How to remove the handle on your Kitchen Tap
Here is a video showing how to remove a handle
And then there are also detailed instructions below that you can read and take your time doing.
Just follow these 3 easy steps below to remove the handle on your Kitchen Tap
 Removing Indicator from Tap Handle to access screw underneath. |
Step 1First turn off water supply to your Tap if you are intending to remove the valve. If just removing handle to, for example, send us a picture, then you do not need to turn off the water because even if you turned the valve, the water will just go out of the Spout into the sink (so make sure that your spout is in normal position over your sink). Should you turn the valve, make sure that it is in the Closed position when putting the handle back on. If the handle has indices (Hot and cold) on it, these can be either screwed off or removed and the screw is underneath to screw off the handle. With a lot of Kitchen Taps the hot and cold indicators on the handles can be “popped” off with a screwdriver or unscrewed by hand. (note: We would strongly recommend trying first with something small e.g very small glasses type screwdriver or your finger nail to avoid scratching the surface finish of your Kitchen Tap.) Grub Screw: Other style taps have a grub screw directly underneath the handle: undo grub screw (be careful not to lose it) and pull off handle. Generally a Handle Grub Screw takes an Allen Key size 2mm or 2.5mm. Usually you pull directly out (don’t pull at an angle as you might damage the body or the handle. If handle is stiff, then please check out the Tips at the end of the Blog. Perrin and Rowe also provide Guides for removing their taps. Please see here and email us if your Tap is not covered. |
 Removing Handle by Loosening the grub screw underneath with an Alen Key |
Step 2When these are removed you will be able to see a small brass screw in the centre of the handle. If your handle does not have any indices e.g. the H or C is just etched out on the handle, check underneath your handle as there should be a grub screw underneath. |
 Twisting off Shroud covering the valve (or remove if there is a grub screw underneath that you will loosen with Allen Key). |
Step 3When you have removed the outer handle the inside shroud covering the valve can then be twisted off to uncover the top of your valve. Again sometimes there is a screw underneath this as well that has to be removed before this shroud can be removed. Below in the video is an example of removing a handle and valve hood where the handle is held in position with a grub screw and the hood covering the valve is also held in position with a grub screw. |
See our Blog 7 easy steps to change a kitchen valve.
If hood (shroud) is stuck or Handle won’t budge:
Tip 1:Perrin & Rowe recommend for their taps / Franke Triflow models: If you cannot remove the hood (shroud) that covers the valve due to build up of limescale – try soaking it for max 30 mins at a time in a solution of 50% lemon juice and 50% water. You can repeat this as often as required provided that in between you completely wash away the solution.
Tip 2: Where Handle has Seized up i.e. Grub screw removed and handle still stuck : You could try Tip 1. If this doesn’t work, you could try to a lubricant oil like TT Oil or WD40 etc around the joint of the handle (but be careful applying / do a test patch first on a part of your Tap that is not visible as you don’t want to damage the finish on your Tap). Then cover the handle in a cloth. Then turn the handle to “on” and apply reasonable force to pull it off. A small trickle of water might come out but that is all as you should have already turned OFF your water as advised at the start of this. If it still won’t move tap it with the likes of a mallet or back of a nail punch etc. This should remove it. If in doubt, we always recommend consulting a plumber to ensure that you do not damage your Tap.
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Leave a Comment (65) ↓
Hi i have Franke Athena monoblock mixer tap dripping at the spout.I have turned cold water off under sink and it as stopped dripping, but not sure how to get the handle off, does the little round circle flipp off the end and is there a screw under that and then would i need a new valve ?
