rlb3

Owain_Moneysaver

Penetrating oil on the tap housing, and you need two wrenches - one on the housing and one on the tap wedged to the bath so the tap body doesn't twist.

Also try tapping the wrench with a hammer as the momentary force can unjam it without twisting the whole thing.

Jackmydad

If they're taps with a chrome cover over the innards, then the chrome cover can be a job to get off without damaging it. Proper penetrating oil can help, as can rag wrapped around and hot water poured over.
You really need a decent strap wrench, and something to hold the tap body. I've got a piece of wood somewhere with the shape of the tap body cut out which I use to hold it still.
The inside part called the "head" can be tight as well. Use a decent, well fitting spanner.

The washers are available in all sizes and are literally pence.

missprice

As already noted, tap washers are cheap. Just to add I had really old taps probably around 1975/80 fitted. When a washer went I took old one out (well I didnt cos not strong enough) and trotted to a shop with the old one.
Bought the biggest washers i could find and still they were not quite big enough. They barely did the job until I had whole bathroom replaced a year later.
I believe they cost 8p each.

Jackmydad

missprice wrote: »

As already noted, tap washers are cheap. Just to add I had really old taps probably around 1975/80 fitted. When a washer went I took old one out (well I didnt cos not strong enough) and trotted to a shop with the old one.
Bought the biggest washers i could find and still they were not quite big enough. They barely did the job until I had whole bathroom replaced a year later.
I believe they cost 8p each.

The sizes seem to be variable these days. I wonder if some you get are a sort of metric equivalent or something.
You need to go to a proper plumber's merchant.
If you can find one these days!

greyteam1959

The biggest problem you, & anybody you get in to do the job, is that it could go expensively wrong.

littlemoney

greyteam1959 wrote: »

The biggest problem you, & anybody you get in to do the job, is that it could go expensively wrong.

What can go wrong?

Dan-Dan

littlemoney wrote: »

What can go wrong?

could end up with a damaged bath and knackered taps/s

greyteam1959

Dan-Dan wrote: »

could end up with a damaged bath and knackered taps/s

Exactly................

littlemoney

Am I wrong to assume if I get a proper plumber in they are responsible for any damage.


The bath is 70 years old, it may be a cast iron bath, is it likely to be a bit harder to damage