How To Repair A Leaking Bathtub Faucet

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Dripping bathtub faucets can increase your water neb every month. Many people attempt to plow the faucet handles tighter and inadvertently shred the seals even further. Although a plumber is needed to fix major problems, yous can repair most cleaved washers, gaskets and seals yourself with a few special tools.

1. 1

   Gather the proper tools. You will demand a monkey wrench, bathroom socket wrench or vice grip pliers, a Philips screwdriver, a apartment-head screwdriver, a jar gripper, plumber's grease, a rag, Teflon tape and possibly tub caulk. You may also need a pilus dryer.^[1]

2. 2

   Turn off the water intake to your house. You will demand access to the pipes for the next hour or so. Tell family members or tenants that they will not have h2o during this time.^[2]

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3. iii

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

4. 4

   Insert a Philips head screwdriver into the pigsty and unscrew the handle from the wall. Over time, handles tin can corrode and weld the faucet on. Use a paw dryer to heat the handle and loosen it.

   • Don't apply too much force or it can break. Call a plumber if your handle breaks or will not come off.

5. v

   Unscrew the trim and the collar from the wall past hand. The trim is the decorative piece that fits effectually the outside of the faucet, more often than not just behind the handle, while the neckband is generally a tubular piece that fits around the internal faucet parts. They should unscrew fairly easily. You can utilize a hair dryer to loosen them as well.

   • Echo for the other handle if your tub has ii.

6. half dozen

   Set the faucet handle inserts, faucet handles, screws, trim and collar parts bated in a small-scale container. You volition need to reconnect them in a similar fashion when y'all are done fixing the faucet.

7. seven

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

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

8. eight

   Insert the seat wrench into the opening where the faucet was. It has an elongated end and then that you can stick it deep into the seat and plow information technology counterclockwise to remove the seat. The seat is the dorsum portion of the faucet that extends into the pipe.

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1. i

   Identify faulty parts. Look at the parts you lot have just removed. You must find the part to replace. The best mode to ensure you will fix the leak is to fix all the wearable parts on both hot and common cold faucet valves.^[v]

2. 2

   Locate replacement parts. Take your old parts to a hardware store or abode eye. Since there are thousands of replacement parts available, bringing your old parts with yous will ensure yous purchase the right replacements. In some cases, the parts may need to exist purchased from a plumbing supplies distributor.

   • If you're buying the parts before y'all take apart the faucet, buy a kit with an assortment of washer sizes. That manner, you'll be more probable to have the right size on hand.^[vi]

3. 3

   Replace parts inside the stalk bonnet offset. Y'all can replace the washers or the entire stem and bonnet portion of the faucet.^[7] Grease each new role with plumber'due south grease earlier screwing it back on.

4. four

   Replace the seat washer. Unscrew the seat washer screw at the back of the seat. Peel off the safety 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 paw. Information technology should be tightly sealed but like shooting fish in a barrel to remove by hand.

5. five

   Replace the bonnet washer. Remove the bonnet washer from the end of the bonnet. Grease it and replace information technology on the bonnet.

6. six

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

7. 7

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

8. 8

   Supersede the bonnet. Employ some piping articulation chemical compound to the threads in your bonnet. Insert the bonnet and tighten it with your bath socket wrench or vice grip.

9. 9

   Replace the neckband, faucet trim, faucet handle, faucet spiral and faucet insert. Repeat on the other side to supersede parts in the opposite handle.

10. 10

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

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Add New Question

• Question

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

  

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

• Question

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

  

  It'southward usually better to supplant both, so that they are anile the aforementioned. Saves a job later.

• Question

  How exercise I solder a piping to a hot water heater?

  

  Go a propane torch, rosin cadre solder, and copper pipe. Heat the pipe until it's hot enough to melt solder, put the connectors, elbows, etc. onto the pipe, heat them upwards, and permit the solder menstruum or sweat into the joints. It's a good idea to take a fire extinguisher nearby!

• Question

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

  

  It's similar. Virtually kitchen faucets these days are a cartridge fashion, which is very dissimilar from this stalk and seat style faucet. In a cartridge, you unscrew a retainer and the entire cartridge merely pulls out and you lot replace it equally a unit.

• Question

  What if water is even so leaking subsequently the main valve is shut off?

  

  There is still water in the pipes, and so let information technology drain out, then work on information technology. If you are going to solder the pipe, it is necessary to bleed the water.

• Question

  If water is leaking from a white pipe, can I just supersede the faucet?

  

  First, plough off your water. Remove the faucet. Look inside. There are two minor washers that need to be replaced. When you await within, perhaps i or both washers are missing. If you purchase a new faucet, it will come with the washers. A piffling tricky getting them in, but doable. Become those washers in and the faucet on, and test the water to verify that took care of the trouble.

• Question

  What do I do if my plumber replaced the washers on my faucet and it'due south all the same leaking?

  

  Call the plumber to come back and do the task right. There should be some type of guarantee with the plumbing business organization.

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VideoRead Video Transcript

• To secure the seat farther, wrap a piece of Teflon tape around the threads in the seat earlier reinstalling it into the pipage. Make certain there is an open hole for the water to go through.

• Although repairing the faucet yourself will save you money compared to hiring a plumber, it can also toll you more if something breaks farther. Don't hesitate to contact a plumber if something seems wrong.

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Things You'll Demand

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

About This Commodity

Article Summary 10

If you demand to repair a leaky bath tub faucet, commencement by turning off the water to your home and opening the hot and cold water valves in your bathroom to drain any water still in the pipes. Then, utilise a Philips screwdriver to remove the handle from the wall earlier unscrewing the trim and collar past hand. Place these items aside in a container for safe storage, and so put your wrench into the hole and turn it counter clockwise to remove the seat. Terminate past examining the parts, replacing any you find to be faulty, and reassembling the faucet. For tips on how to replace the seat washer or the packing nut, proceed reading!

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

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