plumbingremoval
My bathroom faucet was spewing water at odd angles. The aerator was obviously old and plagued with mineral deposits. So I attempted to remove the aerator to clean/replace it.
With WD-40 and vice grips I was able to get it to unscrew about a quarter turn, but when I tried to reposition my vice grips, the aerator broke in two. The top half with the threading is still stuck in my faucet. Any way to remove this without replacing the whole faucet? I can add a picture if it helps.
Go to your local hardware store and purchase a strap wrench:
The rubber strap wraps around and grips the cover. Then you rotate the wrench anticlockwise to unscrew the cover off the tap. The strap prevents scratching of the finish which would normally occur trying to unscrew the tap with the jaws of a regular wrench. There are also regular-style wrenches with soft jaw fittings that may also be used.
If you look closely, many aerators have a couple flat spots on them, that you could tighten an adjustable wrench on to. That or a strap wrench would have been my first tool. But failing that, and the lack of desire to preserve the original finish, the curved jaw vice grips pictured above should work.
The next level, replacement wise, would be to file some flat sides onto the doomed aerator and use a wrench.
Dave.
Best Answer
Mineral build up has likely cemented the aerator in place, so:
Wash off the WD40 residue with soap as best you can.
Get a glass or cup. Fill it with vinegar or a citric acid solution, and heat it in the microwave til hot. position the cup under the faucet so that the mineraled up threads are submerged. Let it sit for a few hours periodically warming the liquid and lightly tapping the aerator with a hammer so as to loosen residue. If you are persistent and lucky, the acid will dissolve the mineral buldup to the point you can unscrew the top half of the aerator.
If you have them, a mototool or detail sander might also be used to mechanically nudge the stuck threads. That'll open channels for the acid to get at the mineral buildup.