Hello all,
I’m trying to replace my shower hardware with new, but I cannot figure out how to get the faucet heads off (the part you turn to turn the water on/off). I have removed the screw in the center of each head, but no dice. I don’t want to yank, lest I break a connection inside the wall.
TIA
Replies
A lot of the times the handles are frozen to the stem by a build up of mineral and soap deposits. Squirt Lime-A-Way into the scew hole and behind the handle if possible. Wait a few minues and gently tap it with a plastic hammer or screwdriver handle. You might need to do this a couple of times, but it will eventually loosen enough to pull straight off the knurled end of the stem.
A decent hardware store should have a puller for these. Mine looks like a lightweight gear puller with adjustable arms that hook under the faucet handles and a threaded shaft with a "T" handle that presses into the valve stem thru the screw hole in the handle.
I haven't used mine for a long time (and am not sure where it is right now - lol), but it sure made faucet handle removal easy - usually taking only ~1/4 turn to break the handle free.
IIRC, they're fairly inexpensive
Forgot about that.
I have one of those too,......somewhere.