Cutting off bath shower mixer. Literally.

[WaterTight]

Due to terrible access and 25 yr old tap conns and backnuts cannot remove bath tap mixer. Suggest can either remove bath or cut taps off from above - the latter has been chosen.

I've cut about 3 or 4 taps off before with a hacksaw, all have been kitchen monoblocs and that was fun enough. It's an acrylic bath and so not thinking to fondly of using powertools to cut these off. There's about an inch and a half between the back of the taps and the wall for movement of a saw and the rubber sealing pad that sits between the bath mixer and bath sruface is visible all around and at both ends and so sliding the saw between taps and rubber should hopefully not scratch bath.

Is there any kind of saw other than a junior hacksaw I could use that would make my life easier? Like some hyper sharp, frameless, lazer-guided, metal-melting super-saw? Cutting off taps with a hacksaw is about as fun as cutting your foot off and these are bath taps with two tales to go through.

 

[WaterTight]

I had one of these once but never really used and then it broke. Might be easier than a junior.

http://tinyurl.com/3e2pc9c

 

[WaterTight]

wow, just read the reviews. hmmm maybe not.

 

[dontknowitall]

I use Jaw Droppers and have never had a major problem nor have I had to saw out old taps. Plenty of grazed knuckles and aching necks after the job though. (I refit with flexible tap connectors.)

 

[Worcester Man]

GPMG Works:83:

 

[WaterTight]

You'd struggle with these trust me. Waste pipe, soil pipe and angle of water feeds all running past taps make it impossible to get anything larger than your fist in the area.

I've looked at those jaw droppers before and don't get why they're meant to be so good. Aren't they just a tap spanner with curved heads? Is the lever just for extra leverage in the hand?

 

[dontknowitall]

I find, usually, it's easiest not to turn the spanner but to hold the spanner on the nut(s) then turn the tap against the spanner. Also I find that because they were often awkward to fit in the first place the nuts aren't on that tight either!

Lever is for more leverage.

 

[WaterTight]

It's a bath mixer unfortunately. This is one of those jobs where you can't help but marvel at the precision of whoever put it in. but it's always easier to squeeze your spanner in and nip up the unions then it is to release them a quarter of a century later.

 

[WaterTight]

GPMG = Gas Powered Mega Guns?

 

[justlead1]

Why not take a small 4 1/2" grinder with a cutting blade to it. (with care)

 

[WaterTight]

Is that something you've done before?

What do you reckon the chances off it catching and the resulting shock damaging the bath? I do have a little grinder.

 

[Resolute]

Whatever you do make sure the bath is covered with dust sheets!

 

[Gray0689]

GPMG Works:83:

Barrett .50 would be neater

 

[PlumbBobBob]

what about a bosch pmf180

 

[jase158]

Been to a couple of these and the customer has always told me that the previous plumber has said they will not do it, rather instead they would only replace the whole bath/ bathroom.

if it is the type that comes apart, take the above nuts off, and like said before put the tap spanner on and try to turn the tap rather then the spanner.

if it isnt the one that comes apart then it is a lot of trying, they will come off eventually, get some wd40 spray, leave 5 minutes try again, spray again, try again, just keep going, nothing better then that feeling when you finnaly get them off. sometimes a gentle tap with the hammer can help.

IMHO i would never try angel grinder/ power tool/ sawing it off as this could result in damaging the bath.

I'm guessing you have tried all this before but for me if it doesnt come off with out angel grinder I would reccomend changing bath.

 

[Ian10261]

I find, usually, it's easiest not to turn the spanner but to hold the spanner on the nut(s) then turn the tap against the spanner. Also I find that because they were often awkward to fit in the first place the nuts aren't on that tight either!

Lever is for more leverage.

