Good tap wrench

[Midge]

I'm looking for a good tap wrench for loosening the pipe nut (as opposed to the back nut) on sink and bath taps.

I have a good wrench already for basin and bath back nuts:

However, the one I use for the pipe nuts is this adjustable one and it doesn't have a good grip when it comes to loosening a really tight nut + it has to be around the nut just right to grip it at all.

Anyone any recommendations?

TIA, Midge

[The Medway Handyman]

I have both of the above but mainly use one of these

Has many other uses as well.

[Midge]

I have one of those as well Dave but the ends are sized for back nuts, rather than pipe nuts + I find it a bit bulky, which is why I ended up with the screwfix item.

Thanks anyway.

Midge.

[Cicero]

=============================== Since you've exhausted the usual possibilities it might be time to make your own. Get a standard combination spanner (ring / open end) of the appropriate size and get someone to bend the open ended part at 90 degrees to the shank. You'll need to find someone with oxyacetylene equipment to do this to get enough heat to be able to do the bend.

You'll have a strong compact custom made spanner and the ring end will take a 'tommy bar' to get some leverage.

Cic.

[Midge]

Hmmmm interesting idea Cic. I was kinda thinking that way myself - but more along the lines of mechanics crows-foot wrenches.

Thing is, I might still have an old set of cheap combi spanners in the garage which I replaced with something decent a few years back.

Ta, Midge.

[Midge]

Looks like my cheapo old combi set isn't big enough anyway Cic!

I've found a Snap-On 15/16AF open ended crow foot spanner (which looks like it will fit 15mm pipe unions + I can use various 3/8 extension bars and universal joints from my socket set). Bit bulky but should shift the tightest of nuts far better than the self-adjusting type (unless anyone can give me a recommendation for one which doesn't slip off).

My Screwfix "bone" wrench will it seems fit the pipe unions on 22mm bath pipework. This strikes me as a bit odd - i.e. one end of the bone wrench fits back nuts on sink taps, and the other end fits unions on bath taps. If anyone can shed any light on this (and for that matter why we've ended up with back nuts and unions different sizes anyway) let me know....!

Midge