What sort of bathroom sink click clack plug is this?

dulcificum · 9 Mar 2021 at 15:11

Doesn't look like any of the normal ones where the spring is inside somewhere. Not sure if some part has snapped off this one. But it won't stay in any more, the spring just pushes it completely out.

ChrisD. · 9 Mar 2021 at 15:38

Not sure, can you post a larger image?

Danm54 · 9 Mar 2021 at 16:44

That's the broken sort of waste.

You can replace the brass clicker if you know the brand of waste. If not then buy another clicker waste and see if you get lucky, think I've only seen 2 thread sizes so you'll be in with a good chance of being able to swap the brass clicker over.

psd99 · 9 Mar 2021 at 16:52

take it to a plumber/hardware shop
its hard to tell from that pic

dulcificum · 11 Mar 2021 at 16:59

Danm54 said:
That's the broken sort of waste.

You can replace the brass clicker if you know the brand of waste. If not then buy another clicker waste and see if you get lucky, think I've only seen 2 thread sizes so you'll be in with a good chance of being able to swap the brass clicker over.

I've replaced other clickers but this seems completely different to them. And I can't find any other sort for sale anywhere.

Danm54 · 11 Mar 2021 at 18:00

dulcificum said:
I've replaced other clickers but this seems completely different to them. And I can't find any other sort for sale anywhere.

It looks like a normal clicker, just it's in at least 2 bits.
You'll be able to unscrew the brass part off the bottom of the plug in your pic and they'll be another brass part still in the basin waste.

The part that's still in the basin might be tricky to undo, depends what tools you've got to get in there. It's the thread size on that part that varies.

dulcificum · 11 Mar 2021 at 18:06

Danm54 said:
It looks like a normal clicker, just it's in at least 2 bits.
You'll be able to unscrew the brass part off the bottom of the plug in your pic and they'll be another brass part still in the basin waste.

The part that's still in the basin might be tricky to undo, depends what tools you've got to get in there. It's the thread size on that part that varies.

That's the issue. It definitely does not unscrew. The brass is actually bending instead.

I've unscrewed pop up plugs before and this is nothing like any of them. And the bit left in the sink definitely doesn't unscrew either. It looks like this (the spring sits loose inside). Other click clacks have had the spring internal somehow.

Danm54 · 11 Mar 2021 at 19:42

dulcificum said:
That's the issue. It definitely does not unscrew. The brass is actually bending instead.

I've unscrewed pop up plugs before and this is nothing like any of them. And the bit left in the sink definitely doesn't unscrew either. It looks like this (the spring sits loose inside). Other click clacks have had the spring internal somehow.

Well it should unscrew, they can scale up and be very tight though so it may be difficult/impossible to remove. You could try some oil on it but I wouldn't hold out much hope. You may have to change the entire waste.

dulcificum · 12 Mar 2021 at 10:33

Danm54 said:
Well it should unscrew, they can scale up and be very tight though so it may be difficult/impossible to remove. You could try some oil on it but I wouldn't hold out much hope. You may have to change the entire waste.

Tried a few more times. Definitely neither budging.

How much effort is it to replace the entire waste?!

Scrutinize · 12 Mar 2021 at 11:35

dulcificum said:
Tried a few more times. Definitely neither budging.

How much effort is it to replace the entire waste?!

Pretty straightforward, various YouTube guides.

Having a decent pipe wrench is paramount. https://www.toolstation.com/dickie-dyer-heavy-duty-pipe-wrench/p38694

My main tip would be don't rely on the rubber seals include with the waste and use silicon sealant too.

Also, pop up wastes can be pretty cheap (£5-£15 at screwfix) so buy a couple which will give you the spare internals which do unscrew. Much easier to replace these than the whole unit. I live in a hard water area and they last 1-2 years at best unless you regularly remove and descale.

Make sure you buy the correct type of waste for your sink. Slotted if you have an overflow.

https://www.screwfix.com/c/heating-...cm_sp=managedredirect-_-plumbing-_-popupwaste

Danm54 · 12 Mar 2021 at 14:01

dulcificum said:
Tried a few more times. Definitely neither budging.

How much effort is it to replace the entire waste?!

As above, they're easy to change. It does depend on access underneath though, if you can remove the pedestal then it's easier but that's not always possible.

Definitely use silicon as well, put a good amount under the top to stop water draining when the plug is down, and put some either side of the rubber washer on the bottom. Worth putting a small amount on the threads of the nut as well.

b0rn2sk8 · 12 Mar 2021 at 14:26

Why do you recommend the additional silicone?

I’ve never had an issue with them leaking just using the standard washers. A decent waste should come with two, one for inside and one for the bottom. You don’t even need to do them up mega tight, there not under pressure. Half or a full a turn over hand tight is normally enough. Over tightening can cause issues including leaks, they normally only come with a nylon fixing.

Putting a load of silicone on it will just make it more difficult to service in the future if you need to.

I would recommend taking it off the wall or taking the stand out for access though if you can.

Danm54 · 12 Mar 2021 at 22:29

A lot depends on the quality of the basin but even good ones aren't always flat enough to get a good seal.

The top washers I never use as they're either foam which doesn't have the thickness to fill any gaps, or rubber which makes the waste sit high and leave a small pool of water around it. I find silicone is reliable, leaves a clean finish (no washer sticking out) and leaves the waste low enough to empty the basin.

The bottom washers mostly work fine as they're a thick rubber, but on cheaper basins they don't always seal right. You can also get water leaking down the threads of the waste on the inside of the nut and the only way to stop that is silicone.

I'm not one for removing basins I've just fitted so I silicone every one. They come out easy enough if needed even if they've been fitted with silicone

dulcificum · 13 Mar 2021 at 14:00

Thanks all, very helpful. We live in one of the hardest water regions in the country so it seems these things are destined to fail every couple of years. Are there any elegant alternatives?

Danm54 · 15 Mar 2021 at 12:31

dulcificum said:
Thanks all, very helpful. We live in one of the hardest water regions in the country so it seems these things are destined to fail every couple of years. Are there any elegant alternatives?

You can get spinner/swivel/captive basin wastes, they need to be kept clean else they can become difficult to move but they won't scale up like the clickers do.