My faucet nut has very little edge to work with. Please help (see picture for clarification). The nut size is slightly smaller than 1 inch. My 1 inch socket couldn't loosen it.
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1That nut looks to be inside of the outside round piece, so there either is a way to remove the round piece or a way to push up from the bottom. Use the right size socket/wrench, it might be 15/16 or a metric size.– crip659Sep 25 at 19:49
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2Are you absolutely certain that that unscrews, rather than being permanently attached to the body of the tap assembly? Have you found an illustration of the tap being disassembled? Check that that hex profile isn't there to stop a cover etc. from rotating, in which case maintenance access might be from below.– Mark Morgan LloydSep 26 at 7:05
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2Don't worry, I don't think you're a weird faucet nut! You do you boo :-)– einpoklumSep 26 at 7:28
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3 Answers
Get a 10" adjustable wrench. They have smooth jaws and won't scratch up the surface.
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1Yep. The jaws on such a wrench are nice and square, as opposed to a socket, which tends to have an interior chamfer before the "points" begin. So are those on common open-end wrenches, which are another good option. Sep 25 at 19:52
I tend to use Water Pump pliers (10 inch overall). They have cornered faces (120 degrees) which fit four flats of a hexagonal nut, giving a much better grip.
My guess is that the cylindrical part is factory-fitted, and does not even need to be removed. The water flows from the inlet through a slot in the side into the main mixer body. That means it has seals above and below that point, so disturbing it is inadvisable. The skinny grip area is intended to deter you from removing it.
In that case, the underneath side of the cylindrical part will be a brass sleeve two or three inches long (externally threaded), which has the fixing nut and washers for the faucet itself, and a pipe connector fitting, attached, thereby locking the cylindrical part in place (so you will not be able to undo it from the top).
You need to turn off both hot and cold supplies, and work upwards from the pipework: pipe connectors first, then fixing nuts and washers, then lift out the whole faucet.
Anything you need to repair can usually be done from the two ends. The valve part probably pushes down and comes out of the sleeve. If this part does need to be removed (maybe the valve part does come out through the top), it will be easier if the faucet is on a workbench.
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Interesting answer. Can you add an image of water pump pliers to your answer? Sep 29 at 7:44
You need to get a pair of channel lock pliers.
No home should be without them.
If you can't get the nut off with channel locks, the faucet itself should probably be replaced.
Remember to have the water shut off.
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1Channellock is an American brand that reportedly manufactures products in the USA, Taiwan, Canada, and China. They make all sorts of different types of pliers and many other tools. You probably meant tongue and groove pliers. Sep 26 at 8:47
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1The answer doesn't say "Channellock". It says "channel lock", a common and intuitive generic term. Sep 26 at 16:49
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The generic term with a space arose from the original: "This was a breakthrough year for Champion-DeArment as Chief Engineer Howard Manning developed the concept of multi-position, tongue and groove, slip-joint style pliers. The pliers were named "Channellock," and a patent and trademark protection were granted in 1935."– ArmandSep 26 at 21:34
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You are correct, @RockPaperLz-MaskitorCasket, however, most people I know refer to "tongue and groove pliers" as "Channellocks", much as many people refer to "facial tissue" as "Kleenex", or "inline reciprocating saw" as "Sawzall", or "caramel colored carbonated soft drink" as "Coke". As a matter of fact, I need to get some "tongue and groove" pliers and the only thing I could think of was Channellock - I had to go to their website a couple of days ago to figure out what the generic name actually is.– FreeManSep 27 at 13:09