How can I remove stuck anti-vandal rings in tap head?

[jefflkb]

I have an early 2000s Irwell tap on my bathroom sink. It is leaking and I need to replace the washer and O-ring on the spindle. It has anti-vandal rings in the tap head. The tap head is stuck. I have tried with vandal spanner, and also spray WD40 into the anti-vandal rings, but no luck. Can you help ?

Thanks ,

Jefflkb

[EricL]

Hello @jefflkb

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's a pleasure to have you join us, and thank you for sharing your question about removing the anti-vandal rings in the tap head.

I'm sorry to hear you're having trouble removing the tap head. Would it be possible for you to post a few pictures of the tap head.? This will give our members a chance to assess its condition. We can then offer you possible solutions on how to remove it. Is it the kind where the locking nut is located under the tap head itself? Once we see the pictures we'll have a better understanding of its configuration.

If you need assistance in posting the photos, please let me know.

Eric

[jefflkb]

Hi EricL,

Thank you for the quick reply.Here are the pictures of the Irwell tap.

 

 

[EricL]

Hello @jefflkb

Thank you so much for posting those photos. Often times the culprit binding the anti-vandal screw is calcium from the water. It acts like a natural stone glue that binds metal together. I suggest spraying the bottom with some CLR 750ml Bathroom And Kitchen Cleaner or equivalent. This will break down the calcium and limescale in the assembly. Give the CLR about 10 minutes to activate and try again with the anti-vandal tool. Please remember to turn anti-clockwise to remove the screw.     

Another method you can try is tapping the handle horizontally with a hammer. The sudden shock might be enough to nudge the anti-vandal screw. One other thing you can try is using an Allen key. Find the biggest key that will fit into the slot of the anti-vandal screw. Use the short end to sit into the slot and tap the long end with the flat end of a wrench. You're objective in doing this is to get the screw to move. Once the screw moves you can then proceed to use the anti-vandal tool to finish the job.

However, if after all that effort and it still won't budge you could cut the spindle with a hack saw. Please keep in mind that this means that you'll be replacing the entire spindle as well as the handle. You can also engage the services of a plumber who has special tools to remove the stuck screw. 

Let me tag our experienced members @Noyade and @TedBear for their recommendations.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[jefflkb]

Hi @EricL,

Thank you so much for your suggestions, and I shall give them a go over the weekend. Hopefully, I don't need to resolve to using hack saw.

Jefflkb