I am replacing (well trying to replace) the taps on our bath. The
side of the bath came off very easily and everything is very neat and
tidy underneath. However I cant see any realistic way to remove the
unions which attach the 22mm copper feeds to the taps. Although easy
to see and get a hand to etc. there is little clearance between the
end of the bath and the wall so a correct size open ended spanner does
no good as there's no space to turn it.

I have a 'washbasin wrench' which can be persuaded to get hold of the
union nuts but there's no way I can get enough purchase in the
wrench's handle to actually undo the nuts.

I think the taps must have been assembled to the bath before it was
put in place and then the pipes were soldered.

The only thing I can think of that might get the nuts undone would be
a 'crows foot' spanner, does anyone know of any suppliers of these who
would have sizes suitable for plumbing? The nut I want to undo would
seem to be 1.125" across flats.

Or does anyone have any other ideas?

--
Chris Green

wrote in message ...

I have a 'washbasin wrench' which can be persuaded to get hold of the
union nuts but there's no way I can get enough purchase in the
wrench's handle to actually undo the nuts.


When I have been confronted with this problem, I have usually managed to get
a small bar in the other end of the washbasin wrench ( or an adjustable
spanner on the body of it) in order to get enough torque to start things
off. Awkward to do, but has worked for me.

wrote:
I am replacing (well trying to replace) the taps on our bath. The
side of the bath came off very easily and everything is very neat and
tidy underneath. However I cant see any realistic way to remove the
unions which attach the 22mm copper feeds to the taps. Although easy
to see and get a hand to etc. there is little clearance between the
end of the bath and the wall so a correct size open ended spanner does
no good as there's no space to turn it.

I have a 'washbasin wrench' which can be persuaded to get hold of the
union nuts but there's no way I can get enough purchase in the
wrench's handle to actually undo the nuts.

I think the taps must have been assembled to the bath before it was
put in place and then the pipes were soldered.

The only thing I can think of that might get the nuts undone would be
a 'crows foot' spanner, does anyone know of any suppliers of these who
would have sizes suitable for plumbing? The nut I want to undo would
seem to be 1.125" across flats.

Or does anyone have any other ideas?


I always use a box spanner of suitable size (27 x 32mm A/F £6.98 from
local ironmongers) with an adjustable spanner on the other end to turn
it. Only once I had to resort to an angle grinder to cut the taps off :-|

I use a pipeslice to cut back the copper pipe and replace with Hep20
tails: usually 15mm even for gravity fed 22mm pipework - the short
length of smaller pipe doesn't add much resistance to pipework overall.
flexi tap connectors are similarly narrow bore internally anyway.

I insert isolation valves in the pipework, usually as soon as I've cut
back the existing pipe (so I can turn the water back on) which then make
a convenient place to join in the new Hep2O.

wrote in message ...
I am replacing (well trying to replace) the taps on our bath. The
side of the bath came off very easily and everything is very neat and
tidy underneath. However I cant see any realistic way to remove the
unions which attach the 22mm copper feeds to the taps. Although easy
to see and get a hand to etc. there is little clearance between the
end of the bath and the wall so a correct size open ended spanner does
no good as there's no space to turn it.

I have a 'washbasin wrench' which can be persuaded to get hold of the
union nuts but there's no way I can get enough purchase in the
wrench's handle to actually undo the nuts.

I think the taps must have been assembled to the bath before it was
put in place and then the pipes were soldered.

The only thing I can think of that might get the nuts undone would be
a 'crows foot' spanner, does anyone know of any suppliers of these who
would have sizes suitable for plumbing? The nut I want to undo would
seem to be 1.125" across flats.

Or does anyone have any other ideas?

--
Chris Green

==================
Have a look at this:
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...14631&ts=68008

They're available from most places like Focus, B&Q etc. They're a bit
easier to use than your 'duck's foot' wrench because they're about 18" long
with a built-in sliding tommy bar.

Cic.

John Stumbles wrote:
wrote:
I am replacing (well trying to replace) the taps on our bath. The
side of the bath came off very easily and everything is very neat and
tidy underneath. However I cant see any realistic way to remove the
unions which attach the 22mm copper feeds to the taps. Although easy
to see and get a hand to etc. there is little clearance between the
end of the bath and the wall so a correct size open ended spanner does
no good as there's no space to turn it.

