BS: How to remove faucet handle

Subject: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: Melissa
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 06:13 PM

I am trying to replace a washer in my tub faucet and can't figure out how to get the cockadoody handle off.

How does it work?


Thanks,
M

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: Bert
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 06:23 PM

Most faucets have a press in cap on the top. This can be pried off gently with the point of a sharp knife.

Underneath you will find a screw or a nut that holds the handle on.

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: GUEST,999
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 06:23 PM

Do you have the water to the tub turned off? If not, first put on a wet suit.

What is are the bathtub faucets? And about how old?

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: Melissa
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 06:26 PM

I took the screw off and turned the faucet all the way on (which makes it get longer..thought maybe that's how to unscrew the inside nut thingy) I'm just kind of leery of trying to force-turn it further open in case that's the way to break it instead of the way to get inside..

When I take the handle off, water will shoot out all over the bathroom if I don't turn off the main, right?

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: GUEST,999
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 06:29 PM

Meant to say 'what make is'. If it has a plastic doodad in the center of the faucet handles, Bert just nailed it in one.

Before you pry that thingy off, put the plug (stopper) in the hole in the tub so stuff doesn't go down the drain, and remember the order in which things are removed so you can duplicate the process in reverse to reassemble it all.

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: Songwronger
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 06:30 PM

Oh yeah. Turn off the water somewhere along the line to the tub, either at a cut-off inside the bathroom or going into the abode. My experience is with the pop-off caps covering a screw/bolt. Just unscrew it to loosen and adjust, remove it to replace. Good luck.

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: Melissa
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 06:31 PM

ok, that's what I thought would happen..guess I better either figure out how to unstick the main or find a nice rubber suit!

The faucet is the kind that is in three pieces..not hooked together on a shared base. Brand is Central and they're probably fairly old..old enough to be sturdy but not old enough to sell as antiques and buy a new set with money.
It's just a basic chrome tub faucet..nothing thrilling.

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: Melissa
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 06:34 PM

yup, 999
I did remember about covering the drain in case I dropped something.


Any ideas on how to unstick a cruddy main?
Am I maybe better off turning the water off at the meter while I attempt my repair?


The part I'm stuck on is After the screw is out.
The handle doesn't just lift off (which is what I expected) and doesn't loosen at all with whacking and/or wiggle-pulling.

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: Bobert
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 06:46 PM

You may need a puller once the screw is out... The handle will be splined and the shaft splined and if you have stuff in your water like lime or crud then they have become kinda welded by the lime and crud...

Back to the supply valve... It's okay to put a pair of channel locks on the handle... Might just need a little force... If it feels like it's too much torque then you may have to shut it off at the meter...

BTW, a standard/univeral gear puller will do just fine on the handle as long as the screw is out...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: Melissa
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 06:52 PM

does 'splined' mean vaned..little grooves cut in to make it hold when you turn instead of just spinning on the shaft?

are channel locks wrenches..like I'd think of as pipe/crescent wrench?

How do gear pullers work? Is it the same principle as those cork-puller winged gadgets for opening non-screwtop wine?


Which direction is the nut under the handle going to turn?

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: Bobert
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 07:03 PM

Slined: yes, little groves that run down the shaft and correspond to same in the handle...

Channel locks: pliers that look like a lobster claw...

Gear puller: has two (sometimes three) arms with grabbers like one of your fingers that go under what ever it is that you are trying to pull and a center bolt that goes down against the shaft... You tighten the bolt and it pulls the fingers toward you with what ever you have hooked with it...

Nut: Counterclockwise to loosen... It shouldn't be a nut but a bolt... Probably either slotted for appropriate screwdriver but if it is a hex nut then so be it...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: Rapparee
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 07:08 PM

WATCH IT!!

We asked the plumber on his last visit to replace a washer in a tub fixture. He gave it his best shot, and he knew what he was doing.

The fixture CAN get so crudded up with lime deposits, rust, and general crap that you'll break the supply line trying to remove it.

If you can't get it off with reasonable tries, GET A PLUMBER before you literally have to have the wall replaced on an emergency basis.

