Plumbers Mate?

My outside tap was leaking badly, ho hum, what to do? Call in a plumber and pay through the nose or have a go myself?

It was impossible to replace the washer as the joints had welded together. I thought it best to replace everything.

I bought an 'off the shelf' kit which contained an outside tap, a self cutting tap just like the ones that the washing machine hose is connected to, and is designed to clamp to the existing cold supply in the kitchen. Plus a flexible hose for connecting the two taps together.

All I had to do then was remove the old installation. Before getting to work I turned off the mains water at the stop cock. Then I cut through the copper pipes with the hacksaw. To get everything apart I had to repeat the procedure outside.

I closed off the end with a push fit blanking cap and then fitted the self cutting inside tap. With the aid of a wire coat hanger to guide it I pushed the flexible hose through the wall . All I have to do now is secure the new outside tap to the brickwork.

The mains is back on and so far everything appears to be watertight. Yippee.

Plumbers mate? I don't think so because I've done him out of a job.