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How To Remove A Stuck Faucet Nut (COMPLETE Guide)

How to Remove a Stuck Faucet Nut

Faucet nuts may get stuck when they become corroded or there is a buildup of mineral deposits. Here’s how to remove a stuck faucet nut the right way.

In this article, I will discuss the most effective methods to remove a heavily tight faucet nut.

First, you need to turn off the water supply by turning off the valves on the pipes going into and out of the faucet. Next, use a wrench or pliers to loosen the nuts that are holding it in place.

If it still won’t budge after loosening all of the nuts, try using an oil-based lubricant like WD-40 or Liquid Wrench to help loosen it up.

How to Remove a Stuck Faucet Nut

Tools Required

  • Clogged Kitchen/toilet Plunger
  • Armor line basin wrench
  • Superior tool basin nut wrench
  • Lock Nut Wrench Clutch Lock Nut
  • An old rag
  • Brush
  • Pliers
  • Penetrating oil.
  • Hand Drier

Once the tools are complete, follow the steps below to get a stuck faucet nut out.

Step 1: Cut off Water Supply

The first step to getting a stuck faucet nut off will be to cut off the water supply in the house.

To remove the stuck nut, you will have to turn off the main source of water supply to the faucet to avoid spillage when you succeed in loosening the nut.

Step 2: Clean the Nut

After successfully cutting off the water supply, next action to use an old rag to clean the faucet nut to avoid water from being on it.

This step is very important as this will help the penetrating oil perform a better function.

Step 3: Turn the Nut Anti-Clockwise

This should be quite easy. If the nut is tightened by clockwise turns, then turn the nut anticlockwise to loose. If not, reverse the procedure to loosen.

If the nut turns, further action will not be needed. If not, you will need to explore the next step.

Step 4: Spray Oil on the Nut

A practical way to loosen a stuck nut that has refused to yield is to spray some oil on the particular nut, the oil will lubricate the nut and facilitate the removal of some of the mineral deposit that is holding the nut in place.

After a period of time, you may attempt to turn the nut clockwise, if it turns either way, that is a good start, if not, you may wait longer for the penetrating oil to make the nut soft.

Step 5: Use a Sink Wrench

Next, you may need to go under the sink or under the faucet to get a better view of the nut, so that you can reach out with the sink wrench and get a hold of the nut and turn it clockwise to loosen the stuck nut.

Step 6: Tap the Nut Gently with a hammer

A great way to release the hold of the nut on the faucet is to tap the nut gently with a hammer to release some of the corrosive material that is holding the nut in place.

Step 7: Apply Heat to the Nut

Finally, if all else fails; you may apply artificial heat to the nut. This will help it expand considerably and may give you the leverage you seek to remove a rusted nut under the sink.

A heat gun can perform this task comfortably. After applying heat, use a wrench to turn the nut quickly before it cools.

3 Reasons Why a Faucet Nut Get Stuck

A lot of factors can make a faucet get hardened over time, and make it stiff to turn, when this happens, it may become difficult to make use of the faucet.

1. Mineral Deposits

Over time, due to the passage of water from the pipes through the faucet, mineral deposits may accumulate in and around some parts of the faucet. This activity can make the faucet hard to turn until these deposits are eliminated or the faucet is changed, this challenge may persist.

2. Worn out Parts

Faucets no doubt have a long life span, that notwithstanding, they still wear off after some time.

The faucet is made up of different parts that may begin to experience wear and tear as it is in continuous use. The rubbers that shield the metal parts from water are a good example of this.

As the protective rubber wears off, it remains inside the faucet and makes it difficult for the faucet to turn when it needs to be used.

3. Faulty Cartridge

The cartridge is an essential part of the faucet and should be in good shape for the faucet to function optimally. This can be fixed quite easily with the right tools. It may also cause low water pressure in a kitchen faucet.

Recap

As shown above, removing a stuck faucet nut is not so difficult, it just requires some knowledge on how and what should be done to pry the nut free. And most importantly, you need to get the right tools in place to effectively get a stuck faucet off.

There are several reasons why a faucet nut may get stuck and will need to be replaced. Nevertheless, mastery of this art is important as you never know when you may need to change a stuck faucet in your home.

This happens quite often and should not cause any panic. With the use of a wrench, a plier, hammer, some penetrating oil or artificial heat will give way and you can remove the stuck faucet nut.