Updating bathrooms, can't get the tub spout off! Humbled....

[edentel]

Ok so we bought a 18 year old home to renovate and update. The tubs and surrounds themselves are in great shape but the fixtures look like 18 year old fixtures. While we are doing bigger projects the bathroom refinishing is on hold. However I wanted to freshen everythign up with some new bronze pieces.

I've been successful at updating the old Monitor 1500s with the conversion kits, and finishing them off with the bronze 1700 trims. Shower arms, overflows, and drain plugs have all been done as well.

Now I come to my nemesis.... the bathtub spouts. I removed the spout and saw a copper pipe with a brass adapter over it. I saw no setscrew and figured this was just simply threaded on. I gave it a twist with the pipe wrench and it spins but doesn't come off. Looking at it closely now it looks like maybe a sweated on brass adapter? But it spins when I go to unscrew it with the pipe wrench. I'm very confused and very humbled by this last fixture.....

1) Can anyone point me at what I need to do to get this adapter off or replace it.

2)I'm assuming if it was sweated on the fact that it now spins means it is useless and I need to remove it, clean the copper pipe, and replace it with a fresh one?

 

[Smooky]

That is a delta tub spout adapter, there should be a set screw on the side but sometimes they are sweated on the pipe.

https://www.plumbingsupply.com/info-tubspouts.html

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Terry]

If the adapter is spinning, it's either installed with a set screw, or the solder joint is broken.

 

[edentel]

Thanks so much for the input. I've checked for a set screw and there is none to be found. I'm not familiar with sweated connections but I assumed it should be leaking under pressure. I covered the end of the coppper tube with my thumb and turned on the water and I'm not seeing and leakage at the back of the fitting which is leaving me to scratch my head.

I figure at this point I can't make it worse so I'll pick up a torch tomorrow and see if I can remove the fitting. I've triple check and no screw or screw hole to be found.

 

[hj]

Covering the tubing end and turning on the water will NOT tell you if the spout connection is leaking.

 

[Jadnashua]

If I remember correctly, that Delta spout adapter is either screwed onto a pipe nipple (or fitting), or you solder it to the pipe. IN either case, the adapter itself doesn't have a set screw. In the case where you screw it onto a nipple, it relies on the pipe threads and sealant to hold it in place since you tighten it down. In the second, it relies on the solder connection. In neither situation should it spin freely. Now, it's possible if it were threaded on, that you're turning the nipple in the wall and loosening it there. When you turn it, does it move out away from the wall any? If so, keep going to fully unthread it.

If you have a failed solder joint, you need to determine if it's in the wall, or it's the adapter, and you may need to apply some heat to melt the solder enough to get it out as there could be a ridge of solder preventing it from coming out, but not holding it from spinning. If the solder joint in the wall is broken, it might be a lot harder to get things out and you might need to get into the wall to resolve the issue. If it's a failed solder joint, the more likely location is the adapter itself to the pipe...the adapter is fairly big, and thus, to get the solder to flow properly to make the joint, you'd need to heat it lots more than you would with a typical fitting. Before you add heat, remove the O-ring, or you'll likely trash it.