Hi Kevin, if you look at the Franke Athena Handle link here https://www.tapsandsinksonline.co.uk/product/franke-athena-tap-handle/ you will see that it has pop off indicators. Underneath the pop off indicators are the brass screws that fix the handle to the valve. If you follow our Handle guide regarding removing the pop off indicators so that you don’t scratch your handle, and then undo the screw, again following the steps in the guide. Then if you think it is the cold water side that is dripping, you would replace the cold valve. Here is the link to the valve as we give the two options depending on the approx age of your own tap (all our spares being genuine spare parts, i.e they are Not Compatible (compatible usually means that they are replicas and Not coming from the actual tap manufacturer). Please also read about the bush part that can sometimes come out stuck to the valve as well. You won’t know if this is the case with your own valve until you remove, so you could remove in advance of ordering if you wished.
I have a San Marco mono block tap, believed to be Genoa. I know it is that make but that is all is written on the ceramic disc valve body. It does appear that I need a 1212R or 3819R. What does the R stand for, is it right or left. I do need a left hand tap valve with a clockwise turn. Your advice would be appreciated.
HI David the R in SMR stands for Rubinetteria which is Taps in Italian ! A hot valve usually means clockwise opening and a cold valve usually means anticlockwise opening. The only time that usually presents confusion is in bridge lever taps where the hot water feed lever opens anticlockwise (and therefore a ‘cold’ ACO valve is fitted in the hot water feed, and a CO Hot valve is fitted in the cold water feed (I am only explaining this in case someone is reading with a bridge lever taps where the levers are extended out horizontally when the water is turned off). For yourself, if you have a standard monobloc tap (be it a genoa style or one with levers) that you pull / turn the levers towards you to turn on and push back to turn off, there your hot water feed (on the left hand side of your tap if your tap is plumbed the correct way around) would require a hot valve i.e. a clockwise opening valve. And your cold water feed on the right hand side, to turn on the cold water, you would require an anticlockwise opening valve.
Then as to whether you require a 1212r or a 3819r, that depends on the age of your tap. For a very old tap that had the original 1212r valves with white seals then i would advise you replace with 1212r with white seals. Later versions of this tap came with the 3984r (1212r with blue /red seals) and these seals are a little flatter than the white, and later again, the 3819r which is the one threaded version of the 3984r. If you remove your own handle you will see if you have the 2 threaded 1212r/3984r or the 1 threaded 3819r. If you have the 2 threaded valve, in most cases the 1212R with white seal was stamped San Marco and the later 1212r(3984r) with white / red seals was stamped SMR. There are certain taps out there, that even if they had the 3819r one threaded valve in them, the manufacturer recommends the 1212r white valve to be used as the replacement. Certain taps spring to mind e.g. the emporia, the averon for example. That is why it is better to find the actual valve and tap that it relates to by going to the brand name, if known, as we do update the notes on these products all the times and give advice there as well depending on the tap.
Here is a link to the 1212R and 3819R valves (ie. in the one product) and i would think that if your own valve is two threaded and stamped San Marco, then there should also be an age stamp as well ? If not, then it would be one of the earliest valves and the only current 1212r with white seals available (and you would need this) is the 1212R with white seals. That is the only one now currently available.
many thanks will take a look
I’ve got a new tap valve to put in but my tap thr. On knob won’t fit on the knurly bit on vale do they come in diff sizes
HI Michael I would need more information on your own tap. Do you want to email us pictures and some more information ? to sales@tapsandsinksonline.co.uk
Hi
I have a Paini Swan 544NS tap which is dripping. I have the replacement valves. The handle appears to have a screw on cap on the end which is tight on. Do I need to remove this and the handle or can I just remove the valve cover (which is a nut into the main valve body).
Any advice much appreciated! I can send a picture if helpful.
Steve
Sure Steve. Give my your order number so that I can check which Valves you have purchased to replace your own.
I have Franke Mythos mixer tap. Took grub screws of both handle and valve cover cannot nudge handle at all. Any advice please. Totally stuck
Hi Julie, take a look at the comments from other customers with a similar Franke Tap (Planar) that might help you My Planar Tap is dripping
Hi
I have a Caple Lamar twin lever mixer tap that has no discernible grub screws or removable end caps by which to remove the handles. Any tips?
