An escutcheon is part of the faucet assembly.
An escutcheon is part of a sink's faucet assembly. It fits over the faucet and sits next to the wall or sink. It is primarily decorative and hides the hole where plumbing pipes extend through a wall or hides empty holes in a sink that are not needed for that particular faucet style. For example, the sink may have three holes, but the faucet assembly requires only one. An escutcheon does not take much effort to remove unless it has become corroded. When this happens, a little more work is needed to remove it.
Instructions
1. Turn off the water supply to the sink area with the escutcheon you want to remove. If the sink does not have individual water shutoff valves, you must turn off the water to the entire house.
2. Pry off the decorative plastic disc that hides the faucet assembly screw if there is one. Use a screwdriver or other tool appropriate for removing the screw or nut and bolt that hold the faucet assembly to the sink. The tools you need depend on the particular faucet style you have. The aim is to remove all of the parts of the faucet above the escutcheon. This may involve removing the faucet handle or handles, extension caps or other parts. The escutcheon itself may be held in place by screws that you must also remove.
3. Twist the escutcheon counterclockwise if it is threaded and screwed onto the pipe. If it is not threaded, insert the tip of a pocket knife under the edge of the escutcheon. Turn the knife blade slightly to pry the escutcheon off of the wall or sink surface. It should easily pop off. If it does not, it is corroded to the surface with limescale or other deposits. This is common in older faucets.
4. Scrape as much of the corrosion away as you can with the tip of the knife or a piece of steel wool. If you want to reuse the escutcheon, mask it off with painter's tape before scraping. Squeeze a few drops of penetrating oil onto the edges of the escutcheon and let it sit for a few hours or overnight to loosen the corrosion.
5. Turn the escutcheon again if it is threaded or slide the knife tip under the edge of the escutcheon to pry it off. If it still does not come off, apply more penetrating oil and let it sit another few hours before you try again. Be persistent and eventually it will come off.
Tips Warnings
An exploded view of your faucet style from the manufacturer can help you determine if the escutcheon is threaded or not.
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