Cannot reach basin tap to tighten

[Gareth Davies]

Hopefully someone can suggest an easy solution.

I'm trying to tighten a loose tap on a hand basin.

I've tried using a basin wrench - both the fixed head spanner like type and the spring loaded column type with no success.

I can get the wrench on to the nut but there just isn't enough room to get a good grip or to turn the nut. Here's a picture of the problem:

So far I've only managed to hand tighten the nut!

I can't see a solution to this other than maybe removing the water connection pipe and then finding a very deep socket spanner to reach the nut. This would mean extra expense in buying the spanner and it would probably be just as cheap to call a plumber which also sounds like a crazy waste of money for what should be an easy job.

The other option is to take the basin off the wall but I foresee problems in doing this.

Is there something obvious I am missing?

[Matthias Czech]

Am 24.04.2014 12:03, schrieb Gareth Davies:

Feed google with the term (universal) basin wrench and see what happens. HTH

[fred]

In article , DerbyBorn writes

I'm inclined to agree, I've played with various new and old school toys to do this (and knackered elbows through over stressing on a long reach) and have always come back to a simple plumbers' box spanner.

[Tricky Dicky]

You may still have a problem with a box spanner depending on how long the f lexible part of the connector is and if the nut on the other end is larger the box spanner will not fit over it. One solution to use a box spanner is cut out one of the sides of the hexagon, then extend the slot part way down the tube of the box spanner making sure the resulting slot is slightly wid er than the flexible part of the connector. An angle grinder will probably make the modification easy but equally a hacksaw and a file should do. Slid e the box spanner over the nut allowing the flexible part of the connector to poke out of the slot and with the connector temporarily disconnected fro m the inlet pipe you should be able to tighten the back nut. Do not worry a bout weakening the box spanner as these types of connectors have rubber was hers and do not need tightening up to the same degree fibre washered connec tors do.

Richard

[Scott M]

Basin box spanners are a fiver from Toolstation. Bought one the other week, should have bought one years ago even allowing for the infrequent usage.

[Brian Gaff]

Cannot see the picture, but way back in my youth, I saw a plumber use what amounted to a box spanner with an extension drive so the force could be applied beyond the narrow part of the job. Of course these taps had long pipe connection threads and hence it was then easy to do up the pipes afterwards. I also recall that he had some kind of paste that hardened to keep the taps in the right place for years. I suppose you want to do it without taking the pipes off, in that case, good luck!

Brian

[Rick Hughes]

remove the flexy pip, and use a standard basin wrench then refit flexy pipe.

I have both of these ...

but find the swivel one most useful.

[The Medway Handyman]

I could do it in 5 mins, but I doubt you are in the Medway Towns :-)

One of the joys of being a full time handyman is that you can justify buying the right tools for the job.

Box spanners specifically for this cost very little.

[Scion]

Gareth Davies put finger to keyboard:

Try this:

Loosen the connection by turning the tap body anti-clockwise a quarter of a turn. Do the nut up hand-tight again. Hold the nut steady and turn the tap body clockwise to tighten.

[BartC]

That's along the lines of what I would try.

I wouldn't loosen the nut, but turn *both* tap and nut together, anti-clockwise seen from the top, perhaps rather more than 1/4 turn. Then turn the tap to it's normal position while holding the nut (with fingers if that's easier).

If not completely tight, then repeat.

This might need the water pipe loosened (turn off the water, or run the tap and have a towel to mop up any leaks. Note: I haven't tried this! Usually the pipe is disconnected). Remember to re-tighten.

[F Murtz]

He tried one of those two but said it did not work.

[DerbyBorn]

Sorry,

[F Murtz]

Taa.

[Gareth Davies]

Thanks guys. This is really good advice.

In the end I went for a monoblock spanner like this one:

But no job I do seems to be simple. Having wasted money on a fixed head and then a rotating head tap spanner - and then a monoblock spanner - I found that the plastic pipework under/near the sink got in the way. So I had to remove the u-bend and pipework next to it and then struggled to get it back together again.

With the cost of the spanners I calculate that the "diy" job cost me just under £30 in terms of cold cash. The stress and head scratching is another story.

So for about the same price and much less time I could have got someone in to do it (not a plumber - £55 minimum here - but maybe a jack of all trades).

[The Medway Handyman]

I would have done it for £30 'on my way home' :-)

[JimK]

Cough, cash? :-)

Jim K

[meow2222]

Now you've got the tools and ability to do all further cases of such a job

- at no further cost or hassle.

NT