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Shower control knob

Does what it says on the tin
MrFoolish
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Shower control knob

#415915

Postby MrFoolish » May 28th, 2021, 6:49 pm

Help... I'm clearly being dumb!

I've noticed a small leak from the rotrary on-off (top) knob on my shower.

I've removed this knob before - to replace the cartridge - but now I can't bloomin do it! I've even found a note I left myself from last time saying to pull off the knob, then the next bit unscrews. I'm pretty sure no tools were required.

The unit looks a bit like this one (except it isn't this one):

https://www.victorianplumbing.co.uk/cru ... ter-chrome

I've given it a good spray with WD40 and Viakal.

Does it just need force??? Thanks.

MrFoolish
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Re: Shower control knob

#415917

Postby MrFoolish » May 28th, 2021, 6:58 pm

ReallyVeryFoolish wrote:Unscrew the lever and see if it pulls off then.

RVF


Thanks. I already tried unscrewing the lever but that didn't help. And I couldn't see any sort of grub screw down the hole.

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Re: Shower control knob

#415923

Postby richlist » May 28th, 2021, 7:48 pm

We have similar taps.
To take ours off we unscrew the lever which leaves a small threaded stud that takes an allen/ hex key. Undo the stud & the knob pulls off.

Maybe when you've unscrewed the lever the stud has stayed attached to it.

MrFoolish
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Re: Shower control knob

#415931

Postby MrFoolish » May 28th, 2021, 8:21 pm

richlist wrote:We have similar taps.
To take ours off we unscrew the lever which leaves a small threaded stud that takes an allen/ hex key. Undo the stud & the knob pulls off.

Maybe when you've unscrewed the lever the stud has stayed attached to it.


The lever just screws into a thread (set back a bit) in the knob. And nothing has come away with the lever. Pretty sure I didn't use a tool when I removed it before.

I half tried prying it off with a screwdriver, but haven't applied much force - yet. Thanks.

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Re: Shower control knob

#415938

Postby swill453 » May 28th, 2021, 8:53 pm

I'd say if it's got a hole, it must have a grub screw. (You said it had a hole).

Try at either end of its rotation.

Mine has different knobs, but has a small hex grub screw.

Scott.

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Re: Shower control knob

#415939

Postby MrFoolish » May 28th, 2021, 9:09 pm

swill453 wrote:I'd say if it's got a hole, it must have a grub screw. (You said it had a hole).

Try at either end of its rotation.

Mine has different knobs, but has a small hex grub screw.

Scott.


By the hole I just meant the threaded hole for the lever. It's very hard to get the angle to see down it. I just tried pushing a small flat bladed screwdriver down it - it hit something but nothing likely to turn I don't think. And I'm pretty sure I never fished around in this hole when I removed the knob before. Hmm. Thanks.

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Re: Shower control knob

#415940

Postby Mike4 » May 28th, 2021, 9:12 pm

Have read the manual for your shower mixer to see what it says on how to fit the knobs, then reversed the process?

MrFoolish
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Re: Shower control knob

#415944

Postby MrFoolish » May 28th, 2021, 9:28 pm

Mike4 wrote:Have read the manual for your shower mixer to see what it says on how to fit the knobs, then reversed the process?


This shower was here when I moved in, unfortunately, so there's no manual and no maker's mark either.

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Re: Shower control knob

#415945

Postby Itsallaguess » May 28th, 2021, 9:35 pm

MrFoolish wrote:
swill453 wrote:
I'd say if it's got a hole, it must have a grub screw. (You said it had a hole).

Try at either end of its rotation.

Mine has different knobs, but has a small hex grub screw.


By the hole I just meant the threaded hole for the lever. It's very hard to get the angle to see down it.

I just tried pushing a small flat bladed screwdriver down it - it hit something but nothing likely to turn I don't think. And I'm pretty sure I never fished around in this hole when I removed the knob before.


YouTube videos showing similar 'Concealed shower valves' do show the levers being unscrewed initially, and then tools being inserted into the lever holes to unscrew something further, which then allows the caps to be removed...

Have a look at this video and see if it helps - it's set to start just where one of the levers is being removed -

https://youtu.be/Nj4Hn9HkuIc?t=18

Cheers,

Itsallaguess

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Re: Shower control knob

#415949

Postby MrFoolish » May 28th, 2021, 10:00 pm

Itsallaguess wrote:
MrFoolish wrote:
swill453 wrote:
I'd say if it's got a hole, it must have a grub screw. (You said it had a hole).

Try at either end of its rotation.

Mine has different knobs, but has a small hex grub screw.


By the hole I just meant the threaded hole for the lever. It's very hard to get the angle to see down it.

I just tried pushing a small flat bladed screwdriver down it - it hit something but nothing likely to turn I don't think. And I'm pretty sure I never fished around in this hole when I removed the knob before.


