How To Repair A Leaky Bathtub Faucet

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Dripping bathtub faucets can increment your h2o bill every month. Many people endeavour to plow the faucet handles tighter and inadvertently shred the seals even farther. Although a plumber is needed to fix major bug, you can repair most broken washers, gaskets and seals yourself with a few special tools.

1. 1

   Assemble the proper tools. Y'all will need a monkey wrench, bath socket wrench or vice grip pliers, a Philips screwdriver, a flat-head screwdriver, a jar gripper, plumber's grease, a rag, Teflon tape and possibly tub caulk. You may also need a hair dryer.^[ane]

2. two

   Plow off the water intake to your house. You volition need access to the pipes for the next hr or so. Tell family members or tenants that they will not have h2o during this fourth dimension.^[two]

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3. 3

   Open the hot and cold valves on the bathtub faucet. This volition drain whatsoever remaining water in the pipes.

4. iv

   Insert a Philips caput screwdriver into the hole and unscrew the handle from the wall. Over time, handles tin can corrode and weld the faucet on. Utilize a mitt dryer to heat the handle and loosen information technology.

   • Don't use too much force or it can break. Call a plumber if your handle breaks or volition non come off.

5. 5

   Unscrew the trim and the collar from the wall by mitt. The trim is the decorative piece that fits around the outside of the faucet, by and large just behind the handle, while the collar is generally a tubular piece that fits effectually the internal faucet parts. They should unscrew fairly easily. You can use a pilus dryer to loosen them as well.

   • Repeat for the other handle if your tub has 2.

6. half dozen

   Set the faucet handle inserts, faucet handles, screws, trim and collar parts aside in a small container. You volition need to reconnect them in a like fashion when you are done fixing the faucet.

7. 7

   Remove the stalk bonnet, which is the packing nut that holds the stem in identify ^[3] . These are sometimes besides called "cartridges." Insert a bath socket wrench and plow it counterclockwise.

   • If you are unable to find a bath socket wrench, you can use a vice grip to hold onto the stem bonnet and loosen it.^[4]

8. eight

   Insert the seat wrench into the opening where the faucet was. Information technology has an elongated end so that you tin stick it deep into the seat and plough information technology counterclockwise to remove the seat. The seat is the back portion of the faucet that extends into the pipe.

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1. 1

   Identify faulty parts. Wait at the parts you have just removed. You must find the function to replace. The all-time way to ensure y'all will prepare the leak is to set all the wear parts on both hot and common cold faucet valves.^[5]

2. ii

   Locate replacement parts. Take your old parts to a hardware shop or home center. Since there are thousands of replacement parts available, bringing your old parts with you volition ensure y'all purchase the correct replacements. In some cases, the parts may need to be purchased from a plumbing supplies distributor.

   • If yous're ownership the parts before you have autonomously the faucet, buy a kit with an assortment of washer sizes. That fashion, you'll exist more likely to have the right size on paw.^[vi]

3. iii

   Replace parts inside the stalk bonnet first. Yous can replace the washers or the unabridged stem and bonnet portion of the faucet.^[7] Grease each new function with plumber's grease before screwing it back on.

4. 4

   Replace the seat washer. Unscrew the seat washer screw at the dorsum of the seat. Peel off the rubber seat washer. Replace the seat washer spiral and the seat washer after greasing them.

   • Screw the seat back into place with the seat wrench. Tighten it with your hand. Information technology should be tightly sealed only easy to remove past hand.

5. 5

   Replace the bonnet washer. Remove the bonnet washer from the finish of the bonnet. Grease it and supervene upon it on the bonnet.

6. half dozen

   Replace the packing nut. Remove the packing nut in the middle of the stem bonnet. Pry the rubber-packing washer from the nut with a flat-headed screwdriver. Grease the stalk threads on the front of the stem and insert it into the bonnet.

7. 7

   Replace the packing washer. Grease your new packing washer and identify it in front of the greased packing nut.

8. eight

   Replace the bonnet. Use some piping joint compound to the threads in your bonnet. Insert the bonnet and tighten information technology with your bathroom socket wrench or vice grip.

9. 9

   Replace the collar, faucet trim, faucet handle, faucet screw and faucet insert. Echo on the other side to replace parts in the contrary handle.

10. 10

    Turn the water back on and test your repair job. If you lot spring a new leak, you may want to call a plumber.

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Add New Question

• Question

  I run across that you patched the opening in the wall? What did you apply for that?

  

  He jammed plumber'south putty in information technology, it stays soft and is removable later if it is necessary to service the valves over again. You can find it in tubs correct in the big box stores' plumbing surface area.

• Question

  If my tub is leaking hot water from the faucet, tin can I but repair the hot handle, or exercise I have to practise both?

  

  Information technology'southward usually better to supplant both, and then that they are aged the same. Saves a task later.

• Question

  How do I solder a pipe to a hot water heater?

  

  Get a propane torch, rosin core solder, and copper pipe. Estrus the pipe until it'south hot enough to melt solder, put the connectors, elbows, etc. onto the pipage, rut them upward, and let the solder catamenia or sweat into the joints. It'due south a skilful idea to have a fire extinguisher nearby!

• Question

  Is this process the same when working on a kitchen faucet?

  

  It's similar. About kitchen faucets these days are a cartridge style, which is very different from this stem and seat mode faucet. In a cartridge, you unscrew a servant and the unabridged cartridge but pulls out and you replace it as a unit.

• Question

  What if h2o is yet leaking afterwards the main valve is close off?

  

  There is withal water in the pipes, so allow it drain out, and so piece of work on it. If you are going to solder the pipe, information technology is necessary to drain the water.

• Question

  If h2o is leaking from a white pipe, tin can I simply supersede the faucet?

  

  First, turn off your water. Remove the faucet. Await inside. There are ii small-scale washers that need to be replaced. When y'all expect inside, perhaps one or both washers are missing. If yous purchase a new faucet, information technology will come with the washers. A little tricky getting them in, but doable. Get those washers in and the faucet on, and examination the water to verify that took care of the problem.

• Question

  What do I do if my plumber replaced the washers on my faucet and it's however leaking?

  

  Call the plumber to come back and practise the job right. In that location should exist some blazon of guarantee with the plumbing business.

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VideoRead Video Transcript

• To secure the seat further, wrap a piece of Teflon record around the threads in the seat before reinstalling it into the pipe. Make sure there is an open hole for the water to get through.

• Although repairing the faucet yourself will save yous money compared to hiring a plumber, information technology can besides price you more if something breaks farther. Don't hesitate to contact a plumber if something seems wrong.

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Things Yous'll Need

• Bath socket wrench
• Seat wrench
• Vice grips
• Philips-head screwdriver
• Flat-head screwdriver
• Hair dryer
• Plumber's grease
• Teflon tape

About This Commodity

Article Summary X

If you need to repair a leaky bath tub faucet, outset by turning off the water to your dwelling and opening the hot and cold h2o valves in your bath to bleed whatsoever water all the same in the pipes. And then, use a Philips screwdriver to remove the handle from the wall before unscrewing the trim and collar past paw. Place these items aside in a container for safe storage, then put your wrench into the hole and turn it counter clockwise to remove the seat. Cease by examining the parts, replacing any yous find to be faulty, and reassembling the faucet. For tips on how to replace the seat washer or the packing nut, keep reading!

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Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Fix-a-Leaky-Bathtub-Faucet

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