I have this really old sink in my laundry room that looks like it's been around for at least 100 years. The faucet is spraying water everywhere, and I want to replace the aerator. However, I'm stuck trying to unscrew it. I'm not sure if the top part comes off from the bottom piece, and even with two wrenches, I can't get it to budge. Any tips or advice on how to tackle this?
3 Answers
You might want to consider just replacing the whole faucet instead of trying to fix that aerator. It could save you a lot of headaches!
What you have there is a hose bibb vacuum breaker. These are made to be "tamper resistant" which makes it tricky. If you need to remove the whole thing, you can try some tough channel locks, but fair warning, it might ruin the threads on your faucet. Just a heads-up!
It's common for dissimilar metals to get bonded together with time, especially with water flowing through them. I've had success in these scenarios by carefully using a hacksaw. Just cut the outer piece a couple of times, and then you can pry it off. Just be ready to possibly damage the threads a little!
That's a good tip! But if you can, try to be super careful while cutting to minimize damage.
Yeah, I totally agree. These things get really stuck after years of use. Just keep in mind that if you do that, you'll have to figure out re-threading or using Teflon tape when you put the new one on.