How to Unfreeze the Nut on a Plumbing Fixture

The high amount of moisture surrounding plumbing fixtures causes nuts holding the fixture in place to corrode, freezing the nut in place. To remove a corroded nut, you need to break the bond created by the corrosion between the female threads of the nut and the male threads of the plumbing fixture. Breaking that bond often requires more than brute force, as excessive force could damage the plumbing fixture faster than freeing the corroded nut.

Things You'll Need

• Freezing penetrating oil
• Pipe wrench
• Dry rag

Instructions

1. Spray the freezing penetrating oil onto the corroded nut. Make sure to cover the entire nut with the penetrating oil, as the oil needs to reach the interior threaded connection of the nut.

2. Place the pipe wrench onto the penetrating oil-coated nut with the open end of the pipe wrench facing toward you.

3. Pull the pipe wrench in a counter-clockwise motion to attempt to loosen the corroded nut. If the nut does not move, apply another coating of freezing penetrating oil to the corroded nut and allow the oil to soak into the threaded area of the nut for one to two hours.

4. Repeat step five until the corroded nut loosens from the plumbing fixture.

5. Clean the excess penetrating oil from the plumbing fixture and corroded nut with a dry rag.

References

• Underhood Service: Loctite Freeze & Release Penetrating Oil Loosens Rusted Bolts
• CRC Industries, Inc: Freeze-off Super Penetrant