Goldilocks Tap Washers

[Lionelgee]

Hello All,

Can anyone recommend a brand and style of tap washer for basin and shower taps -similar to the one pictured? I have used just about every different style available at Bunnings and other hardware stores.

Yes, I have re-seated the taps.

The washers seem to range from too hard - needing the grip of a gorilla to stop the tap dripping; even when the washers are brand new. Or the washers that are too soft and they seem to cut out inside the tap.

Yes, I am looking for a washer that is "Just Right". Not too hard and Not too soft. Hence, the bit about "Goldilocks tap washer".

There just does not seem to be the happy medium anymore in tap washers.

Kind regards
Lionel

[bblaze]

my wife is very hard on tap washers, I swear she somehow turns them off with 6 foot of pipe on the handle. I found some dome headed washers seemed to last ok. they seem to seal right on the lip. got them at bunnings
cheers
blaze

[PhilipA]

I love the solid brass ones with an Oring embedded in them.
They have been leak free in my shower for 13years!

Regards PhilipA

[NavyDiver]

Agree re brass but the bees knees are the taps themselves.



Ceramic Discs vs Rubber Washers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yflwG8IkRO8

This explains it better (https://westendplumbingwa.com.au/ceramic-taps-vs-traditional-taps/). Plumbers are smart

My mum and dad are getting a bit senior and the taps were considered as a Elderly Friendly home. Levers considered best I think.

[Tombie]

I replaced all mine with 1/4 turn ceramic cartridges and now people don’t kill washers by wrenching taps off.

[1950landy]

Agree re brass but the bees knees are the taps themselves.



Ceramic Discs vs Rubber Washers


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yflwG8IkRO8

This explains it better (https://westendplumbingwa.com.au/ceramic-taps-vs-traditional-taps/). Plumbers are smart

My mum and dad are getting a bit senior and the taps were considered as a Elderly Friendly home. Levers considered best I think.

Ceramic taps are OK if you don't have hard water, hard water tends to chip the ceramis , we only get about 3 years out of the ceramic inserts ( we are in Brisbane) & a pair for the taps we have cost around $600 for the taps my wife bought when we did our reno. We are thinking about putting a filter in the line coming into out house, cost's around $1200 but will be well worth it in the long run as we have 7 sets of these taps in the house,:(

I always found the old red fibber washer type the best providing the seats are clean with no pitting.

[trout1105]

Make sure that you clean up the seat of the tap before you put a new washer in there, Simply repacing a washer in a damaged seat won't last too long.

[PhilipA]

Wow!
$600 per tap vs about $1.50.
Cannot see this bunny buying any.

Seriously, My kitchen tap has a ceramic disc and is great to use. It cost $65 .

Regards PhilipA

[Tombie]

My ceramic units were $45-$60 per set to retrofit all our taps. Been in for 5 years and no problems.

If Mrs Tombje and son the Tap killers cant break them or make them leak then nobody will cause me any grief.

[RANDLOVER]

I normally get the Doust ones as they seem to last the longest and use the water pressure to seal as thy are a bucket shape, but for a "Goldilocks" type, I have one that I got years ago from Bunning or might've been BBC Hardware in those days, that is a rubber ball inside a spring and it hasn't leaked yet, I can always tighten it up hard enough to seal. I think as it is a ball, it rolls around and seats in a different position each time. I'd like to get some more of those even if I have to import them, but a quick web search doesn't seem to show any.[bigsad]

[Tote]

CB Ideal tapware make a rapid action tap that has a quarter to half turn mechanism that does not use a ceramic cartridge. We have had them in our house for about 15 years and they work well in hard water. Aussie made as well. They use the brass washers with o rings.

CB | What is Rapid Action(R)? (Our 1/4 to 1/2 Turn Mechanism) (https://www.cbideal.com.au/n/info/faq/rapidaction)


Regards,
Tote

[scarry]

I love the solid brass ones with an Oring embedded in them.
They have been leak free in my shower for 13years!

Regards PhilipA


Yes these ones are the go,they last forever,but only if the seat is reseated at the same time.
I also replace the o ring on the stem at the same time,and lube them with the correct lube.

Haven't done any for at least 10yrs,maybe 15.

[Tombie]

CB Ideal tapware make a rapid action tap that has a quarter to half turn mechanism that does not use a ceramic cartridge. We have had them in our house for about 15 years and they work well in hard water. Aussie made as well. They use the brass washers with o rings.

CB | What is Rapid Action(R)? (Our 1/4 to 1/2 Turn Mechanism) (https://www.cbideal.com.au/n/info/faq/rapidaction)


Regards,
Tote

I was one of their suppliers until we sold our business.
They make good products.

[1950landy]

Wow!
$600 per tap vs about $1.50.
Cannot see this bunny buying any.

Seriously, My kitchen tap has a ceramic disc and is great to use. It cost $65 .

Regards PhilipA
I agree but my wife wanted these fancy English tap sets & went out & bought them without me. In the last 8 years we have had to replace the inserts in the kitchen 3 times. We can buy inserts that take washers ( which we have tried ) but the ones with the washers cause the pipes to hammer & to replace the tap sets we need to fond ones with the same centres to match the holes in our stone bench tops.

[Lionelgee]

I love the solid brass ones with an Oring embedded in them.
They have been leak free in my shower for 13years!

Regards PhilipA

Hello Philip,

Do you know the name of the manufacturer and style of tap which are solid brass with an embedded O-ring? Is it the CB Ideal tapware that Tote mentioned?

Kind regards
Lionel

[Lionelgee]

Hello All,

I bought my bathroom shower, bath and basin taps from BBC Hardware. They were made by Ram Australia. According to an internet search tonight ... Ram Tapware still exist and even remain an Australian based manufacturer. Ram Tapware - largest designer & manufacturer of tapware in Australia (https://ramtaps.com.au)

Kind regards
Lionel

[gromit]

Lionel,
Wander into Bunnings and you'll find the O-ring type seals.
They last a long time even with my wife tightening up so hard I need two hands to turn the tap on.....

https://fixatap.com.au/uploads/thumb_big/productsubtype/aqua-tap-valves.jpeg

Colin

[Tombie]

Lionel,
Wander into Bunnings and you'll find the O-ring type seals.
They last a long time even with my wife tightening up so hard I need two hands to turn the tap on.....

https://fixatap.com.au/uploads/thumb_big/productsubtype/aqua-tap-valves.jpeg

Colin

You can also get these with the anti-hammer component.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20191208/6d47766117eb04c42673ea2a23f25389.jpg

[RANDLOVER]

Speaking to an ex-plumbing mate, he recommends the Hydroseals, and pointed out it has a pinhole which puts water pressure on the o-ring to make it seal, which is the feature I liked in the Doust washers.

Extra product information
. The valve uses hydraulics to make the seal. As the tap closes, hydroseal takes the force of the water and turns it back against itself.
. Water flows through the hole and builds up pressure behind the "O" ring, forcing it down onto the valve seat and moulding it to any imperfections in the seat.
. Available from plumbers supplies; listed in Yellow Pages.

[RANDLOVER]

I spoke to another plumber I know, and he said Hydroseal and change the seats to stainless, this is what he's done at his house, always good to hear what the experts have done at their own home.

[BradC]

I love the hydroseals but you need to be prepared that they can drip a little bit while the o-ring seals. For me they were flawless, but anytime I had people in the house they'd screw them down harder to try and "stop the drip" which tore the o-rings apart.

Education didn't work but 1/4 turn ceramic valves did.

I started out with the Bunnings generics but found they lasted a couple of years. Switched them out for the better quality units and haven't had to replace one since.