belfast sink and waste

[djellworth]

Hello All
When we moved into our victorian terrace we inherited an unused belfast sink which we are now trying to put to use in the laundry (basement) room.
Having realised how shockingly heavy the damned thing is (100kg?) the next problem is that the only waste I can get hold of is 1 1/2 inches - it is a slotted waste to account for the built-in overflow. Now the problem is that the actual hole that this fits into is more like 2 1/2 inches so:
- the chrome plug hole looks a bit small (but not the end of the world)
- the plastic locking nut barely covers the hole underneath the sink when I try to secure it - there is no way this will be water tight without serious fettling
- the chromed threaded down-tube is really difficult to centre

Some questions:
Can I get a 2 1/2 inch waste? - I have googled at length to no avail
Do I fashion something to hold the waste central?
Do I use masses of plumbers mait/silicon sealant and so on and jam the thing up to try and make it water tight? - although I fear this will result in blocking the overflow slot....

Advice gratefully accepted
cheers
Nick

 

[yamin]

With all the work you've done to try and source the right sized waste, I see you as having two remaining options
1. Bodge it and try to seal yourself - can you do this before you go to all the trouble of fitting it? Then, if that doesn't work and it leaks, try option 2
2. Use it to plant a herb garden!

 

[Flyfisher]

Our house has a right old mixture of different plumbing, from modern copper to old lead and iron pipework. I've recently been adding/changing some pipework and have had to get various adaptors from one size to another. My experience is that all sorts of adaptors and fittings are available but many are not advertised online as they are seldom needed.

Basically, you need to find a 'proper' plumbing supplier (i.e. not the DIY sheds or Screwfix) and talk to them. I use a place called Stevenage Plumbing Supplies and they are very knowledgeable and with only one exception have always had everything I needed in stock - and the one time they didn't they told me where to get it.

Not immediately helpful, I know, but I've found that tracking down people and suppliers that really understand old houses is all part of the challenge! But be assured that whatever you need is almost certainly out there, somewhere.

 

[Penners]

I agree entirely with Flyfisher. Find a good plumber's merchants and talk over the problem with them. If you get the right bloke, he'll scratch his head, mumble a bit and then start digging around in drawers and boxes, to find various fittings and adaptors to get you sorted out.

If that doesn't work, try wandering about a few of the local architectural reclamation yards. They often have boxes of old-fashioned plumbing bits.

And if you do end up having to bodge with mastic, the absolutely best stuff is LSX, made by Fernox. Any plumber's merchant should sell it in small tubes.

 

[djellworth]

Many thanks for all the tips.

I did get the current waste from a "proper plumbers merchants" (one in which they are friendly and do their best to help me but I always feel like I am not quite the sort they want in there! I hide my flashy car round the corner to keep under the radar but still always leave feeling like something of a schoolboy/lesser-being, nevertheless). I shall go back to them after Easter and see if they can dig something up - it is basically a victorian town (Ilkley, West Yorks) so I suspect they are used to providing for the older market.

Cheers again

 

[yamin]

I hide my flashy car round the corner

Maybe you should send the chauffeur in for you????? :lol: :lol: (I'm just jealous, I remember flashy cars........)

 

[FamilyWiggs]

(I'm just jealous, I remember flashy cars........)

"Fire up the Quattro!"

Does this place help:

http://www.antiquetaps.com/ProdCat.aspx?StoreID=12

Towards the bottom of the page they have this nifty looking thing:

http://www.antiquetaps.com/Product.aspx?pID=184

Hard to tell the dimensions though, but this firm (or similar) might be worth a ring.

Incidentally I learned through this research not to google "2 1/2 inch rubber plug" with the explicit filter set to "off" when there are children in the room! :shock:

 

[skier-hughes]

Ordered my new sink and waste over the internet and had it delivered. It was delivered via our local plumb centre
http://www.plumbcenter.co.uk/plumb/index.html

Give them a call, they didn't stock one when I asked direct, but obviously can get them

Now if I could find the wseb site where I got the sink from it'd help

 

[Penners]

I hide my flashy car round the corner .....it is basically a victorian town (Ilkley, West Yorks)

If tha's got a flashy car, could it also be that tha's a soothern nancy?

If so, then tha's got no chance, tha knows.

 

[robgil]

a bit late but here goes, you wont get anything bigger than 1 1/2'' waste , the trick is to use a sealing compound and large rubber washer. run a bead of compound or silicone around the flange of the waste then fit it into the sink making sure the slots in the waste line up with the slots in the sink , then use a large rubber/plastic washer and a bead of compound or silicone on the washer and nip up the back nut. its fiddly but you will get there in the end.
i tend to use a none setting compound.