Just purchased a house and tried to change the water filter. I can't
budge it and I'm afraid I'm going to break a pipe or pull the support
out of the wall (it's that tight). Please tell me there's a way to get
this thing off without having to call a plumber. It's thanksgiving
weekend.

It's a big blue 10" filter system.

wrote in message
ps.com...
Just purchased a house and tried to change the water filter. I can't
budge it and I'm afraid I'm going to break a pipe or pull the support
out of the wall (it's that tight). Please tell me there's a way to get
this thing off without having to call a plumber. It's thanksgiving
weekend.

Oil filter wrench?

wrote in message
ps.com...
Just purchased a house and tried to change the water filter. I can't
budge it and I'm afraid I'm going to break a pipe or pull the support
out of the wall (it's that tight). Please tell me there's a way to get
this thing off without having to call a plumber. It's thanksgiving
weekend.

It's a big blue 10" filter system.


First step is to turn off the water. Second step is to open a water valve
to let off the pressure. Now it will come off easily. Put a little
Vaseline or white grease on the gasket to help it come off the next time.

It is very important to relieve the pressure. Just like opening a jar of
pickles, if you break the seal, it turns easily. If not, you can actually
damage the housing.

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
First step is to turn off the water. Second step is to open a water valve
to let off the pressure. Now it will come off easily. Put a little
Vaseline or white grease on the gasket to help it come off the next time.

It is very important to relieve the pressure. Just like opening a jar of
pickles, if you break the seal, it turns easily. If not, you can actually
damage the housing.

Edwin -
Thanks very much. I have relieved the pressure by pushing the red
pressure release button on top. Do I need to do more? It doesn't budge
at all.

In article .com,
" wrote:

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
First step is to turn off the water. Second step is to open a water valve
to let off the pressure. Now it will come off easily. Put a little
Vaseline or white grease on the gasket to help it come off the next time.

It is very important to relieve the pressure. Just like opening a jar of
pickles, if you break the seal, it turns easily. If not, you can actually
damage the housing.

Edwin -
Thanks very much. I have relieved the pressure by pushing the red
pressure release button on top. Do I need to do more? It doesn't budge
at all.

It may have been tightened too much.

I once (after many times replacing the carbon cartridge in past)
tightened the housing too tightly. Mine has ribs on the plastic housing
casing. I used (carefully) a pipe wrench as the spacing was very wide
and the casing large as well and no other wrench I had would open that
wide.

It did move enough to get the housing loose. I have been careful ever
since to not tighten too much.

Good luck.

Morenuf
--
lid

wrote in message
oups.com...

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
First step is to turn off the water. Second step is to open a water
valve
to let off the pressure. Now it will come off easily. Put a little
Vaseline or white grease on the gasket to help it come off the next time.

It is very important to relieve the pressure. Just like opening a jar of
pickles, if you break the seal, it turns easily. If not, you can
actually
damage the housing.

Edwin -
Thanks very much. I have relieved the pressure by pushing the red
pressure release button on top. Do I need to do more? It doesn't budge
at all.

Are you using the proper wrench? Without it I could never get them off!
It is like a big box wrench with recesses to fit all the ribs.

Have one person hold the pipes to keep them in place, and then just put your
weight into the wrench. And make sure you are turning it the right
direction.

Finally got it using a bit of each of your advice. In the end a strap
wrench along with a neighbors help got it off.

Lesson learned. Hand tighten only.

Thanks very much to all who replied.

replying to paul.magnani, Susan B. wrote:
I also found the casing was stuck and did not realize (until your post) that
there was a button to push to release pressure! Doing that made it possible
to remove mine! So glad for your post - thank you!

--
for full context, visit http://www.homeownershub.com/mainten...ck-168769-.htm

On Saturday, August 20, 2016 at 10:14:05 PM UTC-5, Susan B. wrote:
replying to paul.magnani, Susan B. wrote:
I also found the casing was stuck and did not realize (until your post) that
there was a button to push to release pressure! Doing that made it possible
to remove mine! So glad for your post - thank you!

--
for full context, visit http://www.homeownershub.com/mainten...ck-168769-.htm

Susan, Paul had 3 posts in 2006...so he can't appreciate your thanks. Good for you though! (I won't bore you concerning his dead gerbils)

replying to bob_villa, Steve S. wrote:
Similar as above however still cannot loosen filter housing.. Can I / should I
apply some heat to the housing area to loosen??

--
for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/mainte...ck-168769-.htm

On 8/26/2017 8:44 PM, Steve S. wrote:
replying to bob_villa, Steve S. wrote:
Similar as above however still cannot loosen filter housing.. Can I /
should I
apply some heat to the housing area to loosen??


First step is a strap wrench if you've not used one. You can try heat
but I'm sure you are thinking hair dryer, not torch.

Lubricate the gasket when you put it back.

On 8/26/17 7:44 PM, Steve S. wrote:
replying to bob_villa, Steve S. wrote:
Similar as above however still cannot loosen filter housing.. Can I /
should I
apply some heat to the housing area to loosen??

One trick is to tap the housing gently with a hammer. Hold a
larger hammer
on the opposite side while tapping with the smaller one. The vibration
should
help loosen things.
Put the strap wrench Ed suggested at the base of the bowl. It won't
distort
the bowl which would make loosening tougher.