Help me remove a stuck bath tap!!

[Far North]

Hi All
I'm in the middle of changing the taps on my bath. I had a real fight to get the cold tap off but am stumped by the hot tap. I don't want to have to remove the bath as its tiled in and nicely sealed. The bath is situated in an alcove and has walls on three sides, the hot tap is more towards the back wall than the cold and thus has even less room to maneuver.

The keeper nut (don't know it's proper name i'm affraid) that is under the bath is tighter than a gnats whatsit. It may also have some filler/sealer helping it stay jam fast. There is only about an eighth of a turn of wrench space so i can't get much turn on it and have already slightly damaged the nut as my wrench slips off under maximum force.

Short of getting my angle grinder out and probably wrecking the really nice ceramic bath, is there anything i can do?

yours,
bruised cut and bleeding at the knuckles

Far North

 

[ChrisR]

If you can get the pipe off the tap, you can use a box spanner on the backnut. Plumbers merchants sell them. Ifit's got old fashioned sot of goo on it, pour boiling water over the tap and the heat'll conduct through and soften the goo.

If you remove the tap valve, you see the washer seat. If you use a 3/4" drill(sharpened masonry bit will do it, or a flat bit at a pinch) you can drill all the brass out. Doesn't take long. When you get to the bath level, the tap comes off in your hand and you fill the waste with brass drillings if you forgot to put the plug in

 

[Far North]

Thanks for that, will try that this evening - round two is after dinner.

I note that you are based in 'Antartica'. Are you working for BAS? Several of my freinds were/are field assistants down there, you may know them, Toddy, Rob Jarvis, Kirk Watson, Andy L ?

Cheers again,
Far North

 

[superskanker]

have u tried a tap spanner?

 

[Far North]

Yes, but because of the limited space can only get it on parallel to the pipe, thus no torque leverage.