I have a 'washbasin wrench' which can be persuaded to get hold of the
union nuts but there's no way I can get enough purchase in the
wrench's handle to actually undo the nuts.

I think the taps must have been assembled to the bath before it was
put in place and then the pipes were soldered.

The only thing I can think of that might get the nuts undone would be
a 'crows foot' spanner, does anyone know of any suppliers of these who
would have sizes suitable for plumbing? The nut I want to undo would
seem to be 1.125" across flats.

Or does anyone have any other ideas?


I always use a box spanner of suitable size (27 x 32mm A/F £6.98 from
local ironmongers) with an adjustable spanner on the other end to turn
it. Only once I had to resort to an angle grinder to cut the taps off :-|

I use a pipeslice to cut back the copper pipe and replace with Hep20
tails: usually 15mm even for gravity fed 22mm pipework - the short
length of smaller pipe doesn't add much resistance to pipework overall.
flexi tap connectors are similarly narrow bore internally anyway.

I insert isolation valves in the pipework, usually as soon as I've cut
back the existing pipe (so I can turn the water back on) which then make
a convenient place to join in the new Hep2O.

Yes, I guess cutting the pipe and replumbing is one approach and it
may come to that.

--
Chris Green

Cicero wrote:

wrote in message ...
I am replacing (well trying to replace) the taps on our bath. The
side of the bath came off very easily and everything is very neat and
tidy underneath. However I cant see any realistic way to remove the
unions which attach the 22mm copper feeds to the taps. Although easy
to see and get a hand to etc. there is little clearance between the
end of the bath and the wall so a correct size open ended spanner does
no good as there's no space to turn it.

I have a 'washbasin wrench' which can be persuaded to get hold of the
union nuts but there's no way I can get enough purchase in the
wrench's handle to actually undo the nuts.

I think the taps must have been assembled to the bath before it was
put in place and then the pipes were soldered.

The only thing I can think of that might get the nuts undone would be
a 'crows foot' spanner, does anyone know of any suppliers of these who
would have sizes suitable for plumbing? The nut I want to undo would
seem to be 1.125" across flats.

Or does anyone have any other ideas?

--
Chris Green

==================
Have a look at this:
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...14631&ts=68008

They're available from most places like Focus, B&Q etc. They're a bit
easier to use than your 'duck's foot' wrench because they're about 18" long
with a built-in sliding tommy bar.

I don't think that's much different from what I already have.

Maybe I'll try the 'wrench on the basin wrench' idea, and if that
doesn't work I'll cut the pipe and re-plumb.

--
Chris Green

wrote in message ...
Cicero wrote:

wrote in message
...
I am replacing (well trying to replace) the taps on our bath. The
side of the bath came off very easily and everything is very neat and
tidy underneath. However I cant see any realistic way to remove the
unions which attach the 22mm copper feeds to the taps. Although easy
to see and get a hand to etc. there is little clearance between the
end of the bath and the wall so a correct size open ended spanner does
no good as there's no space to turn it.

I have a 'washbasin wrench' which can be persuaded to get hold of the
union nuts but there's no way I can get enough purchase in the
wrench's handle to actually undo the nuts.

I think the taps must have been assembled to the bath before it was
put in place and then the pipes were soldered.

The only thing I can think of that might get the nuts undone would be
a 'crows foot' spanner, does anyone know of any suppliers of these who
would have sizes suitable for plumbing? The nut I want to undo would
seem to be 1.125" across flats.

Or does anyone have any other ideas?

--
Chris Green

==================
Have a look at this:
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...14631&ts=68008

They're available from most places like Focus, B&Q etc. They're a bit
easier to use than your 'duck's foot' wrench because they're about 18"
long
with a built-in sliding tommy bar.

I don't think that's much different from what I already have.

Maybe I'll try the 'wrench on the basin wrench' idea, and if that
doesn't work I'll cut the pipe and re-plumb.

--
Chris Green

==============
The head swivels through 90 degrees and the spanner end is spring-loaded to
grip the nut - much easier to use in a tight space.

Whatever you use it sometimes helps to get someone to turn the tap itself
whilst you hold the nut with your spanner.

