How to slacken single spout mixer tap

May 06, 2018 8 Replies

It is normal taps hot & cold (kitchen) with a central spout. The spout has become stiff to swivel so was planning to take off and clean to see if this eases it. It has a grub screw at the rear which I have taken out but still I cannot release the spout, I presume it is just a tight fit. Any ideas.


ss wrote on 06/05/2018 :

It should have two different diameters/pipes inside the spout to keep hot away from cold until it exits the spout, so two O rings providing the sealing. Once the grub screw is out, the spout should just pull up and out, but lime-scale may be holding it.

Soft water here but could be a build up over the years. I have applied a fair bit of force but no luck so far, I might try soaking in vinegar and see if that helps.

I can swivel it left & right (although stiff) but awkward to get a strong upward lift.

ss formulated on Sunday :

You would struggle to get vinegar to soak its way in, past the O ring seals.

See if you can insert a suitable length of wood, between the tap end of the spout, close to where it bends over and the top of the sink. Using the wood as the fulcrum, press down on the spout. Your next option will be to remove the tap and get it in a vice, to try pulling the spout out.

I will try with some wood to lever it, removing the tap not an option as soldered to copper pipe and not flexi hose and almost impossible to get a wrench in. I previously had to get someone to tighten the nut that holds the tap to the underside of the sink, with limited access I just didnt have the strength to make any impression.

descaler if your water is hard Then mole grips and a towel

OK I never managed because of the angles to get vice grips or use wood for levering, I even tried with my wife holding the taps down while I sat on the sink with the taps between my legs and pulled upwards on the spout (no comments please) and it wouldnt budge. Eventually I managed to get a couple of thin screwdrivers at opposing ends under it and lever them upwards, after several attempts it popped off. o-rings look ok but there was a nylon washer that looked like it had old and caked grease, cleaned it and for now smeared with vaseline and much smoother and easier to swivel.

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