Q: Hello, We have a number of Bradley 6324 Dispensers in granite countertops, however the hole bored in the granite is larger than the 1” diameter specified for this purpose. I believe the hole is 1 3/8” diameter, or likely a little bigger. As a result, the shoulder of the “shank” doesn’t sit on top of the granite surface, but falls through the hole entirely. When threaded on, the escutcheon seats onto the countertop and this allows installation and operation. However, it is not possible to remove the escutcheon and fill from the top (instead, the only way to fill is by unscrewing/removing the bottle from underneath. Also, servicing or replacement of the valve is not possible without complete disassembly. Additionally, the sloppy fit between the shank and oversized hole makes it difficult to properly center & tighten everything. Do you have any recommendations on how to remedy this situation? It seems this could be fixed with an intermediate escutcheon that reduces the 1 3/8” hole to 1”. Ideally this would have a step/shoulder that recesses into the hole to provide centering. I saw your “Bradley P19-053 1" Spacer”, but it 1” is perhaps too tall, and it doesn’t have the 1 3/8” step to recess/center into the 1 3/8” hole. Something like this could work if there was another way to center the shank inside the 1 3/8” hole, with some sort of threaded sleeve or even just a short piece of tubing to act as a spacer. I think the “Bradley P19-169 Shank - Chrome-Plated Brass” could be part of the solution by providing extra strength for tightening, and to make the fix permanent. Just my thoughts. Please let me know if you have recommendations or other products for this issue. Incidentally, we also need to pump parts for maintenance, and we really should upgrade to the 34 oz size. I think this will mean purchasing the entire “Model 6324-68” plus parts to fix the wrong hole size. We are constantly struggling with empty soap dispensers, loose soap dispensers, and many parts are just worn out from use/abuse. We probably have about 50 of these dispensers in our main office buildings, only about 5 years old though. Thank you for your time. I appreciated your online information which helped to identify our problems. This small project would likely be passed along to our maintenance department but I wanted to give them a decent solution if possible, and will also pass along your company information for purchase consideration.
A: How thick is your countertop?
Q: Countertop is 3cm thick
A: Why not allow me to sell you a short length of Soft PVC Plastic Tubing that will have a 1-3/8” OD with a 1” ID, you cut it to your 1 3/16” thickness and epoxy that short length of tube into place so that it acts as a reducer as seen here:
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Q: That would help with centering the shank within the hole, but it would not fix the main problem. The outside diameter of the largest upper shoulder of the shank is smaller than 1 3/8” and falls into the countertop hole. Instead of the shank resting on top of the countertop, the escutcheon must be screwed onto the shank and it holds the shank in place. Then, when the sing nut is screwed onto the shank against the underside of the countertop, the escutcheon is tightened against the countertop. In this installation, it is not possible to refill or service the dispenser from above the countertop. If the spanner wrench were used to loosen the escutcheon, the whole shank and soap bottom would fall to the floor.
A: What about a need a custom-made fender washer made of stainless steel that would then be epoxy to the countertop that would be .050” thick?