Water tank taps

I have a 1999 Boxer Symbol. Both tank taps are very, very tight to turn and I'm afraid of breaking them. Has anyone advice on freeing them to ease operation. Silicon spray perhaps?
Best regards
Gary

Hi, I've always lived by the motto "If it moves and it shouldn't.....duck tape, if it doesn't move and it should......WD40".
Maybe worth a try 

Hi there,

The drain taps ALL seem to be very stiff and we have had a few reported that have broken when being turned, so "BEWARE"!

On "Petal" the drain tap was very stiff when we bought her but luckily it didn't break when I forced it open the first time. 

I prefer to use olive oil to lubricate anything to do with drinking water so, when the water stopped running out of the tank, I went back under the van with a glass of olive oil and a small "artist's" paint brush; and virtually smothered the valve (up inside and around the top outside) with the oil as I gently turned it back and forth.

It started to move freely after three or four "twists" and since then it has given no trouble.

A spray of WD40 may very well help to start the process (I didn't think of it at the time ) but, if using WD40, please make sure that the tap is in the "closed" position to stop any WD40 getting into the tank; and when it is free, lubricate the tap with olive oil or another natural oil.

One thing for sure, the work required to replace a broken drain tap makes lubricating the existing one a walk in the park!!  

Hope this helps. 

Best regards,

I have had both fresh and waste water drain taps go brittle and break on my 2002 Pollensa, but was able to obtain replacements easily from A-S - can't remember the exact price but recall they were quite reasonable.  No doubt someone may know an even cheaper source on ebay but the A-S ones were the right thing and they got them to me within 2 days.  Removing the old and fitting the new ones was a doddle.
(The old washers had perished and were replaced but I can't remember if they came along with the taps or were from my stock box.)

cheers
Roger

I replace a tap on my waste tan k on the Topaz, very awkward as had to get hand inside to free of the internal nut,after dropping the tank and replaced the hangers,  cleaned it out well then replaced tap with one from ScrewFix, worked well , I had to do it as I have small hands.

Thank you all for the info. I think the olive oil route sounds logical.
All the very best
Gary

I would heat the tap with a fan heater or hairdryer first to make it less brittle.

Peter

Pete, getting attach to your fan heater now.  

I had a text this morning "Your driver John Bailey will deliver your order today 12.36 - 13.36."  I'm so excited.

Peter

I replaced the waste tank tap on the end of the hose with one of these, as the barrel type clog up too easily with waste matter..

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I keep reading this thread wondering what tap mine has thread wise, its a white plastic tap with a twisting top on the fresh water and i note it is hard to get to seal when turned off after draining it. I think it really needs replacing. 

I ended up replacing mine (after I ripped the hose off the tank on rough ground in the highlands and drove off without it!) with some cheap hose bought online and a tap intended for a water butt, think it was £2-3 from ebay.  Works much better than the original