Hi Ian
i am sorry but I don’t have any technical details on this tap so I can’t assist you except to suggest that you contact Caple directly.
I have an eiger tap double spout. I have got handles off but can not get the cover off to access cartridge. Help please?
Usually these should turn anticlockwise to loosen and we would have no other tips to add other then the tips included in the blog above.
Larry. To unscrew the tight valve cover, have you tried the very smallest size of Boa rubber strap wrench? This gives a very good grip without damaging the finish on the cover.
Thanks Nigel for adding this. I am not familiar with this Boa rubber strap wrench but if it helps other customers, that is great ! so thanks again. Alice
I have an eiger tap
I can get the handle off, but how do I remove the cartridge
HI John
have you read the link to 7 Easy steps to change your valve here.
This post here covers how to remove your valve in detail : Seven easy steps to replace kitchen valve. For an eiger tap you will need a 2mm allen key which you can buy here
Have an Olympus Franke tap that is dripping at the sprout and cold lever. Unscrewed the grub screw but the lever would not budge. Tried tapping it and also used WD40 but still no movement. Anymore tips to get it off.
Thanks
Hi Heidi, can you give me some more information in case you have an Olympus Triflow which is a different Tap from the Olympus Filter Flow and other Olympus Taps. What approx age is your own Tap ?
I have a Franke Moselle mixer tap which is leaking from the cold side, have attempted all above solutions but still the handle refuses to budge there are no grub screws and no allen screws on the handle to keep it in place. I have applied WD40 to gap between handle and base and inserted a blade between gap but still no luck in freeing up handle. Is there any other device holding the handle to the base. Would appreciate any assistance.
Willie
HI William you will need to pop off the handle indicator and access the screw underneath to release the handle. Have you tried this much and are still stuck ?
I am trying to fit new cartridges to a Franke Eiger. I have removed the grubscrews but the handles but the handles didn’t come off. I have tried WD40, tapping very gently with a rubber mallet and a screwdriver between the handle and the valve cover but the handles just won’t shift. I am worried about damaging the handle and/or valve cover if I use too much force. Any suggestions?
Hi Alastair, I don’t know if you tried all the suggestions in our Tips as you don’t mention trying TT Oil or the lemon / water tip :
If hood (shroud) is stuck or Handle won’t budge:
Tip 1:Perrin & Rowe recommend for their taps / Franke Triflow models: If you cannot remove the hood (shroud) that covers the valve due to build up of limescale – try soaking it for max 30 mins at a time in a solution of 50% lemon juice and 50% water. You can repeat this as often as required provided that in between you completely wash away the solution.
Tip 2: Where Handle has Seized up i.e. Grub screw removed and handle still stuck : You could try Tip 1. If this doesn’t work, you could try to a lubricant oil like TT Oil or WD40 etc around the joint of the handle (but be careful applying / do a test patch first on a part of your Tap that is not visible as you don’t want to damage the finish on your Tap). Then cover the handle in a cloth. Then turn the handle to “on” and apply reasonable force to pull it off. A small trickle of water might come out but that is all as you should have already turned OFF your water as advised at the start of this. If it still won’t move tap it with the likes of a mallet or back of a nail punch etc. This should remove it. If in doubt, we always recommend consulting a plumber to ensure that you do not damage your Tap.
We do supply the Valve cover (here) and handles here if you damage them and knowing this might give you the confidence to attempt a more forceable removal ?
Hello I have just fitted replacement valves to my lamona Garda tap but am struggling to get the handles back on. They are sitting further out than before like they aren’t pushed far enough on to the end of the valve. They were quite tough to get off but didn’t take too long. They are quite grimy, would cleaning help or could the replacement valve be too long? Thanks
These valves are coming from the Manufacturer of your Lamona Garda Tap so they are the only ones available, and are the correct ones. I think that you have correctly identified the issue. Grime would clog up the splines and your own valve would have accomodated the grime over time by wearing down. You should clean out / off all the grime and then try again. It is ok to push the handles onto the valves.
