Bathroom faucet replacement

My bath faucet has leaked for some time, and I finally got around to putting in a new one.

I replaced it with a Reich Kama, with the same Julia hand shower. The Kama fits the same 35 mm hole that the original one did (can't remember the name).

This is my third time pulling the sink, so its old hat, but I was determined to do something about the cause of the faucet leaks. As many know, the Reich's use a sort of slip-fit/o-ring setup, with a locking pin inserted to keep the connection in place.

Personally, I think the arrangement sucks, because it's not very forgiving of any off-axis tension the way a normal screw-on connection would be. The first picture shows how one of the fittings has worked out from it's socket, even though the locking pin is still in place. This was the source of the leak behind the sink.

In the case of my replacement, I also sourced some Reich angled fittings that I hope will alleviate some of the strain that Westfalia puts on the hoses in their torturous path under the sink..

I are-purposed the original hoses, as they seem to be a thinner wall than the stuff I could find locally, and I used some elbows to prevent kinking. This, however, made installing the new faucet a little more complicated, in that I had to install the faucet without the hoses, then make up the push-in connections, then insert the locking pin. Instead of the Reich pin, I used a 10d finish nail, which has the same diameter. I bent it so that it can be extracted with some pliers, in case I gotta take the faucet out again in the future.

I also remembered to lay down masking tape for the caulk job BEFORE I screwed the sink back down, so my caulk job came out awesome. GE almond caulk is a pretty good match for the bathroom liner.

Works great!

@Riptide

Now I found your post, this is awesome, I finally get to see what it looks like behind that dang board , looks like there is hope I can fix my bathroom leaking problem.

So you replace your Riech Kama from here right ? https://www.leisureshopdirect.com/w...-kama-with-shower-julia-with-push-fit-nozzles

May I ask you where did you get that elbows?

Shadowmixer said:

@Riptide
So you replace your Riech Kama from here right ? https://www.leisureshopdirect.com/w...-kama-with-shower-julia-with-push-fit-nozzles

May I ask you where did you get that elbows?

Click to expand...

I got the elbows at the local hardware store; nothing exotic. That looks like the right faucet.

@Riptide ,

Finally got my sink off, here is what I see, I guess the problem coming from the outlet that already has the O ring exposed outside, do you know how to take the pin off ? the pin looks like being "glue" inside , I am really scared of using force and mess up everything , any advice ?

Edit: I have successfully pull the pin out , all the inlet out let, even O-ring looks pretty good, I wonder why that outlet got push out so the O-ring exposed outside, of course it will leak, I suspect the faucet can't handle too much water pressure, I have the water pressure regulator when I connect the city water, but I bet the first owner didn't even care about those thing, so now I am just gonna put silicon and try to bond those inlet and outlet as tight as I can, I will also order a new faucet just in case , who knows for how long they will have those in stock

Look at the various basin wrenches available at big-box or Amazon. Try to estimate the size of the nut first. I bought one to replace a home kitchen faucet for about $12 and found a few other uses to reach and turn awkward-to-reach stuff.

ok I took the faucet out, at least part of it, it is very obvious that the center outlet couldn't hold up water pressure and being pushed out , that's why I can see the o-ring when I pull off the sink. I know I am over doing it, I put JB waterweld just to make sure they won't go anywhere in the future, I mean, who need that not-so-secured secure pin when human already have JB weld lol ........

I think this is a good solution. I never understood the pin. It only contacts a very small portion of the retaining ring of each push fitting, and you're now relying on the slip-in o-ring to withstand pressure. A totally stupid way to make a plumbing system. Next time I pull my sink, I'm doing this too.

Ron_S said:

Look at the various basin wrenches available at big-box or Amazon. Try to estimate the size of the nut first. I bought one to replace a home kitchen faucet for about $12 and found a few other uses to reach and turn awkward-to-reach stuff.

Click to expand...

Once the cabinet is out, you don't really need a basin wrench; that nut is very easy to get too. In the picture, the item to the left is the cabinet tambour door pushed all the way open. Retracting that door gives full access to that nut.

@Ron_S , @Riptide

Thank you all for the advice, one more problem solved and out of my fix list

And since I am there already, I just took out those 18 years old caulking and put new one, I think, and I hope that's it and I don't have to worry about my bathroom for next few years.

My guess would be frost damage. If the tap wasn't fully drained any freeze would push some part or other apart.

PS I have almost identical taps in my UK MH and have a couple of spares to keep me going with parts. If you need to know how to dismantle them just say.

Cheyenne said:

My guess would be frost damage. If the tap wasn't fully drained any freeze would push some part or other apart.

Click to expand...

You know, I hadn't thought of that. That makes alot of sense. I usually do blow my water system down, but maybe one year I didn't. I dunno.

For what it's worth -- and of course it won't bring your faucet back to life -- it is not necessary to "blow out" the Westy water system. This is detailed in the manual except for the steps in bold:

0. Dump grey and black tanks
1. Open fresh water fill cap (to let air in)
2. Open fresh water drain (below van on L side)
3. Shut off water pump using switch inside dish drainer
4. Open galley sink faucet to warm setting
5. Open shower sink faucet to warm setting; extend shower and hang in bracket
6. Open yellow toggle valve below water heater. If water does not drain from heater, remove 27mm anode rod
7. Flush toilet a couple of times
8. Press your finger a few times in the spring-loaded city water one-way valve (outside the van)
9. Put some RV antifreeze in the three drain taps.
10. When drained, replace shower in sink (a fall from that height could break it or the sink).
11. Replace fresh water fill cap
12. Close drain valves.

Yeah, I'm pretty good about winterizing, and I use the RV antifreeze liberally. Who knows what caused the fitting to pop out? It's a dumb design though.