In alt.home.repair on Tue, 16 Nov 2004 09:45:39 -0500 Speedy Jim
posted:

Higgins wrote:
I can turn the water on and off (well, not completely off), but I
can't remove the handle to try and fix the leak. My father in law (an
HVAC contractor) banged on it and presumes 20 years of calcium
deposits are freezing the handle in place. He suggests liberally and
repeatedly spraying WD-40 in the screwhole and behind the handle over
several days. But I'm thinking I should be using something more likely
to dissolve the deposits. Any guidance??? Thanks.

P&M only because this didn't post the first time I tried, and the
thread may be buried by now.


One problem is that you don't say what kind of handle it is. Metal?
Plastic? Textured Vegetable Protein? You don't say if it is a
one-handle faucet or a two-handle faucet, but I deduced that it was 2
since you mention the screwhole.

The problem with spraying WD-40 is the same as in other related
situations. It will, I'm certain, fill up the empty space and keep
much/most/all of the Liquid Wrench from getting in. Who knows, it
might even neutralize Liquid Wrench or some similar product.

Get the proper tool. It's called a "handle puller" (like a gear
puller) and works almost every time.

But of course this is the right solution. I don't think I've ever
seen one on display, but I'm sure you can find one.

It's tough to get anything in there to dissolve corrosion.
Carefully applying heat from a small torch may work too.

Jim


Meirman

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