Thank you so much! I thought I was losing my mind thinking I was the only one who had this issue. Everyone says "oh just use a basin wrench. Yeah, great idea for a 1/2" nut or smaller.
Yay for the brainiac! Seriously! I wanted to rip that friggin new faucet out of sink the day after i installed it because i couldn't properly tighten the mounting nut and the POS wobbled all the time. Never knew basin wrenches existed until a few days ago but won't need one thanks to you! Holy cow i installed a new pull down kitchen faucet but couldn't reach the mounting nut without struggling or pulling my arm out of its socket while trying to reach that friggin' nut. I have 2 pair of needle nose vice grips; one was about the same size as the one you used in the video. I spent more time moving things out of the way (in the cabinet below the sink/faucet) then i spent tightening that friggin nut because of your informative video. You rock and my faucet doesn't rock thanks to you! I'll be sure to drink an extra adult beverage, maybe 2 in your honor.
I am so glad I found your video from someone’s video because you mentioned yours in the comment of that person’s video since my faucet’s nut is 1 1/2 inch. I am able to tighten mine because of your video. Thank you so much.
My kitchen faucet has been loose since I installed it months ago. I tried every tool I had to get in there and tighten it....I even bought a basin wrench....it was too big and the space was too tight. Af pair of needle nose vice-grips, worked like a charm. Thanks !!!
Thanks for taking the time to make the video Clint! I did try numerous options, but had not come across the needle nose vice grips... with your video I picked up a pair and bam, that faucet is finally locked down tight! Seems like such a common problem, yet few solutions out there. Cheers.
I came here after trying to tighten the same kind of nut for the past hour. I never would have thought to use vise grips. Brilliant! They worked perfectly. Thank you so very much.
I just tried using a 4 1/2" grinder with a metal cut disc on the faucet. I fried it! The basin wrench only opens to 1 1/4" so I thought of a needle nose clamp wrench. Then thought that was just crazy. I searched how people have gotten to that 1 1/12" nut and bam. It worked for you. Thanks. The HW store is an hour drive for me.
I had a pair of the needle nose channel locks and searched for “under the counter faucet nut tightening” and found this video. Worked great and I had that why didn’t I think about that moment. I was able to get a pretty good grip on it and didn’t have to use the lock mechanism.
You’re a lifesaver Mr. Moar. Tried everything to get my leaking faucet nut loose, but couldn’t get anything in there to turn it, let alone the awkward position you have to lay in to even reach it. After watching your video and making a trip to my local Harbor Freight to purchase a pair of 5.99 locking vice grips, the rusty nut loosened right away after some WD-40 spraying. Hopefully installing my new faucet will be just as easy. Thanks for saving me some money especially around the Holidays. Hope you have a good one too.👍
Well, with all this new technology we're getting accustom to, in our case, that same nut is now 'plastic' or composite, and I've gotten it tight 'twice', but it stays tight for a week, yet slowly loosens over time! I'm looking for a solution to keep this plastic nut tight, so I've purchased some medium 'loctite' and will give that a try, but who knows if the loctite will adhere to plastic! This was definitely NOT a cheap kitchen faucet set, yet we get this large plastic/composite nut, rather than brass or steel of some kind! I will try your needle nose vise grip tip though, and perhaps I can get it extra tight that way, but I'm afraid if I go too tight, I'll break the nut!
Got to be kidding! My exact situation. The channel locks don't work and nothing else fits. I even got a rigid tool, but it doesn't fit the retaining nut for the bathroom sink faucet - which is quite old. Going to try the pliers; if it works, I'll give update. Thanks for posting. Update: finally positioned a screw driver on the nut and rapped it until it came loose and far enough out so that I could get a wrench on it. Still, took an hour. Didn't have the plyers, but I'll put that idea of yours in the memory bank.
Ok, glad you got it off. My update... I posted this 5 years ago and I have not had to tighten it since! I hadn't realized that until now. Thanks and good luck. fyi Are you in Canada or USA?
