Most households replace taps to update the look of their bathroom or kitchen. With so many attractive and modern looking taps available in the home improvement department, changing the look of your kitchen or bathroom can become very tempting. In some cases, home repairs are unavoidable, such as when your tap is continuously leaking, dripping, noisy or has stopped working.
Replacement Tap Parts Explained
Taps are usually made from brass as it is more resistant to corrosion than other materials. Cut-thread taps are threaded to size before hardening; ground-thread taps are finish-threaded after hardening. Whether you need to just repair or actually opted to install a new tap on your home, it is important to know the components of the plumbing fixture you will be dealing with. Here are the most common replacement tap parts.
Tap Washers
The function of a tap washer is to control the flow of water. It creates a watertight seal creating a barrier that will prevent water from flowing to the spout when the tap is in the OFF position. It exerts pressure on the flow valve which is located inside the tap. There are different types of tap washers on the market depending on what type of tap you have. They are made from different materials such as rubber, nylon, fibre, and ceramic. They also come in different sizes ranging from 40mm to 1 inch tap washers.
Flanges
Flanges are welded or screwed behind or under your tap as a method to connect pipes, valves, pumps and other equipment to form a plumbing system.
Aerator
Aerators regulate the flow of water within the tap without affecting the pressure of the water. Water and air mix together resulting in less water being used making it more efficient and saving you water. The aerator works by separating the water into tiny streams creating an even flow of water into your kitchen or sink basin.
Handles, Lever, and Controls
These come in different, unique and sometimes custom look and functions to turn your tap on and off. Lever taps come in useful for anyone who may find it difficult turning traditional style taps on and off. They also come in a variety of types such as single lever taps, single lever mixer taps, twin lever mixer taps, and elbow lever taps.
Tap Stems
Also called cartridges and are directly attached to the sink. The water runs out of the end of the faucet stem.
Washers
Generally made from either rubber and fibre, washers are a very important part of a tap. It forms a barrier at the screw threads which prevents the leakage of water.
Stem Screws
Also called bib screws, stem screws attach the washers to the end of the tap stem.
Common Replacement Tap Parts
If you are repairing your tap or installing a new one altogether, knowing the common replacements tap parts is a huge help and will make your job a lot easier.
Tap Valves
There are several selections of tap valves and knowing which one suits your household would be better: for easier turn on and off, for hot and cold water, or for reducing hammer. Look for tap valves that are made to Irish standards from a good brand.
Tap Washer
Probaby the most common replacement tap part the tap washer you might need to purchase will vary on the size of the tap. Almost all kitchen sinks and basins have the same taps while bath taps have bigger taps.
Mixer Tap Cartridge
Replace the dripping mixer cartridge to fix a dripping mixer tap. There are several replacement options available which include:
- Raised and flat
- anti-scald cartridge that guards against injuries and burns from unintended hot water use
- water saving
O Ring
O Ring vary in sizes and are used for a variety of different applications such as:
- repairing leaking taps and shower spouts to outdoor tap accessories
- plumbing and irrigation
Body Washer
There are several type of body washers but most are appropriate for both indoor and outdoor faucets. There are standard body washers which are used for older style tap spindles as well as body washers for latest style tap spindles that have a slimmer body.
Spout Fittings
Several spout adapters are intended to lessen water flow from your kitchen, bathroom, and utility taps. For those who live in apartments where there are no outdoor taps, spout fittings are also used to join snap-on garden hose and fittings to indoor laundry and kitchen spouts.
Should You Hire a Plumber?
Plumbing emergencies are common and are even overlooked until issues start to arise. But on most significant plumbing issues, warnings often present themselves. Of course, we know you may be tempted to do the repairs on your own! Sometimes, you can. But there are many complex instances when you need professional plumbers to come to your rescue. Plumbers at 24 Hour Plumber possess the skills and tools needed to perform maintenance and repair work for your household water systems.
24/7 Service
24 Hour Plumber is the number one choice of plumbing solutions throughout Dublin. What you need is a fast response, quality service, and exemplary staff. This is exactly what our business guarantees! 24 Hour Plumber provides full-service plumbing, declogging, heating repairs, gas boiler service, even appliance installations and bathroom renovations among others, 24 hours a day, 7 times a week!
We cover all Emergencies
We understand that most plumbing issues can be complicated to address on our own, most of the time. Have peace of mind with 24 Hour Plumber. What better way to make sure that your plumbers are going to provide excellent service, than by calling us for any of your plumbing or heating emergencies. Our engineers have many years experience in central heating and water supply systems and can quickly offer practical plumbing solutions. 24 Hour Plumber will also give you the feeling of security, knowing you are covered by your 12-month guarantee to ease your mind for future similar catastrophes.
From Heating Systems to Bathroom Renovations
Some of the other services that 24 Hour Plumber provide include repairs for gate valves (the red valve in your hot press), heating systems, drains, cylinder replacements, booster pumps, washing machine and dishwasher installations, waste disposal units, even bathroom renovations! When you choose 24 Hour Plumber, we are certain to give you peace of mind, a prompt and quality service with easy payments. We have a vast knowledge in the plumbing industry with 16 years of expert experience. Our skilled tradesmen are fully insured, fully qualified and fully competent. We are not just experts at what we do, but we are passionate too.
24 Hour Plumber services all over Dublin. We also provide a full spectrum of plumbing and heating issues as shown in the extensive list on our website. Hire with confidence and get in touch with our team of expert plumbers today. Call us at (01) 531 2220 or 0858556111. Our emergency plumbers are available 24 hours a day, 7 times a week to provide quick solutions to your plumbing emergencies.
