About 8 weeks ago we had a new kitchen tap, one of these;

Kitchen tap, Screwfix

https://ibb.co/GxPhZ1t

It has a tiny grub screw around the back of the tap. Now the issue we have is when we move the tap from side to side, 180 degrees, after a while the tap becomes loose and often when the tap is turned on, water will shoot up and soaks everything!

I am no plumber, but to me this tap and design is simply s’#t!

Any advice? Or is it simply a matter of changing the tap?

Sounds faulty to me.

Probably just needs a new o-ring. On our tap it swivels from the top (not the base like yours). Anyway ours leaks water too. If you undo the grub screw you can lift the tap up and there will be a rubber o-ring that needs replacing. Trouble with ours is i have never found an exact size replacement so the o-ring replacement i fit usually only lasts a few weeks before going again.

But on a new tap i would be looking at getting it replaced.

We have one at work the same. It is a built in design feature. Just get a different design tap. It’s failed three times in less than a year.

I had same thing with a cheap mixer tap from B&Q or Screwfix or somewhere similar (unfortunately yes £50 is cheap), the pressure was too much for the tiny grub screw once it had rusted a bit. It is a poor design and a lot of the cheaper ones use it. Made sure I bought a better quality one the next occasion, I think my current one is Abode. I’d take it back and get your money back or a credit, then, because decent ones are so expensive, buy online.

Just a quick search and this example has a screw locking collar to hold the spout and rrp is £110 but £65 online.
https://www.google.com/search?q=abode+nexa+monobloc&source=lnms&tbm=shop&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjCysq_4v_iAhVBi1wKHYShCT4Q_AUIECgB&biw=1280&bih=579#spd=2900810823557550187

My parents have a similar one. Top half is fixed to a base section, which are held together with two grub screws. It held together for about 6 months, but now needs attention about every other week. Utterly crap design.

This is sort of thing they should make illegal. In my view its been made deliberately just well enough to last just long enough so that it wont be returned once it inevitably fails.

As a slight side note, i went to a talk given by Ian Walker, a scientist with interest in endurance cycling/sports and things like road safety. The talk was about some ride he’d completed. In absence of a crowd fluffer, he gave a little story of his first job. Worked in a factory making blinds for office windows. His job was to take apart assembled, ready for sale, blinds, removed a brass (last forever) fitting and replace it with a nylon (fail in 3 years) one. Deliberate build in obsolescence. He’s a good speaker if you ever get the chance to hear him.

It will just be a dry o ring. When you turn the spout the ring will be distorting, that’s why the water is coming out. Happens a lot on new taps, expensive or cheap,
hence why I usually grease the rings up upon installation. Take spout off and inspect the o-ring, if it looks OK, get some silicon grease and cake it on. Spray stuff won’t last long, better with a thick grease from a tube or tub.