DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

Hi.

I've bought a couple of mixer taps recently and have had to switch the caps because the hot and cold pipes are different in our house (cold on left, where taps have hot on left).

Fixing the bath tap had no problems, however fixing the sink tap nearly caused a flood! After changing washers we tested the by connecting each tail to a converted outdoor tap only to find under the hot side of the tap a large hole hiding under the o-ring.

We have a replacement tap on it's way but I'm wondering would the changing of the hot/cold positions affect the chrome of tap so much that it burst?

We have a condensing boiler so the water wouldn't be hot to begin with, though the kitchen sink tap was open to relieve pressure and I forgot to close it, so the water was running to get hot. Also the boiler only heats water to 55 deg C by design to avoid scalding and cannot be changed.

I'll examine the replacement first but does anyone have any advise of what could have caused such a fault? I've had in the past a brand new towel rail fail for a similar defect as well so I don't want to take chances again!

Andy help will be appreciated

Andy

It is a manufacturing fault which happens occasionally and not anything you have done. Fit the replacement taps and swap the heads as before.

Thanks plumbbob. Glad to know it wasn't my fault.