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: GUEST,999
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 07:11 PM

Lefty loosie, righty tighty.

The company is still around. You can ask for their help on-line by getting in touch with Central at

http://centralbrass.com/TextOnly.aspx?PAGE_ID=630&LANGUAGE_ID=1

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: Melissa
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 07:17 PM

Thanks, Bobert

According to the pic on the washer box, it should be:
screw
handle
nut
threaded shaft (looks like threaded on both ends, maybe?)
and another nut-like thing where I am supposed to put the washer

I haven't been able to see inside mine yet to be able to tell if I have that dang many parts to mess with.

Everything will turn counterclock? No weird lefthanded surprises tucked in there to make it interesting?

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: Amos
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 07:17 PM

Soak the crevices with WD40 overnight if it won't budge. SOmetimes that will make you lucky.

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: Melissa
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 07:19 PM

If I absolutely can't get it off, Rap, I'll probably opt for a new faucet set..cheaper and easier.

Thanks, 999. I'll go see what I can see at their site!
Maybe I'll even learn something while I'm there..

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: Melissa
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 07:21 PM

I'm way ahead of you on the Hope of Getting Lucky, Amos..I have shot WD40 in every place I could find. So far, no luck.
I'm glad it wasn't a dumb idea!

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: GUEST,999
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 07:55 PM

Go to plan B.

If it's a lime scale buildup, use five tablespoons of vinegar (doesn't really matter what kind) and enough salt so the salt all dissolves. Start with small amounts of salt and increase until saturation point where a few grains don't dissolve. Add a TEAspoon of vinegar and Bob's yer uncle. Let that sit in the faucet for a half hour, and if you drink beer that's a good time to have one. If you can agitate it with a toothbrush or something like that, do so--NOT the beer, the faucet!. Rinse with clean water. (Take a few glasses with you.)

GENTLY, try leftie loosie once again.

Plan C: redo plan B.

If that don't get it, you require a for-real plumber kinda guy or gal.

At no point is it worthwhile to strike the faucet with a hammer. If you do, ya better be wearing safety glasses.

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: Melissa
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 08:05 PM

I especially like the part about beer!

Good idea..I'll mix up some vinegar and squirt it into the crevices with a syringe and see if that loosens it at all.

I generally do my frustrated whacking with the rubbery end of a screwdriver..can't get enough force behind it to break anything (including myself) and it makes a nice, satisfying noise.

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: Bobert
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 08:11 PM

"New" means that you'll still have to shut of the supply valve... That means those channel locks... Here's where the problem can arise... That "supply line" will have to be removed in order to install the new one... I agree that going new is the way to go...

The entire job comes down to shutting off the supply valve... There is but so much torque you can put on the oval shaped handle of the supply valve... 90% of the time the channel locks will work... WD40 won't help... This is internal... It won't get there... It it takes more effort that lifting 10 pounds (with the channel locks) then you shouldn't go beyond that...

If that is the case then you will have to shut off the water and hope that the supply line nut itself isn't as bad... BTW, don't reuse the old supply hoses... Use new ones... They will most likely be 18" and labeled "Faucet" which means that the top side will have a large nut on it...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: Bill D
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 08:14 PM

"Any ideas on how to unstick a cruddy main?
Am I maybe better off turning the water off at the meter while I attempt my repair?"

'Main' ought to mean "at the meter".

There can (and should be) other shut-off valves, but sometimes that was ignored by cheap builders. If you can turn it off at the meter, that ought to cover everything...but remember, if you break something or can't get new parts in, NOTHING gets water till it's fixed.

It is good to have certain tools and do some practice runs before an emergency.... if you don't, I'd recommend a friend who has done this stuff....or, *sigh* paying a plumber and watching him carefully.

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: Melissa
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 08:18 PM

The problem with New vs Repair is that any new faucet set I'd be able to afford would be crappy..and even that would be more of a financial bind than I can really bear. IF I can fix this one, that's my best option.