Cic.

wrote in message ...
John Stumbles wrote:
wrote:
I am replacing (well trying to replace) the taps on our bath.

snip

Yes, I guess cutting the pipe and replumbing is one approach and it
may come to that.


But then you still got to get the tap off the bath!

In message , writes
I have a 'washbasin wrench' which can be persuaded to get hold of the
union nuts but there's no way I can get enough purchase in the
wrench's handle to actually undo the nuts.

If the wash basin wrench is gripping the nut OK try locking a pair of
mole grips onto the shaft/tommy bar to give a bit more levereage. If
that's doesn't shift it, use a stilson wrench to turn the tap itself[1]
using the basin spanner and mole wrench to stop the coupling nut
turning, you can often get the mole wrench to press up against the wall
to stop it turning.

[1] assuming you don't want to reuse it

--
bof at bof dot me dot uk

wrote:
John Stumbles wrote:
wrote:
I am replacing (well trying to replace) the taps on our bath. The
side of the bath came off very easily and everything is very neat and
tidy underneath. However I cant see any realistic way to remove the
unions which attach the 22mm copper feeds to the taps. Although easy
to see and get a hand to etc. there is little clearance between the
end of the bath and the wall so a correct size open ended spanner does
no good as there's no space to turn it.

I have a 'washbasin wrench' which can be persuaded to get hold of the
union nuts but there's no way I can get enough purchase in the
wrench's handle to actually undo the nuts.

I think the taps must have been assembled to the bath before it was
put in place and then the pipes were soldered.

The only thing I can think of that might get the nuts undone would be
a 'crows foot' spanner, does anyone know of any suppliers of these who
would have sizes suitable for plumbing? The nut I want to undo would
seem to be 1.125" across flats.

Or does anyone have any other ideas?


I always use a box spanner of suitable size (27 x 32mm A/F £6.98 from
local ironmongers) with an adjustable spanner on the other end to turn
it. Only once I had to resort to an angle grinder to cut the taps off :-|

I use a pipeslice to cut back the copper pipe and replace with Hep20
tails: usually 15mm even for gravity fed 22mm pipework - the short
length of smaller pipe doesn't add much resistance to pipework overall.
flexi tap connectors are similarly narrow bore internally anyway.

I insert isolation valves in the pipework, usually as soon as I've cut
back the existing pipe (so I can turn the water back on) which then make
a convenient place to join in the new Hep2O.

Yes, I guess cutting the pipe and replumbing is one approach and it
may come to that.

However even that is going to difficult. Where the two pipes come up
through the floor they are too close together to fit anything except
solder fittings to them. They have an elbow each and then a bent
length of 22mm to get to the taps, no really easy place to insert a
stop valve.

--
Chris Green

simon beer wrote:


wrote in message ...
John Stumbles wrote:
wrote:
I am replacing (well trying to replace) the taps on our bath.

snip

Yes, I guess cutting the pipe and replumbing is one approach and it
may come to that.


But then you still got to get the tap off the bath!

If I cut fairly close to the bath I can get a socket spanner on it, I
have an infinite variety of sockets from having repaired and maintained
cars from the 1960s onward.

--
Chris Green

Cicero wrote:

I don't think that's much different from what I already have.

Maybe I'll try the 'wrench on the basin wrench' idea, and if that
doesn't work I'll cut the pipe and re-plumb.

--
Chris Green

==============
The head swivels through 90 degrees and the spanner end is spring-loaded to
grip the nut - much easier to use in a tight space.

Whatever you use it sometimes helps to get someone to turn the tap itself
whilst you hold the nut with your spanner.

Can't do that, what I need to undo is the nut on the compression
fitting which is on the tap. There is a separate nut holding the tap
onto the bath.

--
Chris Green

bof wrote:
In message , writes
I have a 'washbasin wrench' which can be persuaded to get hold of the
union nuts but there's no way I can get enough purchase in the
wrench's handle to actually undo the nuts.

If the wash basin wrench is gripping the nut OK try locking a pair of
mole grips onto the shaft/tommy bar to give a bit more levereage. If
that's doesn't shift it, use a stilson wrench to turn the tap itself[1]
using the basin spanner and mole wrench to stop the coupling nut
turning, you can often get the mole wrench to press up against the wall
to stop it turning.

