Compact TapSplitter tool for releasing tap head nuts to repair dripping and stuck taps

Arrived as described - works well.

While waiting on loo repairs, a dripping tap went from 'slightly dripping' to 'almost a trickle'. The tap hadn't been touched since the house was built in the 1990s. After much fiddling around getting the to the tap headgear - including trying the hot tap, in case there was a really perished washer and that would give us a better size guide - we couldn't remove either tap valve. We followed all the information in our various DIY guides - using WD40, spanners, wrenches and cloths. Even with two people, the valves would not move at all, and the taps kept threatening to - which would break them. Looking online, the DIY Doctor website was the only one with a further option, which was to use the TapSplitter and has a video of it in action. I decided to give it a go, I didn't know anything about the product and was going by the 'cheaper than a plumber' school of thought.Yesterday we gave it a go. I didn't find the written instructions very clear - we actually pulled up the DIY Doctor video review again to copy instead. I made the mistake of copying it exactly and would have tightened the valve - so I need a very, very much simpler guide to use. But having got it set up correctly, I didn't expect it to be able to work. When you've had two people heaving around with wrenches, it doesn't seem possible. But we stood, turning the little spanner and watching it move. When the tap valve started turning (and the tap didn't move one iota) it was astounding, it seemed like a magic trick.We couldn't change the washer, there was so much scale and verde gris, the retaining nut on the washer was welded on. Even the local plumbing centre couldn't lever it off, so we had to replace the whole valve. This made me more impressed that the tap splitter had been up against a tough job. Normally, I'd maybe knock a star off for unclear instructions. Yet the tool being so effective for a specific job and saving the cost of a plumber in this situation plus the satisfaction of seeing a problem through, it's a five star for me on this one.

Used this once so far and it was a success, with no damage to tap or tool!. I did have some concerns though that the tool tap spanner might twist as pressure was applied because it was not a straight pull. The tap was a standard traditional capstan head basin tap. When the sleeve was placed over the spout, the slotted end was noticeably lower than the tap spanner end so that there was a downward force applied as well as the unscrewing pull force. Other reviewers have reported that the supplied tap spanner "twisted like a corkscrew" and I can see how that might happen as the spanner isn't made from high grade steel. I think that a little more development work is needed to be able to "guarantee" this will work every time (as the manufacturer claims.) Hence only 4 stars as I think that a very stubborn tap valve assembly might easily defeat the tool as suppled.However, I am grateful to an earlier reviewer for reporting his/her use of a standard chrome vanadium combination spanner in place of the one supplied with the kit. Not only is that spanner much stronger, it has a helpful 15 degree angle (or so) on the ring end which can be used to better align spanner and sleeve end resulting in a much straighter pull. Not used that option so far, but it is that workaround which gave me the confidence to invest my cash.Certainly the idea is good and it is worth buying the kit for the tap spout sleeve and pull bar. The fall back of using your own combination spanner makes it worthwhile to buy even if the supplied spanner fails. So go ahead and buy, but be prepared to adapt.

I go this after reading the reviews and was a bit hesitant as to what people said about it. My landlord is a plumber and said that I needed new taps as one was leaking and he couldn't take the old valve and stuff out as it was seized after 25 years of hard water.I bought the kit, but found the 17.5 mm insert too small, emailed the supplier who told me that some customers had a few problems, but just needed file the insert out a bit. I tried this and also filed a bit off the tap gubbins too.Time to try it out, first attempt didn't seem to do anything, so unattached it all and tried again, there seemed to be some movement, but not what I`d call enough to do the job, another twist of the spanner and it was done, really couldn`t believe that such a simple looking tool can do what it did.Took the old valve out and fitted the new one. Happy taps and no leaks.Really can`t believe that it worked and how easy it was to use.Well worth buying, small price to pay for a tool that can prevent people breaking taps and sinks or struggling on how to get off seized taps. Works a treat.

I'm a nurse not a plumber but like to try things myself before I throw money at people. I had leaky basin taps that were giving me nightmares about whether they were turned off fully or not. I had a go at the hot tap and after a full day, half a can of WD40, pulled muscles a cut and 2 callouses on my hands, I managed to remove the valve to replace it. Not so with the cold tap. Love, money nor swearing would make that thing budge. I damaged the nut head too in the process. Enter the tap splitter. It's only after a Google search I found a video demonstrating how it worked and I quickly found it on Amazon once I knew what I was looking for. The kits comes with a fitting for damaged nut heads too. Tbh, the instructions that come with it may as well have been in another language for all I knew what they were saying. However, as I'd seen the video, I more or less knew what to do. Once set up there's minimal effort to unscrew the valve, in fact I had done it without realising it. It was only because I noticed that one of the worn down sides of the nut had moved position that I tried it with my hand and it came off! Thought the job would take all day like the last time but this only took 5 minutes! It's paid for itself and I now have nice new drip free taps. Don't dither, just buy it. It does the job.