Problem replacing tap washer?
Question:can anyone advise me...I have a leaky tap..turned water off and have removed little plastic cap on top of tap to find screw but when I went to unscrew it the screw head was really soft and now there is nothing for the screwdriver to fit into to turn it..have tried to hammer in a bit to see if would bite but no..any suggestions please??
Answers:
The best advice was to drill the head off the screw, cut a slot in the stomp left and remove it then replace with a new screw ... then replace the washer
If you cannot remove the stump of the screw left after : WD-40; warming ;, tighten 1/8 turn then release etc just replace the tap bodies( the valve bit and the handles)
with new ones ... about £14 for good metal one.
I got some short lever taps( hospital type) in solid brass, heavy chrome from Focus DIY.
IF the tap has been leaking for a LONG time ( years) then it could have damaged the seating and you will need the whole of the tap replacing not just the valve bodies and tops
If it's a plastic top you'l have to crack it off between 2 hammers then gently ease the screw out with a pair of pliers , new top's are only a couple of quid !!
try tapping the screwdriver with the hammer as you turn the screw
I had a friend with a similar problem. I used a drill to take the head off the screw and removed the handle. After the washer was repaired I cut down through the square of the tap spindle to make a slot for the screw and removed it.
There are special drill bits you can get to drill out screws with mangled heads, but they are pretty expensive, probably worth more than the tap handle itself. What works with some kinds of taps is to open it up all the way (as if you wanted as much water as possible, probably counter-clockwise), then keep turning, forcing it a bit, keeping pressure upwards on the handle to keep pressure on the screw head. If the handle starts spinning and the screw just stays in place, try pliers (like the good answer above), but that can be awkward and I always seem to pinch myself when trying that. Another cool idea, which I should have suggested first lol, before any attempts, would be to spray WD-40 or equivalent around the outsides of the screw head, then wait a few minutes for it to sink into the threads. This should help to un-seize the screw and make any un-screwing attempts a bit easier (you might have to wipe the WD-40 off of the top of the screw if it is too slippery). If all else fails, you might be able to find a matching handle at a plumbing-type place or a Home Depot etc - it will likely be very cheap, the trick is finding it! Then you might have to hack away at the handle and break it off, then remove the screw with pliers. Hope that helps!!
yes ...use a very small drill bit to drill out the centre of the screw (in about 5mm depth) then with patients ease the thread away from the sides ....
if you are really good..drill in , put on reverse and slowly un/drill the screw with the bit ...(you can buy proper bits to do this..!!)
the damage you may have caused it is better and maybe cheaper to change the taps before you need a new sink or bath
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