Kitchen Taps On / Off Wrong way round

sharpey79gfc

Having just installed my new kitchen I finally got around to putting the sink in last night. I put the taps in and connected them up but the water comes out when they should be off and stops when they are on?!?

I have one of the mixer taps with two arms either side of the tap which point left & right when off and you turn them towards you to turn them on.

However, I currently have both arms pointing towards me in order to prevent the water flowing.

Is it possible to change this or am I stuck with it?!?!

weekendwarrior

Hi, It sounds like the tap is fitted to the sink backwards!

You will have to disconnect the pipes, turn the tap around 180 degrees and then re-pipe it up!

Good luck

Hunnymonster

Assuming they're quarter-turn taps - can you take off the tap heads and rotate them 180° and refit ? They'll still rotate the same way, but the lug will go front to back (if you see what I mean)

sharpey79gfc

weekendwarrior wrote:

Hi, It sounds like the tap is fitted to the sink backwards!

You will have to disconnect the pipes, turn the tap around 180 degrees and then re-pipe it up!

Good luck

Thanks. But this will only mean that the taps point in the opposite direction as there are (as mentioned on the above post) quarter turn taps. I will have a go at removing the tops and replacing them further round to see if this helps.

Thank you both for the response, I'll let you know how I get on.

Fleeting_Glimpse

I'm drunk...but would takin the tap inserts out (water off of course) & swapping the hot and cold over help?

I'll think about this again in the morning.

Cagey

Have to agree with WEEKENDWARRIER.

weekendwarrior

Hi Sharpey.

Can you post a picture of the tap?

From what you said originally i thought that you had fitted a tap like this one-
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.jsp;jsessionid=3FBYKXANBXH3BCJO2C3CJ0Q?id=28113&p=x4&ts=69662&destination=../cat/pro.jsp%3Fid%3D28113%26p%3Dx4

The spout on these taps will often rotate, so that you can use them in sinks with two bowls.

This means that you can rorate the spout completely, hence it is possible to fit the tap onto the sink the wrong way around. If it is fitted wrongly then the taps will turn the opposite way than expected to turn on the flow!

A picture would be most helpful

sharpey79gfc

The tap I have fitted is this one

http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.jspcId=102029&ts=19124&id=48053

As you can see from the pic, the handles (when off) should face outwards and you quarter turn them towards you to turn the water on.

My problem is they have to be quarter turned towards me when off and flush pointing outwards when the water is turned on, which to me doesnt look right.

Turning the tap 180% isn't going to help matters.

Merkin

Looks like you have to do both suggestions.

Disconnect and turn the tap 180% AND remove the tap heads and refit them in the position you want.

That way you turn on the tap by pulling toward you but without moving the tap heads the off position would be behind the sink. By refitting the head you could have them sticking out to the side in the off position.

plumb1_2

Cant see piccy,but take off the heads and bodies,swop round,and it should be ok

micko2602

These taps being 1/4 turn I asume have ceramic valves inside, these are two small disks with 2 triangular shaped cut-outs in them, one at the 12 oclock position the other at 6 oclock. (this clock thing helps later). When the two cut-outs on both disks line up the tap is on (water flows) but when they are at the12, 3, 6 and 9 oclock positions , ie all covered, no water flows.
So what you need to do is rotate the disks so when the handles face forward the holes are sealed, then when they are turned 1/4 they will line up and water will flow.

This may be clearer when you take the tap aprt, just remove the handles and you should see what I mean.