How to remove the aerator from a faucet

I am trying to remove the aerators from our faucets to soak them in vinegar as they are full of limescale. I have wonderful pliers with big, mean metal teeth that will scratch the finish to blazes, something that I want to avoid. I have tried putting a dishcloth over the aerator, used sticky felt feet meant for furniture and a broad rubber band but nothing worked, they all moved and the aerator didn't budge.
Any useful tips? Thank you!

Try using a flatwrench (Gabelschlüssel). It should be a size 17.

Or Pliers with a rag wrapped around the aerator bits.. Works for me and no scratches so far..

PS: Try harder.. It works

Thanks anyway, DK.

But it doesn't work for Sara (and not usually for me either because I leave it too long each time).
Personally I don't worry about the scratching. The outer casing (the male bit that holds the filter and screws into the tap itself) costs no more than a new filter so if I do scratch or even deform it I just replace both.

I have a "rubber wrench" which should do the trick. PM me tonight so I don't forget to look for it.

If you want to keep trying before I find the thing, put some Essig Essenz in a plastic bag, put the bag over the tap end into that bag so that the aerator is submerged in the vinegar, and tie off so that it stays in place. Also, the Schwammtücher grip better than rags when you try to brute force the thing with the big fuck-off pliers.

woof.

Shopping list at Obi:

Mosquito net for Haggis junior
Rubber-headed wrench
New aerator

Between you and me and the crowd at Stachus I don't think this aerator has been removed since the plumbers put it on. Or whoever replaced it had specialist tools and used a power drill to tighten it. The frigging thing is round, as well, not flattened on two sides so's you can get a grip.

First, every house should have a can of WD-40. squirt a little around the seam and let it soak in, then it should come off easier.

Also, if you can find one of those rubber pot holders / bottle grips, those work great.

Be careful with the rag/towel and wrench option as the teeth of the wrench can eat through and scratch the metal.

The key here is to have leverage. So, you want to have a long handle. That way the force is done with mechanics not ripping at your plumbing. Vice grips with a long handle and a bit of rubber are great. If you don't want to buy those, you can use any sort clamping / locking pliers with a pipe over the handle or piece of wood duct taped to the end.

Just remember -- longer handle with less force means not buying a new faucet.

If you scratch the old aerator, don't worry, you can get another from OBI, and for another €2 get one of the nice ones with a sprayer. Plus, with the poor quality of water in Germany they only really have a lifespan of about a year anyway before the calc just kills them. Just don't use too much squeeze force or you'll bend the faucet metal.

---------

Finally, if you just can't get it off and you just want to de-calc it, there is an easier solution:

Turn off the water all the way. Then stick a towel up to the screen to soak up the remaining liquid. Now mix a super strong batch of water and the anti-calc stuff used for coffee makers and kettles. Mueller sells tables for a euro or two that are really good. put them in a kettle and get the solution hot then just let the faucet end soak in this.

You may have to do some plate acrobatics to figure out how to get your tap down into a jar or pot of solution, but just do that. Let it soak for 5-6 hours and it should dissolve the majority of calc.

Finally just wash the faucet off, and run hot water through until it's clean. Since calc also gets into the threads of the fixture, you may find that the aerator will come off after this too.

hope that helps

Shopping list at Obi:

Mosquito net for Haggis junior
Rubber-headed wrench
New aerator
WD-40

I got the bitch off (long wrench with lock function), huge flakes of limescale came off when I put it into the vinegar (acutally, concentrated vinegar, Essigessenz), and about half a pint of water came out of the faucet.
I Obi.

Thank you for all your useful tips!

A "rubber wrench" is NOT a rubber-headed wrench. It's a plastic handle and a strip of rubber which can go around damned near anything. The handle locks the loose end in place and you then twist in the direction you want, taking up slack when necessary. You can get some serious torque out of the thing. Never seen 'em in this country; I got mine at Sears.

woof.

