Replacing a Faucet Aerator...that’s stuck! 

Like calcified in place ! My issue! Tried soaking in vinegar and the aerator still does want to unscrew. Address that!

Get a hose-clamp ($3.99 at ACE) and use a screwdriver or nut-driver to tighten it on. Then use a hammer to pound on the screwdriver in the correct direction to loosen the aerator.

I know, right? That was brilliant!

Yes, thanks for the lesson. I didn't know what that was either. I was trying to use a screwdriver. Yikes.

Excellent! Job done and money saved!

Glad it helped!

did it work?

Nice tip! Thanks.

it was the rubber handles the whole time

Great tip! I didn't think of that so I'll have to give it a try.

Can you make a video (re-enact) to demonstrate???????

Hello. I have the same problem. I taped a plastic food bag filled with some white vinegar to the end of the faucet and hope to soak the 'gunk', which is locking the aerator in place and making the gunk difficult to remove. If you try this, make sure the aerator is completely soaked in the vinegar and leave the food bag on overnight. I will wait to see if this idea works!

@@johnzajac9849 Did it work ?

Glad it was helpful!

Glad it helped!

Glad it helped

You're welcome!

Same here. Mine just spins but doesn’t unscrew. Wondering if I need that cache tool?

@@sunshinecruse I finally figured it out - I used Danco 10909 multi-use aerator key.

@@akonti2 thank you. I’d checked with a few neighbors and finally figured it out, too. A dual aerator key was exactly what I needed. I got it off, but the screen is damaged, so I need a new aerator. But at least now I know the issue. Thanks again.

You could try what's called a strap wrench.

solved it somehow? got the same problem

This is tricky without me being able to see it. Try bending a paper clip into a hook shape and then pull it out as you unscrew. The threads could be stripped out.

Insert needle nose pliers into the opening, open the pliers, and then try to unscrew. If that doesn't work because it won't catch the metal part to unscrew it, try cutting a raw potato in half, jamb it into the metal and try to unscrew it. You may have to carve up the potato a bit depending on your faucet.

I am having a similar issue, but my key broke while turning so a new key will not fit. And I cannot seem to get the broken one out. Any ideas?

No, it was counter clockwise (looking from the sink up to the faucet).

Here's one idea...buy the largest slotted screwdriver you can find (largest being the widest tip that isn't bigger than the diameter of your aerator. Take a utility knife and carefully cut across the aerator. You want to try to get that screwdriver as deep as possible into that slit as possible. If it goes in by a quarter inch or more, you might be able to unscrew it with the screwdriver. You may need a what's called a stubby screwdriver which isn't long but still has good handle.

@@ToolboxDIY thank you! I just broke down and called a plumber...sad but true.

@@albecky123 No shame in that. If you are/were able to see what the plumber did to remove it, can you share with all of us?

@@ToolboxDIY, oh I'm not ashamed. LOL, I would have been ashamed if I had continued to struggle with it, applied too much force and broke the hole faucet off...that's my luck! I tried the little round tool thingy that they sell at Lowes, but the plumber had a tool specifically for this and best I can describe the tool is that it was long, thin, and flat on on side with various intervals of indentation along the other side...he slotted the correct indentations for that specific size faucet end into the edge of the aerator and just gave it a little bit of a turn and it was out. He said those round tools are not really the best option for that type of aerator although they are sold for that. He was able to help me out with something else while he was here, so it's all good. I have a relationship with this company and they always send the same plumber if at all possible. He has even gone shopping at Lowes for me on his own time to find something I needed in the past....he took pictures, let me pick what I wanted, then when he came to install the item, that was the visit I was charged for (and of course I paid for the item he did my personal shopping for!)

Do you see small screw on the back side of the faucet head? Or if there's a pull out sprayer on it, do you see a small screw on the bottom of the sprayer?

@@ToolboxDIY There are no screws anywhere. The model number is R22477-4D-BN

Tricky one. Maybe this will help: support.kohler.com/hc/en-us/articles/360004636353-Maxton-Faucet-Stream-Breaker-Removal

amzn.to/2G4Nlek

Not all of them, but most of them.

@@ToolboxDIY thanks, yeah I decide to risk it and use force to try and turn it. It was just really stuck on the tap, its been probably more than a decade of so since we change our taps

If possible, try vinegar in a plastic bag. Use a rubber band to secure it to the faucet and make sure the aerator is submerged in the vinegar. Let it sit at least overnight. You could also try something like CLR.

Those are the tricky ones! A "standard" faucet (like most of the ones you find at Home Depot or Lowes) are pretty obvious on how to change the aerator.