Freeing tap head gear

[Sawkins]

A while back I went to replace the washer on my basin cold tap, but couldn't undo the nut that holds the head gear on. Even with a ring spanner on the nut and one of those grip wrenches on the spout, it wouldn't budge.

So foolishly I gave up and left it. Now the washer has completely gone - the tap can be turned continuously clockwise and won't close completely. It's letting out about a litre a minute or £4 a day by my calculations.

There are lots of net suggestions on freeing stuck nuts -

- more torque from longer spanner
- hit the nut with a punch and hammer
- heat the tap
- freeze the central bit
- work penetrating oil/WD40/hot candle wax into the thread (bit difficult as the thread is inside the tap body)

Are any of them any good for this situation? The last thing I want is to accidentally twist the tap off the pipe just before Christmas.

 

[tomy]

if you cant undo it , buy new taps!!!!!

 

[longdogs]

In the mean time fit a couple of isolation valves so that you can turn the water off if need be.

 

[Steady]

take tap off and do it in a vice-at least you won't shatter the basin doing it then. Or buy some new taps. Yours for about £8.99 a pair.

 

[Sawkins]

Thanks for these ideas - fortunately the tap has slowed down to a fast drip, which makes everything less urgent.

I think replacing the tap would be within my competence - it's like fitting a tank connector to a float valve, right? just push the connector inside the tap tail and tighten the outer nut onto the thread of the tap?

The thing about plumbing is, it's easy to get into a situation you can't get yourself out of.

 

[Sawkins]

Just some closure - got it undone by heating the outer part with a heat gun, and making sure that the tap wasn't turned completely off before I started. Thanks to whoever suggested the last one, it was in a different thread which I can't find now.

I put a whole replacement headwork in, and Bob's your uncle's plumber.