If you're going to OBI anyway - keep an eye open for a magic little tool - i have't got a name for it unfortunately - but it's a plastic spanner with holes specifically designed to fit the aerator (appropriate for both sink/bath in my flat) - making removing the things child's play. I got a selection box with replacement rubber washers and spare aerators.

As Koala suggests it's best to buy a complete set of different sizes, inners, outers, washers and a tool to remove/tighten. Obi usually has sets for around €15, or buy from Ebay for under €20

I will bug the floorwalkers at Obi until I get the correct tools and will then lend them to anyone in the same plight. These aerators look just plain awful, white and brown and sitting there in their little bowl sending up air bubbles.
@BD, I know what you mean, I've seen one here somewhere.
Now, how do I tighten the faucets that came loose when I was working on them? Just kidding, I got the tools for that.

BTW - obi left payback at the end of June.

Scogs says you can get a separate Obi card but didn't bring home any info material on it. I will report later.

I got mine in OBI (or somewhere similar here)

I need to add something here: WD-40 is SHIT. Avoid it at all costs. It gums everything up. It's a degreaser, not a lube, and use of it needs to be followed by a second cleaner. Made with vegetable oils it attracts dirt and causes more problems than it solves. It's a short-term solution to a lot of things which, in the long run, leads to more problems.

woof.

Bollox BD


No it doesn't


No, it's a penetrating oil (watch out missus)


Not really


Absolute bollox, it's made from mineral spirits, mineral oil and petrol

Wikipedia (ok, I know, reliable source, etc.) disagrees with you:

not much vegetable oil in there! I wouldn't say that WD-40 is SHIT either: the combination of solvent and lube is pretty handy for a lot of things.

WD40 is great for removing students who are sitting too long on the communal toilet in the halls of residence

*sings* I'm love to burn baby burn...

I didn't get the WD-40 but I did get a snazzy new nozzle with a short, flexible hose bit and an adjustable twisty bit for one jet of water or several smaller ones, i.e. cascade or drizzle. I also got a plastic wrench with a round hole and a flat/round hole. And curtains for Haggis Junior along with the mosquito net.
The Obi card is for professionals only, people who will spend €2,500 and more p.a.

I'm still just wondering what's up with the mosquito net, there's like 4 mosquitos in the country, and you need a net to keep'em out? wow.

I love WD-40, it be good shit.

I hate Obi, it be not good shit.

I miss Menards. Oh well, Obi'll do for now.

We live next to a swamp. Haggis Junior wakes up with new bites every morning, and even I have been persecuted by the little blood-suckers. Flies around here too, and moths. And cats that might take it into their little feline minds to escape via a leap from the second floor.

You obviously don't live out my way! I've had a couple of bites already and if the summer carries on like this, rain then sun then rain etc. by the end of August they will be attempting to suck me dry. But they won't get through my net!

>> It gums everything up.
> No it doesn't
Over time. It attracts dust and particulate.

>> It's a degreaser, not a lube
> No, it's a penetrating oil (watch out missus)
Technically you're correct; it was developed as a "rust-preventing solvent" but listed uses include degreasing and oil product removal (such as tar and crayon).

>> and use of it needs to be followed by a second cleaner.
> Not really
To prevent gumming up, as above.

>> Made with vegetable oils
> Absolute bollox, it's made from mineral spirits, mineral oil and petrol
I'll concede this since I can't find anything authoritative. The MSDS only lists toxic materials and the company refuses to divulge what the remaining 10% of non-toxic content comprises. Sources I've found which mention vegetable/animal oils lead only to other sources which speculate but list no hard proof.

I still don't recommend the stuff.

woof.

Just be a gentleman BadDoggie and admit that you were WRONG on two counts.
It's easy - just say: I was WRONG. Forget words like concede. Brav!

Well i'll tell you all 4 of them are in my house and they have a feast every night, send me your address and i'll happily box them up and mail them to you.