If I can't get the water shut off in the house, I can turn it off at the meter. That's not a tricky task at all (probably a good deal easier than messing with trying to finagle the knob downstairs)

What are the supply hoses, Bobert?
Are they those metal-net covered things that hook pipe to faucet? If so, I don't have them here..tub is hooked to pipe..no shut-off or hose-thingy or anything like that.

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: Bill D
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 08:25 PM

"tub is hooked to pipe"

Yep... not uncommon problem. It 'should' be possible to just shut down at the meter, replace a washer, and re-open meter....but you must have the proper washer ready. If it is an old, black rubber type, there are cheap boxes of all sizes.

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: Melissa
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 08:26 PM

BillD
Here, 'main' is the main shut-off inside a house..and 'meter' is the biggest shut-off. They both shut everything off.

Cheap builders were not involved with this house.
It was built to high standards..just not put together the way things are done now.

My options are-
1   Work on fixing this..and keep on trying until I get it apart and back together.
2   Cut and cap the water to the faucet until I can manage to get a new one.
3   Continue to waste an absurd amount of water..which doesn't suit my nature or pocket.

   Plumber would be the easiest, but it's not an option for me right now.

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: kendall
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 08:26 PM

I wish you were within driving distance! Been down this road myself...often.
Some photos would help.

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: Melissa
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 08:29 PM

I have a box of replacement washers..various sizes. IF I can get that damn handle off, it should be a quick repair.

I'm not shy about shutting off the meter and tending my own plumbing stuff. If I can't get the main broke loose without a lot of effort, shutting down at the meter will be my favorite option for that part.

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: Melissa
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 08:31 PM

pics of which part, Kendall?

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: Bobert
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 08:39 PM

The Supply Hoses: Is this a shower, bath tub, sink or what??? The answer will dictate where you need to go to fins the supply shut off...

BTW, BillD is correct... Sometimes there are other shutoff valves between the supply and the problem...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: maeve
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 08:42 PM

Melissa- Might try the Habitat ReStores for a much less expensive new set-up. We've found some might useful things in ReStores. Find one near you

Home Depot and the like, as well as some hardware stores, often have people who will show you what to do. A camera might help you remember steps.

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: Bill D
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 08:42 PM

(In my house, the meter in inside the house, and functions AS the 'main' ..places differ.)

If you have, or can find or take,,, a picture of what the inside of the handle looks like, together with image of the basic handle that shows how it is attached, it might be possible to advise what to yank on, pound on, pry on...etc. An older faucet of that sort should not resist that much.... but there are so many varieties....

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: Bill D
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 08:44 PM

I forget.. where are you, Melissa?

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: Bill D
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 08:49 PM

some diagrams of Central faucet parts here

steps to repair one type of Central

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: Bill D
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 08:52 PM

a search for images of Central faucets

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: maeve
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 08:58 PM

Some useful tips here...including controlled heat:
http://www.homeimprovementsdepot.com/how-to-remove-a-stuck-shower-knob-or-faucet-handle/


As a minor diversion, here's the faucet I'd want... if only we had plumbing:
Tub faucet deluxe

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: Rapparee
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 09:03 PM

You want a swan tossing its cookies into your tub or sink? I prefer the Little Pissant.

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: maeve
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 09:07 PM

Hey, Rap- since I don't have either tub or plumbed sink, it doesn't much matter to me.

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: Melissa
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 09:24 PM

Bobert,
It's tub. I'm trying to remove one handle.
There isn't a shut-off for the tub.

Maeve,
The habitat resale stores look like they're a distance from me, but I'll sure keep them in mind when I get up to my elbows in switching the bathroom to a different room. Thanks!
I think it's nice for that swan faucet to modestly cover itself..neat looking thing!

Bill,
I'm in the US.
Thanks for those Central links. I'll look them over and see if I can find anything about the style I have.

Don't think I know how to take pics of the inside of the handle..since I can't get the dang thing off yet.

999's vinegar treatment has at least made the handle slimy..maybe that's what it needed all along. (especially the beer)

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: Bobert
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 09:42 PM

Ouch... The supply line is behind the drywall behind the tub if there is is a wall behind the tub that you can get to... If not then it's in the wall itself (I assume an outside wall)... In that wall is a divertor valve that mixes the hot and cold and goes to the tub/shower... In order to get to it you have to cut into the wall...

