Dripping kitchen mixer, how to fix

Dripping kitchen mixer, how to fix

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karma mechanic

Original Poster:

791 posts

129 months

Monday 28th October
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My kitchen tap has been dripping from the mixer handle, I've just realised that the little puddle has been seeping down the tap hole and making stuff in the cupboard wet.

I've put a very high tech drip catcher in place that should drain into the sink rather than allow a puddle.



If the solution is to tighten up something on the mixer then how do I get the handle off? I'm hoping that it is the gland nut, but not sure these taps even have one. Does the handle pull off, or does it need something inserted into the body of it?

Assistance please!






fat80b

2,462 posts

228 months

Monday 28th October
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It’s likely there will be a grub screw on the bottom of the end part with the lever on it. Often needs a tiny Allen key to undo.

This will allow the end to be pulled off. There will then be a brass looking “cartridge” that can be unscrewed and easily replaced.

Get it out to take a look and source a replacement on eBay.

karma mechanic

Original Poster:

791 posts

129 months

Monday 28th October
quotequote all
No grub screw, but I think the drip from there is a red herring. This tap has a flexible hose that stows down in the cupboard when the nozzle is fully retracted. It looks now as if that braided hose is actually weeping the water.

I thought at first that it was running down the hose, but it still drips when the part above the worktop is kept dry. It must have been kinked repeatedly.

Looks like a new tap is required.

gmaz

4,615 posts

217 months

Tuesday 29th October
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If I can hijack the thread, my tap has separate hot and cold sides, but if I run the cold, there is a drip from the hot side coming from the gap between the tap handle and the spout. New tap time or can it be fixed?

karma mechanic

Original Poster:

791 posts

129 months

Tuesday 29th October
quotequote all
Update on mine.

I removed the tap with much difficulty and much swearing. I had to cut the tails and the big loop of flexible pipe that hangs below the worktop to have any chance of getting a spanner near it. The water actually passes through the locking bolt and then loops up again, so a box spanner can't fit over the lock nut.

Once that was cut off I could undo the nut which is smaller than the hose connector on the same thread. Daft design.

There is an Allen bolt, it is revealed by unscrewing the handle.




Unfortunately it was all locked solid, so the shaft broke when I pulled it.



New tap on the way.

bigdom

2,117 posts

152 months

Tuesday 29th October
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gmaz said:
If I can hijack the thread, my tap has separate hot and cold sides, but if I run the cold, there is a drip from the hot side coming from the gap between the tap handle and the spout. New tap time or can it be fixed?
It's likely you'll have valves either side (like the lnk below). If you know brand/model they are easy to swap over.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Franke-Ascona-Replacement...

dhutch

15,236 posts

204 months

Wednesday 30th October
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karma mechanic said:
U
Unfortunately it was all locked solid, so the shaft broke when I pulled it.

New tap on the way.
Yeah, while you can sometimes change the seals/cartridge, and I have done both with success, its also not uncommon for the whole lot to be a corroded mess that no longer comes apart!

Atleast you have done the hardest part of fitting a new tap, removing the old one!