[1] assuming you don't want to reuse it

No, I'm not aiming to reuse it. However this does assume that I can
turn the tap, there is a separate nut holding the tap onto the bath,
what I need to get off first is the compression fitting connecting the
22mm copper to the tap.

--
Chris Green

wrote in message ...
Cicero wrote:

I don't think that's much different from what I already have.

Maybe I'll try the 'wrench on the basin wrench' idea, and if that
doesn't work I'll cut the pipe and re-plumb.

--
Chris Green

==============
The head swivels through 90 degrees and the spanner end is spring-loaded
to
grip the nut - much easier to use in a tight space.

Whatever you use it sometimes helps to get someone to turn the tap
itself
whilst you hold the nut with your spanner.

Can't do that, what I need to undo is the nut on the compression
fitting which is on the tap. There is a separate nut holding the tap
onto the bath.

--
Chris Green
================
It's not clear from your posts what type of wrench you already have. Have
another look at Screwfix
(http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/sea/...nid=RDVGRZNFIN
HBJCJO2C1CJ0Q?_dyncharset=UTF-8&q=basin+wrench&n=&pn=1&pd=1&pi=1&cn=1&cd=1&x
=9&y=10) to see the other more common type of wrench - the duck's foot
wrench.

I know that the tap is held to the bath by a retaining nut but it's usually
possible to turn the tap to free off both nuts at the same time. Give it a
try but watch for damage to the bath and make sure you're not twisting the
pipework too much.

Cic.

In message , writes
bof wrote:
In message , writes
I have a 'washbasin wrench' which can be persuaded to get hold of the
union nuts but there's no way I can get enough purchase in the
wrench's handle to actually undo the nuts.

If the wash basin wrench is gripping the nut OK try locking a pair of
mole grips onto the shaft/tommy bar to give a bit more levereage. If
that's doesn't shift it, use a stilson wrench to turn the tap itself[1]
using the basin spanner and mole wrench to stop the coupling nut
turning, you can often get the mole wrench to press up against the wall
to stop it turning.

[1] assuming you don't want to reuse it

No, I'm not aiming to reuse it. However this does assume that I can
turn the tap, there is a separate nut holding the tap onto the bath,

IME they turn, unless it's the old type of bath with a square hole and
the tap also has the matching square body.


--
bof at bof dot me dot uk

Cicero wrote:
It's not clear from your posts what type of wrench you already have. Have
another look at Screwfix
(http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/sea/...nid=RDVGRZNFIN
HBJCJO2C1CJ0Q?_dyncharset=UTF-8&q=basin+wrench&n=&pn=1&pd=1&pi=1&cn=1&cd=1&x
=9&y=10) to see the other more common type of wrench - the duck's foot
wrench.

I know that the tap is held to the bath by a retaining nut but it's usually
possible to turn the tap to free off both nuts at the same time. Give it a
try but watch for damage to the bath and make sure you're not twisting the
pipework too much.

That is a good point actually, I can get a good grip on the nuts and
then, as you say use a wrench of some sort on the tap as I can make as
much of a mess of that as I like.

Thanks for the idea(s).

--
Chris Green

bof wrote:
If the wash basin wrench is gripping the nut OK try locking a pair of
mole grips onto the shaft/tommy bar to give a bit more levereage. If
that's doesn't shift it, use a stilson wrench to turn the tap itself[1]
using the basin spanner and mole wrench to stop the coupling nut
turning, you can often get the mole wrench to press up against the wall
to stop it turning.

[1] assuming you don't want to reuse it

No, I'm not aiming to reuse it. However this does assume that I can
turn the tap, there is a separate nut holding the tap onto the bath,

IME they turn, unless it's the old type of bath with a square hole and
the tap also has the matching square body.

I can actually get an ordinary spanner or mole wrench or similar onto
the nut it's just that there's not space to turn it. Thus I don't need
to use the basin spanner at all if I just hold the nuts and try to
turn the tap.

I'm pretty sure it's round and not in a square hole as it's a mixer
tap - aaargh, and there's the problem, one can't rotate the tap! :-(

--
Chris Green