How to remove Kitchen Tap Spout

For your Two Lever (Handles or Twist Turn) Kitchen Mixer Tap

A kitchen spout is held in place 3 ways
1. Grub screw at back of the Spout securing it to the Tap Base
2. Locking nut (also known as a shroud and looks like a wide ring around base of spout)
3. Held in by the O Rings themselves i.e. No screw and No Locking Nut (not as common as 1. and 2.)

If held in by Grub Screw:

Usually the grub screw is directly behind the tap. If you run your finger around the back of the tap where the spout meets the base you should be able to locate it. You will then need to undo the grub screw with an allen key or appropriate size screw driver depending on the size of the grub screw (Generally 2.5mm or 2mm). If the grub screw is a cross head one you will need an offset screwdriver. Once the grub screw is removed the spout should just pull straight up though it may need some persuading. Tip: Retain your own Grub screw in case you have an older model so be careful when removing it. Usually a Grub Screw takes a 2.5mm allen key.

In some taps it might be hard to find the grub screw as it looks like there is a locking nut (like a wide ring) but if the locking nut won’t turn then this might be held in place by a grub screw which will need to be removed.

If held in by Locking Nut:

Unscrew the “shroud (locking nut)” that sits at the base of the spout by turning it anti-clockwise and then pull the spout upwards and out. This would apply to all UK Kitchen taps without grub screws where there is a locking nut.

If held in by neither Grub Screw or Locking Nut:

If your Kitchen Tap has neither a grub screw or a locking nut holding the spout in place then the spout has been designed in such a way as to remain inside the body of the tap by the shape of the spout and the O Rings. This might prove more difficult to remove and you might damage the spout unless you pull it upwards evenly because if this is not done properly you might strain / damage the spout. Some of these Spouts are designed as a ‘Push and Screw’ Spout to remove the Spout.

Some customers have reported that by turning the spout , while also pulling upwards, can assist for a more difficult (stuck) spout.  One customer successfully removed their spout this way (by turning spout) when before that, the spout seemed to be stuck at the very last o ring. We always recommend consulting a plumber if you are unsure or are having difficulty removing spare parts lest you damage your tap, as this is only general advice applicable to a wide range of Taps.

We also have a Blog How to change a Kitchen Tap O Ring Kit.

Other common Kitchen Tap issues are covered here in our Kitchen Taps Trouble Shooting Guide.

PLEASE NOTE: This blog doesn’t cover every style of Kitchen Tap. Some Top Lever Single Lever taps have the spout grub screw concealed behind the indicator in the front. Other Top Lever Single Lever Taps would involve removing many parts e.g. Head, Dome, Cartridge etc before you can gain access to the Spout.

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24 Comments

  1. Ian Grimmett May 15, 2020

    Have just taken delivery of “o” ring gasket set from yourselves for a lamona tap.
    Fitted new as it was in old position.
    Water still leaking up around the fastening nut.
    Any ideas.
    There appears to be a little corrosion around the two rubber o ring positions.
    Not a grub screw fixing, just a screw down.
    I

    • Alice May 16, 2020

      HI Ian, if there is corrosion in the spout where the o rings sit, then new o rings won’t fit this issue. What we do where a customer orders o rings from us, and then discovers when they go to fit the o rings that it is the spout itself that needs replacing, we refund the cost of the o rings off the cost of a new spout as a goodwill gesture. The customer can still retain these new o rings for future use. That is once spout is fitted and working perfectly. Just make sure that there is no corrosion in the base of the Tap itself as no new spout will fix this and we do not want anyone wasting their money unnecessarily. If you want to email me regarding which Tap you have, I can send you a link to a replacement spout. Also give me the order number of the o rings as well and I can make a note of that too in connection with the new order. We cannot take back these o rings as they have been fitted but it will be the equivalent of a refund anywhow against a new spout (and you can keep these o rings).

  2. Naveed April 15, 2020

    Hi, I can’t get grub screw back in. Any advice? Does it matter?

    • Alice April 15, 2020

      Yes it does really matter as that is what keeps the spout in place. You need someone , if you can’t manage, with perhaps smaller fingers to put in place, and then an allen key to turn it. I dont know what spout it is but usually it is a 2.5mm allen key. If you use wrong size you can round the edges on the grub screw and then might find it impossible to tighten or remove in the future.

  3. JohnT September 16, 2019

    SOLVED: Same problem here, no grub screw, undo locking ring, pull spout out, only comes out about half an inch then gets stuck.
    The likely problem is that the lower rubber O ring is badly damaged and is fouling.
    My solution was to get both feet literally either side of the tap, that is carefully stand on the sink and pull the spout out, tight but with wobbling and a few grunts it came out.

    • Alice September 16, 2019

      HI John, thats great that you removed. The most important thing is to always ensure that you pull the spout directly upwards i.e. directly straight upwards , becauase otherwise the base or the spout might become damaged if pulled at an angle. I don’t know how old your Tap was, or whether limescale or other debris was involved. It is hard to know without seeing your Tap.

      • PAUL May 22, 2020

        I have a Lamona Victorian Howdens mixer tap, believe it is a TAP4801 with same problem. I have undone & removed the screw-on fastening nut that holds the spout into the body. I can pull the spout out up to were I can just see the 2nd O ring. There does not appear to be a grub screw. Is there anything else holding the spout in, as I cannot pull out. Can I pull out as previously mentioned by John T, 16.9.19. Also if you can please send me a link to the relevant O rings.