YouTube videos showing similar 'Concealed shower valves' do show the levers being unscrewed initially, and then tools being inserted into the lever holes to unscrew something further, which then allows the caps to be removed...

Have a look at this video and see if it helps - it's set to start just where one of the levers is being removed -

https://youtu.be/Nj4Hn9HkuIc?t=18

Cheers,

Itsallaguess


Trying to peek down the hole with a torch, I think I can see the serated end of the cartridge. The tip of something like this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Replacement-Ce ... en&sr=1-12

This must presumably connect to the knob so it can be turned. I'll pour some vinegar down the hole in case they are rigidly fixed with limescale.

Cheers.

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Re: Shower control knob

#415952

Postby MrFoolish » May 28th, 2021, 10:24 pm

Horray, after much wiggling the knob eventually came off!

Thanks for the suggestions.

That was probably the easiest bit of the leak fix so I may be back :lol:

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Re: Shower control knob

#416265

Postby MrFoolish » May 30th, 2021, 7:03 pm

Right, I said I might be back and here I am!

The next part of the covering, according to my previous notes, just twists off.

But it is stuck! I've given it several sprays with vinegar, Viakal and WD40. But being a shiny ring of chrome, I just can't get enough of a grip on it to turn it. And there's not really a huge amount to get hold of.

Is there any sort of tool which would help? Thanks.

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Re: Shower control knob

#416266

Postby Dod101 » May 30th, 2021, 7:07 pm

All of this sounds rather pornographic to me. Are you sure you are on the right Board?

Dod

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Re: Shower control knob

#416267

Postby MrFoolish » May 30th, 2021, 7:21 pm

Dod101 wrote:All of this sounds rather pornographic to me. Are you sure you are on the right Board?

Dod


LOL, yeah, I've been aware of that and was trying to choose my words carefully :D

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Re: Shower control knob

#416272

Postby MrFoolish » May 30th, 2021, 7:50 pm

Image

MrFoolish
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Re: Shower control knob

#416275

Postby MrFoolish » May 30th, 2021, 7:56 pm

ReallyVeryFoolish wrote:Thanks. On the assumption it is the chrome part you are trying to twist, it would be worth looking for a strap wrench of appropriate size.
RVF


Thanks. I hadn't heard of a strap wrench but I'll check them out.

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Re: Shower control knob

#416301

Postby gryffron » May 31st, 2021, 12:11 am

Or failing the proper tool, anything that can be wrapped around it to grip. Leather belt, old fan belt, scrap bicycle tyre, even rubber bands.

Gryff

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Re: Shower control knob

#416307

Postby richlist » May 31st, 2021, 6:47 am

Assuming the chrome ring screws off, if it were me, I'd try to find a small piece of thin serrated rubber sheet.....something similar to a rubber car mat. Wrap around chrome ring, grip tightly and unscrew anti clockwise. We have a rubber device that's used in the kitchen to unscrew the tops of glass jars that would probably work just as well. If it doesn't work using your hands try using some grips over the rubber to get the thread started.

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Re: Shower control knob

#416308

Postby Itsallaguess » May 31st, 2021, 6:54 am

richlist wrote:
Assuming the chrome ring screws off, if it were me, I'd try to find a small piece of thin serrated rubber sheet.....something similar to a rubber car mat.

Wrap around chrome ring, grip tightly and unscrew anti clockwise. If it doesn't work using your hands try using some grips to get the thread started.


If there's nothing like that lying around that might be suitable, then Screwfix sell a 3m length of 25mm wide self-amalgamating rubber for £2.49 that might well solve this issue and still leave 2.8m left to put in the cupboard for next time -

https://www.screwfix.com/p/self-amalgamating-rubber-tape-black-3m-x-25mm/2115v

Stretching and wrapping a few rounds of that around the dried chrome bit that's struggling to budge should give a really good 'grippy rubber surface' to gain purchase on...

For anyone who's not used self-amalgamating rubber before, it's a really 'grippy' rubber tape that's designed to be 'stretched' on application, so that it both grips the underlying surface initially, and then also bonds to itself once the layers begin to overlap the initial tape-layer, and it then bonds really firmly to both elements to form a really tight seal, depending on how well it's been stretched over etc...For something like this, I'd imagine three or four 'laps' of the chrome element would suffice, with perhaps a double-width application to give a better purchase-area....

For a couple of quid, it really is essential stuff that should go in the 'Duct-Tape' box for just these types of frustrating jobs...

Cheers,

Itsallaguess

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Re: Shower control knob

#416311

Postby MrFoolish » May 31st, 2021, 7:39 am

Thanks for the additional ideas. I have a strap wrench on order now so hopefully that will do the trick.

I've been tempted to also buy some grips, as they seem like a useful tool for general use, and I don't own any. But I suspect I'd need a range of sizes. This chrome surround, for instance is 50mm diameter, which is bigger than most pipes but smaller than an oil filter.


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