Sink/bath Waste trap spanner

[oldie]

Hi All,
I wonder if you can advise me again, We have just had our Central heating boiler changed,by my now new plumbers when I asked if they could change some taps whilst they were here, they offered to do it whilst changing the boiler.
Well it was a bit of a bloody awful job to do and took them a lot longer than either of us expected, we of course paid them a little extra for their efforts, that they were not really happy in accepting but we insisted. Now the question is ,because I now need the waste traps changing, of course I didn't think about the different coloured waste traps when I bought the taps, and due to the problems I caused them with the extra work I don't really want to ask them to do the waste traps, as they are going to be a right pig to get at.
So is there a proper spanner to undo the large retaining nut, a sort of similar design to the one for the electric water heating element but open ended, or do you all use pulley/pump pliers. Also what is the trade secret for releasing the gunk that seals the trap to sink/bath and how do you all release the trap from the bath/sink is it just brute force or is there a proper way?
As usual my questions are always a bit long winded ,so I very much appreciate your your time and trouble in answering all of us idiots
Thanks again
oldie

 

[BenC]

just use some pump pliers to undo the nuts, the wastes are usualy siliconed in so shouldnt be to hard to pull/twist out

 

[REDSAW]

me thinks you have a cast iron bath?

 

[oldie]

Good guess ,and nearly right It's supposed to be 10mm acrylic, as better half didn't like the floppy thinner ones but I suspect that in places it's a little thinner than that, I remember the traps are fitted/sealed with Plumbers Mate.
I'm surprised that no body has manufactured a purpose designed spanner for getting at these bl--dy awkward to get at nuts.
My poor old plumbers arm was dead for about half an hour after lying on his back half under the Bath trying to release the taps, so I'm not actually looking forward to attempting the waste trap, but there you go, it's got to be done
oldie

 

[Puddle]

It may be easier just to get a junior hacksaw with a nice new blade and cut through nut,as once loosened probably thread all gunged up or get a small cutting disc to fit into your cordless drill if you have one


imho

 

[REDSAW]

PLUMBERS MATE AND ACRYLIC,!!!no no no no.
i can see it going t.ts up.
i have refused to do my mums plug hole cause the chrome is comming off, just for that reason and i cant be rsed putting in a new bath just for the chrome hole.

 

[oldie]

Ohhhhhhhhhhhh Sh-t it's not going to be a easy ten minuet job, I'm glad i didn't ask the "Lad's" to do it then.I'm off up to the Midlands for a few days to the 27th Rugby Beer festival ,so with a little gained dutch courage I'll have a gentle go at It when I return.
Thanks for the advice so far
oldie

Hi Redsaw,
What would you recommend as a sealent, if and when I can get the old trap out, I suppose that they have been in place for about 20years and Plunbers Mate was the thing to use then or so I was told, progress has overtaken me again, as usual, so what is the new must have Wonder Stuff that removes stubbon taps and traps applys it's self and seals without geting your hands dirty , and then cleans up after it's self, or am I still dreaming
oldie

 

[BenC]

just use a good quality clear silicone for the wastes

 

[Bernie2]

Hmm!

Good stuff Plumbers Mait in its place.

As a bit of an experiment try putting some in hot water, then you will understand why its not much use on basin wastes. In my experience it virtually liquidises, which is not what you want.

In the old days on china you would putty and paint the joint, but being linseed based you should not use putty on plastic baths.

So its would seem a good clear silicon is probably best.

I for one don't know of anything on the market specifically for the job.

Though some wastes now come complete with rubber washers. Assemble the washer on the waste dry if you can, usually one thin one under the waste lip that goes inside the bath and one thicker that goes underneath before the back nut and I would use a little bit of silicon grease to make the threads run up smoothly making sure it doesn't go on the washer if its rubber.

If you wet or put anything on rubber washers they usually squash out all over the place and they can be hard to get back into shape.

Err! Okay that is from experience! And me being a bit slow plenty of the same experience!!!

Also don't be tempted to give it the heave ho! It just seems to make it worse if they leak.

After the waste is fitted run some hot water down the waste and when it gets hot just tighten it up a bit.

One site suggests putting a bead of silicon on the internal rubber washer. Okay maybe worth a try but I am not sure how silicon holds up with hot water.

I must admit there seems a good opening for a product here.

 

[oldie]

Why does it always happen this way ? What started off with a central heating boiler change then progressed to changing Taps in the bathroom and downstairs loo, has almost ended up as a house refurb. When our Plumbers/Heating Engineers changed the taps for me to Chrome instead of poncy worn out gold ones, this of course meant that everything else had to be changed as well. So off with the towel rails, toilet roll holder and clothes rail, and in the shower enclosure ,a new riser, shower head etc, and of course a matching shower caddy. I then, when removing some of these fitments found that the emulsion paint underneath them had faded to a lighter colour . So re-fill all of the drilled and plugged fitment holes 'cause nothing of course is standard , make good, rub down all of the walls and repaint the bathroom, then fit all of the new, shiny posh chrome fitments. All of this has now aggravated a 40 year old elbow injury. So with aching arms and an assortment of home made "C" spanners to undo the u trap and waste, I start again, only to find that I still can't get to the Bl--dy waste pipes as the pedestal and existing H & C pipes to the new posh taps is still masking everything ,obviously, now, the sink has to be removed to get at the waste fittings. So, a very frustrating phone call had to be made. Lee and Gary are now coming back after we return from our holidays to complete the job for me.So Redsaw you are correct about it all going t-ts up but for a slightly different reason.To everybody else who has offered me advice on this very simple task, thank you all very much, but why didn't someone offer me the best advise of all, and that is to Leave the Bl--dy thing alone
oldie