Do I really have to smash my brand new bath to move it?

[PlumbingQuandry]

I'm going to have to name change after I've sorted out all my plumbing issues because this just feels so shameful - having had everything fitted by complete cowboys. Today's issue is how to move my bath? The standpipes behind my bath are so poorly fitted they leak dreadfully. We need to take the bath out to reach the standpipe bases which were never drilled/screwed in place! My bath won't budge an inch - not even with a burly bloke on either end. I've loaded a pic from the technical fitting instructions. The bath is glued to the floor. The maximum gap we can create around the bottom edge is 2mm. Trying to slide a long saw under the edge & cut the bath free didn't work. Has anyone got any clever ideas or do I actually have to smash out my £££ new bath & buy a new one so I can fit the taps properly?

Poor you! Sounds like how my projects normally go!
No advice really just sympathy, but have you tried calling the manufacturer? Possibly worth a try?

What's the flooring? Can you remove some of that if it goes under the bath? A good flooring fitter will be able to sort things out afterwards. Otherwise, if it's glued it might just need time and effort to free it up. I would try to locate the fitting instructions and see if there are likely to be any screw points for the bath.

Once you get it out, consider moving the taps to somewhere where they are easier to access should you need to do anything to them.

Is there a big enough gap to apply products which could "dissolve" the glue? They usually have high acetone levels. Available in most large hardware shops (unless it is specialist glue and then I'm out of ideas!) Good luck.

The floor is large porcelain tiles. I spoke to the manufacturer & they said these baths aren't designed to be moved once installed Great design flaw there.. Annyway, long story short. Four of us lifting/tugging simultaneously managed to break the seal & the bath came free after some wiggling. The base of the bath in no way matched the manufacturers technical sheets they gave me Still, I'm dead happy now. never mind the fact that the old plumber GLUED all the chrome components of the taps in place Do you see a theme emerging here? I'll probably need to buy a whole new tap set if the components can't be separated but that's better than a whole new bath. I'm really really pleased to be able to reconstruct everything correctly now & do a quality job - it's improved my knowledge no end!

Well that's good news in part! I love that bath btw - and a new bathroom is a project for next year for us - what model is it please and where is it from?

The bath is called 'Derrymore' by Heritage & the quality is very nice. Please, please, please don't buy ANY of your plumbing fittings from them though (taps/showers etc) because the quality is absolute shite & they break very fast.

Thank for that and thank you for the heads up.

If you want your fittings, taps etc to last you should go for Italian made as it has a lower % of lead in the steel. Chinese steel has a higher % of lead and will corrode quicker. How do I know this? I had a bizarre conversation with an Italian tap manufacturer on a long haul flight at 3am.

I knew one day that convo would come in handy 😃

I would go for a totally different design tbh

We had a similar issue with plumbing behind a bath that kept bursting - nightmare.

Gorgous bath, so glad you didn't have to smash it to move it. fingers crossed for finding some high quality fittings that last. Dh is our plumber and reasearches what he's using to death before buying. We have one bathroom left to do, and that bath will need smashing to get it out.

I am pleased that you were able to sort the problem, OP.

Bristan taps are the best I know.

Grohe taps are superb and look great too.
The ones in outer previous house were at least 20 year old, look and work as good as new and have needed any sort of servicing, not even a washer.