Hi – I have a 2006 model Franke Eiger U Spout set of kitchen taps. The hot tap needs a new cartridge but there is no grub screw under the handle to remove the assembly and take out the old cartridge. There is no hole for a grub screw on either tap. Do you know where the screw is and how I access it please? is it underneath the tap handle once that is removed? Baffled. Thanks.
Can you send us in a picture of your Tap please. Also have you tried a mirror underneath ? Without seeing your tap,I can’t comment any further, but there should be a grub screw underneath. Email one to sales@tapsandsinksonline.co.uk and put in an explanation again with the picture and we will look at for you.
Thank you – I have emailed pictures as requested to your sales online site as suggested.
Do you have any videos that help show how to replace a valve in a triflow Doric tap please?
No we don’t have any videos, but this Guide ‘Doric Valve change Guide‘ gives very clear Step by Step instructions. Here also is a Guide on the Franke Doric Tap ‘My Franke Doric Tap is leaking‘ as the earlier Franke Doric Triflow has been replaced with the later Franke Doric Filterflow, and these two taps take completely different parts. You will find in this Guide links to Valves and O Rings required depending on which version you have, and which part is causing the Leak.
Alice wrote earlier : – …”handle screwing out” – as one option. Does this mean the whole shroud including the short rod lever for on/off screws out, or just the rod please? (Franke Zuirich chrome tap)
HI Jb
if you look at the diagram that i showed you , the entire SP3166 should come off.
I found the general instructions excellent (and Alice’s replies) but cannot for the life of me find any way to remove the chrome shroud with rod/lever to operate “on” or “off” on my Franke Zurich chrome kitchen sink taps, where the cold one has started to drip. Managed easily to prise off the cap that hides the screw and to remove it, but no grub screw sockets either on the shroud or elsewhere. Might it be that the “on/off” rods that connect to the tap shroud unscrew? They certainly don’t feel like I could pull them off and could send a jpg shot to illustrate the problem, if needed… Grateful for your reply, though not an emergency ! Thank you.
Hi JB, I have just taken a quick look here at the blueprint .
you should just be able to un do the screws behind the indicator and pull the handle off (by pulling it out ). Alice
Hi Alice, could I e-mail you a picture of the tap? There is a hole on the underside of the handle but I can’t feel any screw. There’s not much space to work with between tap handle and work surface, so even using a mirror is tricky as it just looks like a black hole. The indicator is part of the handle and definitely cannot be removed
Hi Alice thank you for the e-mail. unfortunately I am still unsure whether we are supposed to use an allen key on the underside of our tap handles to remove them. We have tried but cannot remove the grub screw (if there is one)? Our tap looks SIMILAR to a Lamona Victorian Regino Elbe Twin lever tap. But we don’t which model for sure.
HI Charles, without knowing the brand of your tap I cant give you specific guidance BUT if there is no grub screw (and a mirror will tell you if there is one there or not, or feel with your hand) then usually that means that you need to remove the indicator to get at the screw that is concealed by the indicator.
Hi, I have a Franke Davis J tap, I’ve removed the end caps and screws from the handles but still can’t get the handles off. No sign of any other screws to remove…any ideas what I should do next…WD40 hasn’t worked and the tap is dripping even worse…how do I ‘pull’ the tap off…should it be in the off position.thank yoy
We would recommend a plumber at this stage in case you damage your tap.
I have a hafelle kitchen tap with a single side-mounted lever (the handle’s very similar to the bottom taphere http://hafele.com/gb/en/external/blaetterkataloge/Sinks-Taps-Worktops-Directory-2016/blaetterkatalog/large/bk_133.jpg ). There’s no grub screw to remove the handle. The handle lever (the long thin cylinder) looks as if it’s screwed in but I can’t seem to unscrew it. Any ideas?