Thank you...your solution worked very well!! I was completely baffled about what to use at this point...The Pfister faucet (Lowes) I was installing has a center nut (as you show in the video) as opposed to the last faucet (Moen, I think) which attached with two plastic twist nuts on either side of the main hole. I tried crescents, slip-jaw pliers, locking pliers, a "Husky" plumbing socket tool and a even larger basin wrench...but the head was too large for the area you show in the video...I looked for the NN locking pliers at HD, but the Milwaukee and Husky models they had in stock had much shorter jaws...I found one very similar to the one you used at HF. Worked very well and cost $6.00!!...Just an afterthought and a suggestion...ALWAYS replace all the SS water lines/hoses when you do these projects...I didn't bother this time and bolted it all back together and had a leak in the hot water SS line...Back to HD for new lines...but it works great now. Thanks again, your video ....and RU-vid in general ....are lifesavers!...RS
Bought the exact same "Irwin" Vise-Grip today and it worked! Thank you so much Clint =) Subscribed =) I just have to have somebody hold the faucet, so it won't turn around as I tighten the base underneath the sink =)
The other solution is to find a hot water heater element wrench. This is typically a 1 1/2" hex socket made out of large tube. Its works perfect on these Kohler 1 1/2" nuts. Just google hot water heater element wrench. Also commonly available at Home Depot in the hot water heater section.
Yes, you have to feed the hoses through. You have to disconnect the hoses to tighten or loosen the nut. In my case today, I was removing the faucet control to service the valve.
Yeah, interesting. I've seen those before but I guess you'd have to know exactly what size you needed as I don't think they are adjustable are they? And also, I assume they are long enough to work on the faucet/tap?
That was great. I struggled to both remove the old faucet and separate handles, and then again installing it. Why they can’t design that fastening system to work easier I don’t know. I have the second faucet to do tomorrow and first a trip to Harbor Freight for the needlenose locking pliers.
you can use a crow feet wrench, its an open back end, you can use the socket wrench extender. I have the same problem with Kitchen aid hot water dispenser 2005, corroded thread. Don't use vise grip it will squeeze the nut. If you gonna replace it, just cut all attached water line, and use a socket 1 1/2" socket about 9 bucks, problem solve very easy removal.
I'll have to try this. I'm trying to get my old faucet out and replace it. I can't listen one of the nuts. I don't have a basin wrench and there's not enough clearance to get leverage with a cresent wrench
@@ClintMoar yes, thank you for this great idea! I just so happened to have one available in my toolbox! I wish I had seen this earlier. Lol. You, my friend, are a true life saver. Thank you, again. I was a little skeptical at first, but I said, what the hell. Lol.
Needle nose vice grips will chew the hell out of that nut. Looks like you have enough room for a 1-1/2" crows foot wrench. Just use it with an 18" 3/8" drive and you should be good to go!
It may be best to have someone hold the faucet above while the other tightens the nut from below. I don't think you could over tighten it but just tighten until the faucet feels solid enough to use.
Even doing it like this can be an absolute bastard depending on the pliers and the space you have available. The easiest way I found is to turn the entire tap assembly anticlockwise until it hits the tiles. Then tighten the nut as much as you can with fingers. Then grip the nut with whatever you can to hold it still while you tighten the tap assembly above into place. Sore neck and lots of swear words. I HATE plumbing.
Yes, it is trickier if rusted. I replaced mine a couple months ago and it was quite rusty. I had to have my wife twist it from the top while I held the nut below and it worked.
all faucets sold at our hardware stores use 1 1/2 nuts to tighten them down, but low and behold the geniuses at our hardware stores can't figure out that you need an open socket that has about 2ft - 3ft extension that turns from the side not the bottom. The people managing the inventory have never even picked up a wrench let alone done manual labour. People in our state are so .... trying to be positive!
Just about any automotive sensor that has a wire coming out of it, and there are a lot of them on modern cars. Also there are a lot of bolts that having obstructions in the way when doing automotive work, they are useful to get you out of those situations where you would normally have no other way.
Why are all kitchen sink faucet have to be installed in such tight spaces? I'm the one with the tools at home and I've been trying to tighten our sink for months. I'm going to try this! If not, I will just have to hire a plumber and replace the entire faucet with an easier to tighten faucet... so frustrating =(
Worked great for me. Had a plumber out for something else. Asked if he could tighten the faucet. Said needed a special tool which he had. Was going to charge me $140! Thanks for the idea.
