Off topic - plumbing
CJ in MPLS
I am looking at a plumbing repair of the type that is nominally simple, but subject to a few caveats. The problem I am having is that the ceramic cartridge is seized in the 1" chrome plated brass valve body (pipe with external threads) in which it is installed. The installation instructions for the faucet are easy enough to understand.
The problems started when I found that this installation requires no top nut to keep the valve body in its standard position. As a result, with the removal of the escutcheon, the valve body is flopping around. In a perfect world I might have access to the backside of the faucet for removal so that I could work with a vise on the bench, but with a custom vanity and stone top, I would need a gnome to do this for me.
So, the question to you is: how might I loosen a brass fitting (valve) in a brass threaded pipe (valve body) so that I can unscrew it WITHOUT damaging the valve body? Except for the stuck threads, this should be an easy fix.
Thanks,
CJ
