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How to fix stiff tap on Mondella Maestro 35mm chrome lever handle sink mixer?

We have the “Mondella Maestro 35mm Chrome Lever Handle Sink Mixer” kitchen tap and it was leaking so we went to Bunnings and the staff gave us 2 new O rings out of the demo tap and we put those into our tap and covered them in Hydroseal. At first it’s nice and loose but after about 10 swivels it goes partly stiff again, and then I leave it for an hour and it’s very stiff. I’ve done this multiple times and cleaned out the gunk and even tried a spare tap (top part), and spare nylon washer inside in case it was that but it hasn’t helped.

I can’t think what the issue could be, especially as it’s nice and loose after lubing and then goes stiff again quickly. Are the new O rings from the demo bad, or is the Hydroseal not working?

Any

help appreciated.

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Akanksha

Sorry to hear about the troubles with your tap, @jonathan_aus.

Apologies for the slow reply. I'm sure our resident Bunnings D.I.Y. experts on the site will be happy to help as soon as they can. Let me also tag our knowledgeable members @CSParnell, @Jewelleryrescue and @Noyade in case they have any thoughts in the meantime.

Let me also extend a warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. We're delighted to have you join us. Please don't hesitate to let us know if you have any questions on how to get the most out of the site.

Akanksha

Jason

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @jonathan_aus.

Sorry about your tap and the slow reply. I'm sure one of our resident Bunnings D.I.Y. experts will be happy to assist. In the meantime, let me see if helpful member @JacobZ95 can share his thoughts.

Jason

EricL

Hello @jonathan_aus

My apologies for the late reply. It's good to know that you've replaced the O ring and applied HydroSeal. I suspect that hot water is somehow reaching the O rings and dissolving the HydroSeal. I suggest changing grease type and using Rectorseal 59ml Plumbers Grease.

I propose being generous with the grease and placing some inside the tap body as well instead of just the O rings. But if the spout becomes stiff once again, I recommend having a look at your docket and see if you can still claim warranty on it.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

jonathan_aus

Thanks for your reply Eric!

Before even running the water, the tap goes stiff so I’m not confident plumbers grease would fix it. Hydroseal seems to be what I’ve seen recommended on other threads and by Bunnings staff in store so curious why it would be if it’s affected by hot water? I definitely added a liberal amount of the HydroSeal on the O rings as well as inside the tap that it rubs on, in case it was that but didn’t make any difference.

FYI it was this one, not the one you linked, this one says suitable for hot and cold - https://www.bunnings.com.au/hydroseal-40g-tube-tap-lubricant_p0436117

My only other thought is that possibly the O rings are not seated properly or are swollen (even though they took them out of the unused demo tap). I may be able to swap out the O rings from my other tap.

I suppose I’ll buy and try Plumbers Grease though first, just strange as I bought HydroSeal as it’s what everyone recommends.

EricL

Hello @jonathan_aus

The Rectorseal is a heavy-duty grease able to take higher temperatures. But I agree with your suspicion that the O rings might be swollen or are the incorrect size. I suggest getting a Syneco 3 - 22mm O Rings Assorted Set and see if there is a set that will give you better performance.

If you need further assistance, please let me know.

Eric

jonathan_aus

Thanks Eric. Can you confirm the diameter of the O ring for my tap? Is it 2mm? That pack specifies 2mm so just want to confirm it’s the right one for the tap I have.

EricL

Hi @jonathan_aus

If you feel a larger size is necessary, there is also the Kinetic Assorted Sizes O Ring Kit - 43 Pack. It comes with a 3mm thickness the Syneco set only comes with a 2.5mm maximum thickness for the size that you need. You'll need to do a trial and error and see which O ring will fit best.

Eric

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