Tap head stuck on spindle

[ryan1]

The shower and tub tap heads in my bathroom won't budge at all. I've even tried a tap-head removal tool but still nothing.

They all have a small hole that goes in about an inch (indicated with an arrow in the image). Is it possible this is some sort of release mechanism?

Any advice greatly appreciated!

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @ryan1. It's wonderful that you've joined us, and many thanks for your question about disassembling your tap.

That style tap handle pulls straight off, and I've never seen them have any locking mechanism in a hole or not. They can get quite seized in place, and a long screwdriver passed behind them and used as a lever can assist. Be careful not to crack your tiles. It's always a good idea to apply a decent amount of WD40 in case it assists in releasing the handle.

There appears to be extensive damage to the top of the spindle. It could well be mushroomed and peened over, stopping the handle from being removed. Was that damage there originally, or was it caused by the tap puller? 

I don't often recommend the following method, but it has worked for me in a pinch. Turn the tap completely to the left and use a wrench on the tap handle to apply more pressure anti-clockwise. Occasionally this can un-screw the tap spindle from the wall. You'll then be left with the tap handle stuck on the spindle, but those are replaceable.

Let me mention @redracer01 to see if he has any other ideas.

Mitchell

[ryan1]

Awesome - thanks for the advice. I'll give both of those a go.

And yes the spindle damage is from my attempts with the tap puller. 

[redracer01]

Hello @ryan1 

Welcome to Bunnings Workshop! The little hole you see inside is actually a water weep hole that allows any water that enters to drain out. Looking at the picture I'm afraid the puller has mashed the head and has mushroomed the top of the spindle. @MitchellMc 's diagnosis is correct! To add to his suggestion of using a flat head screw driver as a lever to force the head off, make sure to use a thick old shirt around the base just in case your hand slips or the tool slips. It will serve as a buffer and prevent the tiles from getting damaged.

Second alternative is to force the head off along with the spindle, this is actually a very good idea as it prevents any other accidental damaged to the plumbing inside your wall. I suggest using a pipe wrench if you can get your hands on one. A pipe wrench when used in the correct manner will "grip" any pipe it comes in contact with and will not let go. Hence an excellent tool to grip the ungainly handle, again make sure to use a shirt to protect the surroundings in case of an accidental slip.

Third and final option is to use a grinder and cut the handle in half. Tapping with a hammer or mangling the handle will not produce desirable results as it will damage the spindle and could possibly damage the breech inside the wall. Please keep us updated on your progress and if there is anything else we can help you with please post it here on workshop.

Cheers,

Red

Use with caution.

[Noyade]

Old thread, but having stumbled across it...

Would a traditional three pronged gear-puller work in this situation? It looks far sturdier than the Haron tap puller.

A Bunnings live chat operator suggested not. Possibly the grabbing lugs would be too small?

[Noyade]

I wonder how Ryan got on with this tap?

[EricL]

Hello @ryan1 

Have you successfully repaired your taps? What repair method did you eventually end up using? Any updates you can provide would be much appreciated. If you have any new D.I.Y. projects on the go, please don't hesitate to share them.

Eric

[ryan1]

Long awaited update:

I tried forcing the taphead counterclockwise to unscrew the entire thing but ended up snapping the end of the spindle. Eventually got a plumber and he found that someone had filled the holes in the tile with grout, so the taps were cemented in there. He chiseled it all out and replaced the taps with no other issue. Not sure how he managed to get the other tap heads off.

Ryan

[MitchellMc]

Glad to hear you ended up resolving the issue @ryan1. I've come across cemented in spindles before. For the life of me, I can't understand why anyone would do that when you need to remove them periodically to change the tap washer.

Thanks for updating us.

Mitchell