Most of these have a cut-off valve under the house between the meter and the valve... The problem here is that it will be copper and souldered... Now you are in over your head...

Back to trying to fix from the outside...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: Melissa
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 09:52 PM

I can get to the pipes in the wall..there's a cut-out for access. It's just pipes though, no shut-off or moving parts in there.

The cut-off between meter and valve is the thing I'm calling the 'main' It's where the waterline comes into the house.

My biggest glitch is just getting that handle off so I can see what's going on in there..I can work around not having an inside shut-off and whatever other mild inconveniences are pestering me.

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: Bobert
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 10:10 PM

Okay... maybe we are making this too hard...

If you can get the handle off, you can fix this with just a "faucet washer"...

So:

1. Shut off the water at the meter...

2. Ply off the cap that hides the screw...

3. Unscrew screw...

4. Borrow a gear puller from any mechanic friend (if need be) to pull the handle...

5. Use small screw driver or ice pick to pull out old rubber washer...

6. Find washer that looks like the one you just took out and push down the shaft...

7. Reinstall handle...

8. Turn water back on...

9. Finsihed...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: GUEST,999
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 10:13 PM

Water pipes have valves. They may be almost completely inside the pipe, but somewhere on the line is a piece of plastic or metal that seems to be attached to the pipe. When it is going frontways as is the pipe, that main is open. When it is crosswise (90 degrees to the pipe) the line is shutoff from that point inward.

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: Bobert
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 10:21 PM

Well, brucie... Some older buildings don't have a shut off for shower/bath divertor valves...

That is a problem...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: Melissa
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 11:23 PM

Bobert,
Gear puller works like a lever, right?


Yeah, 999..I've explored the lines here pretty well and haven't discovered any hidden valves. I've been working on this project and trying to get it thought out for a few days..just got hung up on that damn handle not coming off like I thought it should.

There's one for the toilet and one for the washer..sure can't find one for sink/tub.

Thanks all.
I intend to give the task full attention for a while tomorrow..will be back with new questions if I come upon something else that throws me.

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: Bobert
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 11:29 PM

Yeah, Melissa... That's about it... Once you have one in your hand you'll go "I get it"...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 31 Jan 12 - 04:32 AM

Don't force it. (the faucet)

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: Charley Noble
Date: 31 Jan 12 - 11:51 AM

This is a lot more exciting that watching paint dry.

Good luck!

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: frogprince
Date: 31 Jan 12 - 12:05 PM

If you don't have a buddy with a small gear puller: I think at least one of the auto stores near us loans one for nothing, and if not a tool rental should have one.

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: Bert
Date: 31 Jan 12 - 12:12 PM

That handle seems really stuck on.

If the gear puller didn't work then you must apply some sudden force.

Tighten the screw on the gear puller as much as you can and whack the screw on the gear puller with a hammer. You will probably need a two pound hammer (or maybe 1 1/2). Several sharp taps on the screw should do the trick.

Gear puller

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: Bobert
Date: 31 Jan 12 - 05:20 PM

Before whacking the bolt on the puller, once you have it tight then try a light tap on the side of the handle you are tryin' to remove... BTW, rather than a big hammer, which might damage your valve assembly, use a small one first... I am confident that this handle is going to come right off without any hammers...

BTW, do you have an assortment of washers to go back in the valve??? You can usually find a small package with about 10-12 in it for cheap...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: How to remove faucet handle
From: Melissa
Date: 31 Jan 12 - 11:40 PM

Thanks for that picture, Bert. Now that I know it's a cheap tool, I'll buy one instead of trying to figure out where to borrow (if I had someone to borrow tools from, I would have already asked him/her to pull off the dang sticky handle!)

Yes, Bobert. I still have a package of assorted washers.

Puller shopping tomorrow and water wrangling tomorrow evening.
I will either come back to report a success..or to ask for more input.

thanks, guys
I appreciate the help!


Charley-if you think watching paint dry is fun, stay tuned for my next exciting plea for help..if we're lucky, it'll be a doozy.