Yup. thats wot i do every time, even to the point of 16" grips on tap spouts if they're extremely tight. Globe taps are easier still as the nut is usually stuck to the tap tail so well that it winds the tail out of the tap thus speeding the job up. As Watertight says though, a mixer can really screw you up, the only suggestion i have is to use one of these FEIN SuperCut Construction AFSC 18 with a hacksaw blade attachment. I bought one of these ablout 6 years ago and i really dont know where i'd be without it. I have cut taps off a bath using it although its still a bit tricky, you have to get as far through the tap tail as possible and then snap the rest off.

 

[Davinder]

Are the back nuts plastic?

As there 25 years old, there probably not but i though it was worth a mention. As i had a similar problem a few weeks back. In the end i heated up the end of my steel ruler and put it on the back nut on either side, then jammed a screwdriver up to brake the thing in half. (worked like a charm)

 

[ADM360]

What I've done when I've had this problem, usualy and V old tap that have been red leaded in to cast baths, is take you grinder with a metal cutting blade, I use my cordless one withan ultra fine cuuting blade, and cut the back nuts, cut verticaly up through the thread and though the back nut, with well stuck do it twice and beat off whats left of the back nut. it tricky and messy, but the chance of damaging the bath top is limited.

if that fails tell the customer you going for the last resort!! but this may result in them needed a new bath!! if they say yes!! go get the 24" stilsons from the van and reak havoc on the pesky blighters from above!! if they don't shif with the 24"s there not coming off!!

 

[Boilerbud]

I have used cordless drill to weaken/drill back nuts and got tap removed this way, must admit access wasn't as difficult as in your case. Brass nuts not very hard to drill.

Why not take a small 4 1/2" grinder with a cutting blade to it. (with care)

 

[SimonG]

Why not take a small 4 1/2" grinder with a cutting blade to it. (with care)

Thats always the way I go if all else fails. Nice and steady.

 

[armourer]

Cut through the back nuts with a dremmel and a cutting blade.

 

[Nat]

Personally I'd go with the grinder option, watertight. Don't see why you're so averse to the idea. Sit on the edge of the bath with your feet inside and rest your wrist on your knees and away you go! Protect the bath if you're not confident enough protect the bath. You'll have them off quicker than it takes to type this post!Maybe tell customer in advance it's possible but unlikely you'll damage bath and you can't be held responsible etc etc. Sure they'd rather that than fork out for new bath.Good luck.

 

[kay-jay]

can you not use a normal big hacksaw to cut a section out of the mixer tap thus leaving two seperate parts that you can twist from above???

 

[Phil]

How did you get on with this watertight?

I had one earlier in the year, worst case scenario on every front, DECK mixer so no cutting tap in two at the top and levering, access underneath was a knuckle shreading joke, 3/4" hot and cold feeds so no quick use of flexis. Cast iron bath with brass nuts fitted using 36" stillsons by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Spent most of the day trying to split the far backnut after drilling holes in it, all done 1mm by painstaking 1mm at a time due to access.

Next time I plan on using Fein Mulitmaster to cut through tap tails from top but first get some thin sheet steel for protection and cut out a slot so it fits around the tap base. Then the blade can rest on this while I cut, I'll use duct tape underneath to protect the bath finish.

Gate valves were passing aswell so had to replace those before I started, spent most of the day

 

[WaterTight]

Duct tape doesn't really work in my experience. You'll still scratch the bath but you'll fill the scratches with microscopic fibres of black duct tape that just won't come out.

It went ok in the sense he appreciated it was a tough job with inherent risk and he gave me a nice tip, it went badly in the fact that - after deciding to resort to my tried and tested (on monobloc kitchen mixers) method of junior hacksawing the blighters off - the bath surface did get scratched. I managed to cover it with a bead of silicone around the base of new mixer but to be honest it looked naff.

In future I'll still use the same method (don't trust angle grinding it - i reckon it's too likely to anhiliate the bath) but tell the customer there's a fair chance the bath might get scratched but it's either that or new bath anyway. If it was me I'd take a punt.