Change the bath tap It's easier than it looks. In fact, whether the old one is broken or simply outdated, it will be one of the easiest ways to give the bathroom a new look without needing major changes or renovations.
The most important thing to consider before changing a bath tap is Buy one that's compatible with the installation. Generally, bath taps have 2 water inlets (one for cold water and one for hot water) located at the same height and with a average distance of 15 cm between them. However, before purchasing a new tap, it is important to correctly measure the space between one water outlet and another, as this will indicate which tap model is suitable for each bathroom's installation.
To carry out the job correctly, we will need:
- A new tap
- A monkey wrench (or Stillson wrench)
- PTFE tape
- A rag (to prevent chafing during installation)
1) Turn off the water. The first thing to do before changing the bath tap will be to turn off the main water supply (or the main bathroom water supply if one exists). This way, you can work on the installation without any problems.
2) Purge the wastewater. After turning off the water supply, we will need to open the old tap on the bath. This is because, even after closing the stopcock, there will still be some water left in the pipes. This will ensure the pipes are empty and we can remove the old tap without getting wet.
3) Disconnect the flexible cable. The first part we will need to remove from the old tap is the hose (i.e. the part of the bath tap that sends water to the shower head). When unscrewing the hose, some residual water that may still be inside the system could come out, although it will be a minimal amount.
4) Unscrew the old shower tap. The next step will be to unscrew the shower head itself that we want to remove. For this, we will use an adjustable spanner (or Stillson wrench (wrench) and we will loosen the nuts that join the tap body to each of the escutcheons that are next to the wall. Once the nuts are loose enough, we can do without the wrench and turn them by hand until the old tap is completely removed.
5) Unscrew the old trims. The escutcheons separate the nuts we've just unscrewed from the wall. These can be removed directly by turning them by hand. Once removed, we will have completely taken off the old tap and will be ready install the new bath tap easily.
6) Fit the trims on the new tap. We take the trim pieces from the new bath tap and screw them onto the pipes that we left exposed after completely removing the old tap. We screw them in until they are flush with the wall.
7) Place the washers on the nuts of the new tap. Before screwing in the new tap, we place the seals on the part of each nut on each arm of the new tap. These seals are included as part of the new tap and prevent water leaks.
8) Fit the new tap. Next, we will place a layer of PTFE Teflon tape on the tap pipes. After that, we will expose the new tap to the pipes and turn the nuts directly by hand to ensure they enter smoothly and are aligned. Once the nut no longer turns with ease, we will use a spanner again to tighten it until it is fixed against the already installed trim. In this step, if we want to ensure we don't scratch the chrome of the new bath tap with the spanner, we can use a cloth to prevent marks which could occur during screwing.
9) Install the new desk lamp. Once the tap body is installed, we will proceed to screw in the flexible hose of the new bath tap.
10) Check that it works correctly. Finally, we will turn the main water key back on and check that the installation has no leaks.
If after these tips you notice that your taps are too damaged and do not regain their shine, the best solution may be to change them: you will save on consumption due to the water wasted by limescale and you will renovate your bathroom. But remember that a tap must be of good quality to withstand the years and the deterioration caused by water.
