Slice through stubborn faucet nuts

While replacing faucets, occasionally I come across ones that will not come loose. Corrosion and soap scum will “weld” the washers and nuts on. This happens to me primarily on widespread faucets.

My solution? I use a rotary tool with an abrasive cut-off wheel to slice right through those stubborn nuts and washers. It also works to cut off faucets from the top when not able to cut off from below. You can use the tool to cut commode and tank bolts that are stuck as well. 

Scott Ganske
Ganske and Sons Plumbing
Fort Worth, Texas

Frozen wax rings thawed on the go

The wax rings or bowl waxes that I use are packaged in a thin plastic form. If I think I’m going to need a wax ring to set or reset a toilet during the winter, I place one or two — while still in the box — over the defroster vent on the dash of the service truck, making sure that the plastic form is facing down.

While en route to the client,  I leave the defroster on high. When I arrive and have determined that I will be needing the wax ring, I remove it from the box. Leaving it in the plastic form, I float it in the lav bowl of hot or warm water, depending on how cold it still is.

Mark Thomas
Herman Plumbing Co.
Grand Island, Neb.

No bifocals, no problem

I am 62 years old and do not like to wear my bifocals. Some of the tricks I’ve learned to get by include:

Stamping the flow rates and size numbers of water softener drain line flow control buttons and faucet washers on both sides of a steel washer. The washers go on a clip along with the corresponding water softener buttons/washers; I can see at a glance how many I have.

Carrying a 20,000-candle power, 12-volt rechargeable flashlight with the charger mounted on the dash in my van.

Using a mirror from lady’s empty compact to help me read model numbers on the back of water softener controls.

Ralph Volkman
Ralph’s Water Conditioning
Black Creek, Wis.