Best way to tighten / loosen faucet locknuts ??
Smarty
the locknuts holding the faucet in place are very difficult to reach.
For anyone who has worked underneath sinks and replaced faucets, it is
usually tight quarters and hard to reach. It is especially hard to hold a
basin wrench or other tool in just the right position in order to apply
torque.
I have seen ads for a device called the Basin Buddy which is a patented,
supposedly universal basin nut wrench which claims to make the job much
easier:
http://www.wal-rich.com/BasinBuddyPage.pdf
Does anybody here have an opinion about this product or any other better
method of removing and tightening these locknuts?
Many thanks.
Colbyt
"Smarty" <nob...@nobody.com> wrote in message
news:gtk3tf$m27$1...@news.motzarella.org...
You can buy an inexpensive basin wrench at the BORG which will tighten the
nuts as tight as they need to be.
Here is a picture: http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/Basin-Wrench
--
Colbyt
Please come visit www.househomerepair.com
RLM
http://s370.photobucket.com/albums/oo141/rlm_photos/?action=view¤t=BasinWrench.jpg
You might find a friend that you could borrow one from.
Ashton Crusher
I've always been able to get by with the old style basin wrench's. And
they work on the newer "nutless" nuts that just have ears instead of
flats.
fftt
Looks like a "special shape" crowsfoot and would be worthwhile but
I'm not a fan of plastic tools. :(
for removal, I'd suggest squirting the connection with a penetrating
oil / lubricant and let it work. Then just struggle with a basin
wrench, but a good one...like a Rigid.
Tightening nuts for a new faucet usually doesn't require enough torque
to need a wrench.
cheers
Bob
Smarty
news:ca1d206d-91a0-41d0...@d25g2000prn.googlegroups.com...
cheers
Bob
Thanks to all for replying and for suggestions. I own a conventional basin
wrench, but have found it very difficult to make it work in a reliable way.
The specific faucets involved are Kohler widespreads spaced 8 inches apart,
and they were placed in the vanity top extremely close to the back of the
cabinet, allowing very little space / clearance to get the claw of the basin
wrench to grab. The individual faucets were not set with plumber's putty or
caulk, and therefore the faucet body rotates when I apply torque from the
bottom. Getting two people to do the removal was the eventual solution, one
holding the faucet from the top to prevent rotation while I "clawed" at it
from the bottom with the standard basin wrench.
Now that I am putting the repaired faucets back I am wondering if the use of
some other tool like this Basin Buddy might be a better solution.
I guess I need to work with this standard basin wrench a bit more to see if
I can master it. It is just such an awkward and unwieldy tool to use upside
down in a small vanity with such tight clearance that I thought some other
approach would go easier.
Thanks again
aemeijers
Molded sink and counter, or seperate basin? I'm no plumber, but last
time I was faced with all that, I stared at it a few minutes, and
decided it was less work to pull the sink out. In and out in 20 minutes.
Even with a molded sink/counter, it still may be easier, as long as it
isn't glued down, or trapped behind tile or a mirror or something.
--
aem sends...
Smarty
news:lLqLl.24243$941....@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
Unfortunately the countertop has a molded-in backsplash, rather that a
separate piece of Corian. This backsplash runs up the wall and is
wall-papered surrounding it on the sides with a mirror immediately above it
on the top. Getting the countertop removed would be possible but adds all
the extra issues of wallpaper, the drain and trap removal, etc. Probably
better not to disturb it if I can avoid it.........
Looks like I will once again try the basin wrench and see how it goes.
Don Young
such as "Ridgid" works a lot better than the cheap ones.
If you have hexagon nuts you can use a "crowfoot" wrench, which the Basin
Buddy resembles. However, the standard ones tend to have rather fat jaws and
may not fit.
Don Young
jeff_wisnia
If, as you say, you are trying to REMOVE the faucets, then that wrench
you point to will only remove the tubing coupling nuts, but likely not
the faucet mounting nuts, which are the ones which secure the faucets
themselves to the sink.
Jeff
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.
SteveBell
It's a thirty-dollar tool that's only worth two bucks. It's made of
_plastic_ for crying out loud. You'll also have to buy an 18" socket
extender, and that'll run you another fifteen dollars or so--but at
least it will be metal. :-)
Of course, only you know what your time is worth.
--
Steve Bell
New Life Home Improvement
Arlington, TX USA
Rick Brandt
> It's a thirty-dollar tool that's only worth two bucks. It's made of
> _plastic_ for crying out loud.
The *words* on the sheet claim it is made from anodized aluminum.
Smarty
news:DeALl.32545$ZP4....@nlpi067.nbdc.sbc.com...
I never considered the possibility of using a crowsfoot-style wrench, and
this would seem to be an ideal answer for my particular problem. The hex nut
is 1-1/2", so I am going to pick up the appropriately sized wrench. I
already have the necessary extensions, ratchet, etc.
Thanks again to all for being truly excellent with great suggestions!!!
Tekkie®
This may an idea: http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/Faucet-Sink-
Installer/EN/index.htm
--
Tekkie Don't bother to thank me, I do this as a public service.
fftt
My bad...as another poster noted, the literature says "machined from
anodized aluminum".
More likely machined & then anodized (but my money is on die casting
not maching)
cheers
Bob