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Stuart Noble Stuart Noble is offline
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Default Unscrewing limescale-encrusted thread on a potable water system

On 16/02/2013 15:03, Caecilius wrote:
Following on from an earlier post about a pressure reducing valve on a
megaflo cylinder, I've decided to remove the cartridge and clean out
the filter.

Guess what - it won't unscrew, and seems to be stuck fast with
limescale. Here's a pic:

http://i1021.photobucket.com/albums/...psfa4e63e1.jpg

So the question is: what's the best way to tackle this? I assume
plus-gas and WD40 are not a good idea because this is connected to the
potable water supply. Would it be worth using some sort of descaling
cleaner to remove the limescale, or wouldn't that get down into the
threads?

I'm using a 12" adjustable spanner, so one option is to use a longer
one - like a big set of stilsons, but I'm worried about putting too
much stress on the surrounding pipework.


Giving the spanner a sharp tap with a hammer is better than putting
pressure on it. It's the impact that shifts things