My son's house, built in the '60's, has a dripping wall faucet at the tub. He can't get the stem to come out of the wall - he's tried everything from a hammer to a torch. Any suggestions? Thanks a lot.
I'm assuming it's an old style faucet with washers...please write back if it isn't. Anyway, some of the 60's era fixtures require a special socket to reach a retaining nut deep in the wall. If your fixture has a "tube" surrounding the valve stem then you may have that type faucet.
If the retaining nut is fully exposed and is just plain stuck, spray it with penetrating oil 2-3 times a day for a couple of days. After letting it sit for 48 hours, open the valve all the way (counter-clockwise) and put a 15" pipe wrench on the retaining nut to break it loose. If it still won't move, try turning it the other way. Although it's uncommon, I have run into a few reverse-thread fixtures over the years. It's possible you may have one. The heat is not a bad idea if you can do it safely.
