Another stuck tap handle

[Tomat35]

I’ve undone the grub screw but the tap handle won’t come off it seems like it’s still connected to something
If I force it around more than the quarter turn there is a grinding do I need to force it off? Cue the cartoon style plume of water from the tap
I appreciate your help

 

[RandomGrinch]

With grub screw undone, pull it away from the tap!
If that doesn't work, gently lever a small screwdriver in gap between handle and tap body.
Don't try and turn it!

 

[Tomat35]

Okay, I’ve tried a bit but it could be quite stiff then. A while ago the cold tap was a problem and I can’t remember having any problems.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

It will just be a bit of limescale jamming it. If you haven't already - remove the grub screw completely, then just level the head off. Maybe a flat wide screwdriver, with some rag to prevent damage - over the end.

 

[Tomat35]

Thank you both for your help, didn’t have much luck with lever but with some newspaper protection this did the trick. Sometimes you just need a bit of confidence backing to force something knowing you’re not going to break it.

Now I just need to do the actual job of changing the cartridge…

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Soak the original cartridge in lemon juice - it will remove the limescale, allowing it to seal, assuming it it dripping?

 

[RandomGrinch]

Well done!

 

[Tomat35]

Yes it’s dripping but also leaks a little from the handle too, so I did think a replacement would solve both. The cartridge itself looks a little different from the videos I’ve seen, should it be treated differently?

 

[Tomat35]

So it doesn’t have any splines, just a tiny indentation for the grub screw to hold onto.
I don’t know the tap make so will a spline version work, as long as the other dimensions are the same?

 

[RandomGrinch]

It looks like a standard cartridge, you just have to recover the screw and cap from the end of the old cartridge to put back on the new one (this is what the grub screw in the handle bites into).
The spline length on replacement cartridges can be critical, so measure twice!

 

[Tomat35]

So the replacement cartridge will have splines? Just make sure the overall length is the same?

 

[RandomGrinch]

Have you undone the screw? I suspect when you take the cap off, there may be splines underneath!

 

[Tomat35]

Not undone the screw, oh right, that was the screw and cap you mentioned.

 

[Tomat35]

There’s no hand hits head emoji

 

[Tomat35]

It all makes sense now