Hi, I am trying to remove a set of basin taps and cannot loosen the brass backnut on one. The recess it sits in is quite small so a basin wrench will not fit. I have tried a backnut box spanner but it is not the correct size and it appears to be rounding the nut. Someone has mentioned "heating up" is this possible and how is it done or any other suggestions??
Backnut
- Thread starter Keith Lewis
- Start date
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Now you can see the problem a plumber gets when he replaces taps for a customer ( who does not want to pay more than about £45 ! )
Obviously you need to have a box spanner which fits properly!
Heating the nut only is not possible in that situation.
At the extreme you may have to use an angle grinder to cut the top off the tap from above.
Tony
Obviously you need to have a box spanner which fits properly!
Heating the nut only is not possible in that situation.
At the extreme you may have to use an angle grinder to cut the top off the tap from above.
Tony
You can heat the tap above with a blowlamp - heat will conduct through and warm the whole assembly which will soften any goo that someone might have used.
You can also drill the tap off - has been covered before, try a search.
You can also drill the tap off - has been covered before, try a search.
I carefully did not suggest that because the OP had been advised to heat the nut to obtain a differential expansion advantage.
In this case I suppose heating it is unlikely to do any harm and just possibly might solve the problem.
There is another much better solution but that will need a "long series" HSS drill of about 6 mm. These are difficult to find except from a specialist supplier. If you have a lathe you can braze a rod onto a drill shank to extend it!
This can be used to drill into the nut from underneath with the objective of allowing it to split the nut.
Tony
In this case I suppose heating it is unlikely to do any harm and just possibly might solve the problem.
There is another much better solution but that will need a "long series" HSS drill of about 6 mm. These are difficult to find except from a specialist supplier. If you have a lathe you can braze a rod onto a drill shank to extend it!
This can be used to drill into the nut from underneath with the objective of allowing it to split the nut.
Tony
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Have fun trying to drill a backnut from underneath! No need for a special drill it's only brass so sharpen a masonry bit if you fancy your chances.
I have split one with a very sharp chisel from underneath, but there's a risk of cracking the basin.
If you take the top off the tap you can poke a blowlamp up from underneat if the burner is long enough, too.
As I said easiest is probably to drill the middle of the tap out from above. You can use a sharpened flatbit - do the search suggested.
If you can undo the nut a little, you can sometimes get a hacksaw blade under the tap, but the risks are obvious.
These days I don't have any difficulty, having accumulated a choice of about 8 spanners over the years...
I have split one with a very sharp chisel from underneath, but there's a risk of cracking the basin.
If you take the top off the tap you can poke a blowlamp up from underneat if the burner is long enough, too.
As I said easiest is probably to drill the middle of the tap out from above. You can use a sharpened flatbit - do the search suggested.
If you can undo the nut a little, you can sometimes get a hacksaw blade under the tap, but the risks are obvious.
These days I don't have any difficulty, having accumulated a choice of about 8 spanners over the years...
The recess under a basin is usually too deep to be able to use a standard length HSS drill.
Grinding a TC tipped drill is not so easy either. I expect a diamond cutting wheel would do it though. At least long masonry drills are very cheap.
Tony
Grinding a TC tipped drill is not so easy either. I expect a diamond cutting wheel would do it though. At least long masonry drills are very cheap.
Tony
M
Moz
a dremall or the Hitachi tile/wood cutter , is good ...
upside down in awkward places..
an regarding buying these tools , You earn more cause its either this or the whole lots gonna come out ,an extra tenner on a job is no big prob then ..
upside down in awkward places..
an regarding buying these tools , You earn more cause its either this or the whole lots gonna come out ,an extra tenner on a job is no big prob then ..
i recomend you dont put heat any where near the tap unless u want a new basin. I guess the taps are on an old basin,probably with putty in a square hole to stop leakage.Bad to get off ,good for basin manufactuers.
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