Bath Screen Leaking

[andrewm]

OT since no woodworking involved but I know that a few people around here install bathrooms so might be able to help.

I have just installed a new bath screen. I believe it originally came from B&Q although I picked it up unused and second-hand. There is very little in the way of installation instructions. It is of the type that has a small fixed panel and a hinged door. The door being hinged at the top and bottom instead of on the face. The bottom hinge piece looks like this:

The circular piece is screwed into the end of the aluminium extrusion holding the door. The bottom piece is fixed to the fixed pane. The raised bits act to keep the door closed.

Now, the problem is that there is not a tight fit between the fixed and moving parts. This looks to be by design. However this means that there is a path for water from the shower to get into the hinge on the shower side around the circumference and out the other side. It looks like there should be an O ring around it but the gap is too small and I would have expected a groove around the moving part.

Has anyone any experience of this type of design and if so can the tell me if it is an inherent design fault or do I have some bits missing. What would be the best way of making it watertight. PTFE tape stuffed in the gap?

Andrew

 

[jasonB]

Bead of mastic down the outside of the wall chanel and around the edge of the lolly pop shaped part where it rests on the bath but only the outside edge so any water that does get in can run back towards the bath not over the rim.

I've done several with a similar design (Trevi-Ideal Standard) and not had problems, the tabs not only act to hold the door in the closed position but also lift the rubber blade on the bottom of the door so it swings more easily.

J

 

[andrewm]

I've done that but the problem is that the water is getting through the joint and out the other side by virtue of the fact that the moving part is not an exact fit. It goes down the gap, around the hinge and out the other side.

Will try to do a cross-section when I get home if that would help.

Andrew

 

[andrewm]

OK, this is the piece in cross-section. As you can see there is a channel formed between the two pieces that takes the water from inside the screen to the outside.

This looks as if it needs some kind of seal to prevent this. But what?

Andrew

 

[jasonB]

Can't say I've had any comeback on the ones I've fitted but did do a B&Q screen once that a costomer supplied and it was far lower quality.

I suppose you could drill a small hole up into the socket from the bath side so water drains back to the side you want. But if like I said you only seal the outside of the fixed part any water entering the cup will run down and out the pivot hole.

 

[Eric The Viking]

I have an Ideal Standard one like that.

There should be a sort of 'felt' brush strip running down the inside part of the rotating cylinder to seal the joint. I don't recall water ever coming through the bottom hinge, but it does leak at that end. I built up a "berm" of silicone sealant on top of the moulded ridge on the outer edge of the bath, right at the end by the hinge. It doesn't look very pretty, but it does stop too much water getting onto the floor now.

It's a pretty poor design and has never really done the job properly. If yours is the same, the tongued bit that goes up into the aluminium extrusion is plastic. I used to dismantle it every year to grease it, but about two years ago I forgot to do it, and when I came to it last time it was seized at the bottom. The brass peg in the middle had corroded/got limescale all over it. It was catching, and when I finally got it apart, it was too damaged/worn to work again.

I took the rubber strip off the bottom of the glass, and swapped the plastic bits from top to bottom, so now it doesn't drop into place any more, but does still swivel. Strangely though, this has apparently reduced the mess on the floor after the girls have used it! I think the plastic strip was spreading the dripping area underneath, and now it drips closer to the bath than the outer edge.

I use Vaseline as grease, and I now clean/grease it fairly regularly!

The other thing is that the distance adjuster screws for the whole thing (to the wall) either aren't big enough or there aren't sufficient. they don't stay tightened up, and after a while the hinge sags outwards at the top. I've got some s/s self-tappers from Toolstation and will put some extra screws in.

Have fun ;-)

E.