Help - Kitchen tap replacement - with pics

[Jazu]

We need to replace our kitchen tap (drips and it's ugly). I've found one I like but I'm not sure how to work out if the diameter of the hole in the worktop (which I'm struggling to measure accurately upside down behind the sink) is suitable for the tap I like. Pics attached are of the underside of current tap plumbing and tech drawing of the one I like.

Current tap is 60mm 'above ground' where it makes contact with the worktop, so bigger than the potential new one, but it looks like the hole in the worktop might be smaller? Can I tell from the underside without removing the existing tap?

Sorry, to clarify, the 60mm is the diameter on the work surface, I think equivalent to 51 on the new one's drawing.

I would say your hole is about 40mm by looking at the picture, looks like the new tap is 51mm above the worktop so it should fit . They recommend a 34 mm hole, that will be minimum.

Oh brilliant, thank you. I hadn't thought about the height of the actual work surface when reading the tech drawing before. That better explains the 31. Good news if it's a minimum.

There’s always a ring to kind of seal your tap to the worktop so it will measure bigger on the top. Things these days are generally standard fittings, you’ve got flexi cables so I think you’ll be fine. We changed our tap which was old copper pipe to a new flexi one and it fit fine. I’d agree it looks to be a good fit, go for it

Thanks! You make it sound so easy, I'm tempted to try and do it myself. I was going to get a plumber. I know where the stop cock is and have box spanners. Do I dare? (Crappy access behind the sink is a also a factor)

Before you start make sure you find out whether you can just isolate that tap, or whether you’ve turned off the water in the whole house. There may be an isolator in the pipe (small slot for screwdriver to turn the pipe off).

If it turns off the water for the whole house, then do it on a day when you can get an emergency plumber. Speaking from experience.

Do it! B and q have some fab how to videos for fitting new taps! Have a YouTube, if you think its beyond you then get a plumber but honestly it’s just disconnecting the cables and bolt and reconnecting the new ones. You may need ones of these spanner’s for the big bolt you have to secure under it but that’s it. Ours took 2 hours as we had to cut out old pipes off but yours should be very easy!

Sorry, hit post too soon. It is very much a job you can do yourself 99% of the time but do be ready if things go wrong. Put a jug of water in the fridge. It should be straightforward but if you can’t get the new tap to seal, for example, then you don’t want to be stuck without water.

Buy some ptfe tape to put round joints if they won’t seal, it’s saved me many times!

Thank you. Good points about possible problems- I won't try it in the dead of dead on a freezing day! I'll have a look at the fittings on the new tap when it arrives and see how I feel. Thanks for all of the advice.