They are the only two options i.e grub screw or handle screwing out so if you have no grub screw, then your handle must screw out. You could try WD40 or some kind of releasing agent but be careful of the tap finish. It could take the chrome off your tap.
Thanks. Already used a bit of WD40, so it looks like I just need to get a better grip and apply some extra elbow-grease then. I’ll give it a couple of goes over the next few days .
ok thanks for your reply .it feels as if the tap lever is fused to the plastic bush beneath .ok thanks again
hi i have same prob as brian king above (abode tap3582)am trying wd40 &tapping with mallet.will keep trying for a wee while.could you also let me know solution if any.thanks in anticipation
HI Eddie, we honestly do not know why it is stuck. You could try TTOil which penetrates more effectively than WD40 (although be careful regarding tap finish so i would test first on an unseen part of the tap) and in case it is limescale that has caused it to ‘stick’, you could try lemon juice as per this blog here:
Hi I have a Franke Kubus Triflow tap (think it may be the earlier model as was fitted around 2010?) the tap is leaking and I was going to remove the cold tap first but I can’t see how to remove the handle as I can’t see a grub screw beneath the handle? Would appreciate any hel;p you can give as don’t want to damage the tap not knowing how to safely remove the handle. Thanks, Alistair
Hi Alistair
here is the information regarding the handle: Pull the handle firmly towards you, and also at the same time slightly upwards to remove the handle from the tap. I will email you full installation guide. Alice
Hi Alice, I’ve had the same problem with my taps…taken the grub screw out,can’t get the handle off. Can you help please ?
Hi Brian
what tap do you have ?
Kind regards
Abode TAP3582
Like the response to the other gentleman just now, we are taking a look here to see if we can help in anyway.
I have a 2 yr old Cooke & Lewis Zale monobloc 2 lever tap which leaks frequently on the warm tap side. How do I fix this?
Hi Mike
you would need to replace the Hot valve. Can you remove your valve and send me pictures of it and also measure the height of your valve and we can see if we have the valve here ? I would also need to know the markings on the valve. Alice
I’ve got a leaky Franke Olympus tap (leak is at the lever). Accessing the grub screw is fiddly but I can’t seem to identify the correct size of allen key. Is there a standard for this make?
Different versions of the Olympus took different grub screws. You could try a 2mm Allen Key.
Hi,
I have a San Marco blade tap and have ordered a new valve from you but I am struggling to remove the lever. It is hard to even see if the grub screw is in due to the position of the tap. Can you tell me it is is an allen key fitting and what size it would be?
Thanks
Ian
Hi Ian,
Thank you for your query. To remove the handle you need a small Allen key as the grub screw is on the underside of the Tap handle.
Kind Regards
Alice
My handles are stuck to the Valve. Would you know how to loosen it? The small screw was removed long ago, and the handle would not come off.
Thank you for your help.
HI Adela, can you email me a picture of your complete Tap please so we can see what Tap you have? Thanks Alice
Hi Adela, You have the Ascona Tap.
If you have removed the grub screw that means that your handle is literally stuck to the valve.
We suspect that the handle has simply just seized up as it has never had to be removed before.
You need to turn off her water, apply a lubricant oil or WD40 etc around the joint of the handle, then cover the handle in a cloth. From there you need to turn the handle to “on” and apply reasonable force to pull it off. You could tap it with the likes of a mallet or back of a nail punch etc. This should remove it.
We always advise: if in doubt please contact a plumber.
Hi Alice can’t seem to send a photo to your e mail just need to know if I need a special spanner to remove cartridge as only about a millimetre is visible thanks
I have a frank bern tap bought just over a year ago it’s started to drip from spout I tried to take out the cold cartridge can’t get a spanner on it .can u help .just wondering is it still under guarantee bought from b&q but can’t find receipt thanks
HI Len,
if you want to email us a picture of where exactly your valve is stuck i.e. what step in the process of removing it, we will look at. Just email it to sales@tapsandsinksonline.co.uk and mark if FAO Alice.