        • Alice May 23, 2020

          Hi Paul the comments from other customers should assist you. You have to pull straight up. Obviously as we cannot see physically your tap, any advice on this website comes with a disclaimer. But there is nothing holding in your spout once the locking nut has been completely loosened. But it has to be directly upwards. All of this is covered in the comments and other customers tips so read these comments again. The O Ring kit you would need 1239R is here.

  4. Kieron Collins February 23, 2018

    Hello, I have a Franke Davos tap that is leaking where the spout meets the base.
    It does not have an Allen key or shroud fixing to unscrew. Does the spot just pull out to replace the O rings ? Any advice would be helpful.

    • Alice February 24, 2018

      HI Kieron there are several variations of the Franke Davos Tap and I don’t know which one you have as you haven’t specified the age of your own Tap or sent a picture. However, there is one Davos Tap, Production date (approx.) 1990 – 2000 that has a push and twist Spout.

  5. John February 2, 2018

    Do you know how to get spout off the original Franke Fuji kitchen tap. No sign of a grub screw found. Thanks.

    • Eoin February 2, 2018

      How old is your tap as the Fuji from 2003 onwards definitely has a grub screw. If there is definitely no grub screw then you would need to consult a plumber as in our experience, these older taps designed without a grub screw or locking nut are designed in such a way as for the Spout to stay in place and once the spout is pushed into the tap, the o ring expands in such a way that it is extremely difficult to pull back out. I think you need to consult a plumber but I would also make sure that you had the spare parts to fix this tap in the first place before going at removing the spout if your tap is that old i.e predates 2003.

  6. Peter Markwick May 13, 2017

    I have a vanquish single lever tap the o rings need replacing can you advise me the o rings required & how to remove the old ones

    Many thanks
    Regards Peter

  7. Doug March 23, 2017

    Hi, I’ve got a leaky Nabis Aries Basin Mixer in my kitchen and I’m trying to replace the ceramic cartridge or the o ring.

    I’ve undone the grub screws but the cross heads won’t come off. There is no corrosion on the taps & I’ve only had them for about a year.

    I’ve tried using a flat head screwdriver to lever the handle off the top of the stem, but this did not work.

    Do you know what else I could try ?
    Am I doing something wrong ?

    • Alice March 23, 2017

      I am sorry Doug but I am not familar with that tap so I can’t advise you. You could go back to where you purchased it from and ask them how to remove the handles. You could also look at our blog here How to remove handle on your Kitchen Tap to see if that helps you.

  8. HTDearden February 17, 2017

    I have the same issue with a Franke Davos Kitchen Tap Spout SP3577. Would be grateful for advice.

    • Alice February 17, 2017

      HI HTDearden, this Blog Post here : How to remove a Kitchen Tap Spout should answer all your questions as it takes you through each step in detail but please come back to us if you still have any queries.

  9. Mike C October 8, 2016

    Hi,
    I have a Franke Rotaflow Mixer tap circa 2000 and I cannot for the life of me get the spout to come out of the base despite following your instructions. The spout comes out up to a point and then is stopped.

    There are no visible grub screws and I’ve rotated the spout degree by degree and pulled upwards and wiggled at every point for the full 360°. It seems to be retained by something but I can’t work out what.

    Did Franke ever make this tap such that you couldn’t remove the spout?
    Do you have any other tips. I don’t want to have to replace the tap or get a plumber in if I can avoid it.

    Thanks
    Mike

    • Alice October 8, 2016

      HI Mike, if you can give me your order number for your Spare Part Purchase so that i have all your details then I will get our Technical Team to contact you.

    • Ian Poyser March 6, 2017

      Mike, I too have had the same problem – the spout ALMOST comes off but won’t release completely. I notice that on Franke’s latest installation instructions, under the heading ‘WARNING’ they have added:
      ‘N.B. If for any reason the the spout is removed from the tap, care must be taken when reinserting the spout into the body to ensure that the Grub Screw is located in the split of the white PTFE ring.’
      When I tried to remove the spout (which was before I found this new addition to their instruction sheet)I didn’t find any grub screw – perhaps it is located well down on the normally concealed part of the spout.
      If you ever succeed in removing the spout I would appreciate an email telling me how to do it.

      • Alice March 7, 2017

        Dear Ian, what Tap do you have ? Yes the instruction regarding re-inserted the grub screw in the split of the white PTFE ring is correct and we also highlight this fact in our blog How to change an O Ring Kit (which involves removing and then re-inserting the Spout). If you have a locking nut (shroud) then you shouldn’t have a grub screw as both do the same job i.e. keep the spout in position. As I don’t know which Tap you have I can’t advise you – but if you have removed grub screw or loosened locking nut, you could try and pull the spout upwards i.e. straight upwards so you will need to standing above the tap as you don’t want to damage the tap base or spout by pulling at an angle. Some pull is required as the tap spout has to be tight enough to fit in correctly to begin with. I hope that that helps ? Alice

    • Craig Hutchinson September 9, 2019

      I have a CDA tap and mine has the same problem

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