Any thoughts on how I can loosen these tap tails?

Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
9,160
I have a new tap to replace the existing one in the downstairs bathroom but I’m having issues getting access to the bolts on the tails. Looks like another bodge before I moved in to the house :D

https://imgur.com/a/SYEPRYh

The valve has been cemented in to the tiles. The ends of the tails are very close together and the bottom one is obstructed by the waste pipe. This means you can’t get any spanners/grips on them.

The bathroom will be ripped out at some stage but I’m not ready for that yet. I thought about asking my wife if she would be happy for me to remove the tile so I could get behind it. This is plan B at this stage.

I cannot disconnect the waste pipe as that has been connected with solvent weld and I doubt I’d have enough free pipe this side of the tiles to reconnect it with fresh pipe (I do have the materials to do this).

I have no doubt that someone on this forum will come up with an ingenious suggestion I would never have thought of :D
 
Soldato
Joined
2 Aug 2012
Posts
7,809
So called "Professionals" are *****. Stuff is invariably installed with no thought for the future. This is why I always do all my own stuff, (even the stuff that I am not supposed to do any more)
 
Caporegime
Joined
21 Oct 2002
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26,251
Location
Here
Do some research but I’m sure you could find a combo of push /solvent pipes to allow you to cut and then replace that waste pipe to allow access.
Of course that assumes other methods above don’t work
 
Soldato
Joined
19 Oct 2002
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6,824
Location
Bath
Blue handled pipe grips will open them up, you will need two sets, one to hold the isolator and the other to undo the nut.

Once the top one is off you will have access for the lower one.

Never reuse flexy hoses it's asking for trouble!
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
9,160
Thanks for the suggestion. I like the zip tie idea, I have some pretty beefy ones which I will try tomorrow.

Any of the suggestions around using a spanner/wrench etc won't work as the waste pipe position prevents you from making any kind of effort to move the tail nut. Perhaps the picture doesn't show it correctly but there is next to no room between both of the water feeds and the waste pipe.

When I tried before I could get the top one off but the bottom one was impossible, I could not get anything near it. I even tried a strap wrench but there wasn't enough room to turn it. What a bodge. Zip tie it is tomorrow.
 
Soldato
Joined
21 Dec 2019
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6,440
Location
Planet Thanet
Try locking mole grips onto the nut
Not at 90 degrees to the nut
But from the direction the flexi hose goes
If that makes sense
If mole grips lock on turn them with another pair of grips/pliers/spanner etc
To get the leverage
 
Soldato
Joined
1 Mar 2010
Posts
21,785
Blue handled pipe grips will open them up, you will need two sets, one to hold the isolator and the other to undo the nut.
Once the top one is off you will have access for the lower one.
as he said .. (slim) plumbers wrench to hold isolator valve and adjustable spanner on the nut... I might toothrbrush some vinegar around the threads first
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
9,160
Well I did it although it required brute force in the end. The zip ties kept slipping and none of the wrenches/grips could fit in the narrow gap. In the end I took some tin snips to the tails and hammered a 23mm socket over the end. Hopefully I didn't damage any of the pipes which I can't see.

https://imgur.com/a/et8iqNL

Anyway, all was going well until I realised the new tails supplied with the tap had a smaller nut. So will have to wait for new tails to arrive!
 
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