Best Sure Tips to Repair a Leaky Shower Faucet Valve
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Are you tired of that dripping sound from your lavatory? Or do you have a faucet dribbling water even when closed? If yes is your answer, worry less. Your problem will be solved with ease after going through this article.
A leaky shower faucet can be costly and annoying. Apart from the irritating drip, drip, drip, it can waste hundreds of water gallons each week. And even worse, hot water leaks on the shower’s side valve can waste momentous energy since the water heater have to operate to warm the unnecessary water drawn continuously. Moreover, due to a long period of drips, from a connected shower valve, can make your bathroom wall to dry rot or become a destructive mould breeding place.
What causes the shower faucet valve leak?
When water drizzles from the showerhead, it means that there is an issue with the shower faucet. The inner seals may have some of its parts clogged or corroded with hard water deposits. With time and use, the gaskets and the rubber O-rings which seal the link between the metal parts that moves wears down. This causes water to drip or squirts out.
Shower faucet valves are of many types in the market; hence the method for repairing the leaks depends on the nature of the shower valve. However, in this article, you’ll get the steps for attaching the two major shower faucets brands. That’s the delta shower faucet valve and two shower-handle faucet valves. The good thing is that you can fix them by yourself with just a few supplies and tools.
Steps to repair a leaky delta shower faucet valve
Is your leaky Delta shower faucet giving you sleepless nights? Sorry about that, but here is your solution. Follow the steps below to stop it for good.
- Extract the cover cap which covers the screw that grasps the handle and remove it by unscrewing it.
- For the screws which hold in place the escutcheon trim plate, remove them and pull out the escutcheon plate from the wall. This will expose the hole around the valve in the wall.
- Grip and pull out the outside sleeve by sliding it off. Use a pair of locking jaw pliers to remove the brass bonnet by rotating it counterclockwise.
- Extract the plastic cap to remove the old cartridge. Then clasp and wiggle the cartridge to be loose enough to be pulled off. Inside the area of the valve, feel for any loose particles or deposits and wipe it with a rag.
- Now, put in the new cartridge. Position the cartridge’s side marked “Hot” on the hot water, which is usually on the left side. Then push it firmly in place. Regulate the rotational stop limit if necessary as per the manufacturer’s directions, which come with the cartridge substitute.
- Back on the valve, put the brass bonnet and tighten it by turning it clockwise. Ensure that the threads grip correctly. To snug it down, use locking jaw pliers. Clean the wall where the escutcheon plate goes, and put back the external sleeve on the cartridge and place it back into place. Change the handle and the escutcheon.
- Test the shower faucet valve by turning on the water supply. If everything works well, seal it to the wall by caulking the escutcheon plate perimeter with tub caulk.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Repair a Leaky Shower Faucet Valve
Shower valve that is operated by two faucet handles; a hot and a cold one is characteristically a compression faucet. Its leaks generally occur when a wash or rubber seal over time wears out hence letting water ooze between metal parts.
To repair this shower faucet you’ve to disassemble the unit and restore the faulty seals and washers. To know where the leak is coming from, use your hand to feel the water from the showerhead leak. If the water is warm, know that it is leaking from the hot-shower valve and vice-versa.
Start by removing the faucet handlehttps://sensibledigs.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/How-To-Fix-A-Leaky-Shower-Faucet.jpg
The faucet design will determine the method for removing the faucet handle. The more decorative and newer faucet models conceal the screw under a cover cap. Expose the screw by prying the cover cap. When doing this, be careful to ensure you don’t damage the material or scratch the finish.
- Unscrew the locking screw
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After removing the cover cap, unscrew the locking screw using a screwdriver by rotating it counterclockwise. Once you’ve removed, it set it aside. Pull and shake on the handle to remove it out from the body of the faucet. If you found it hard to do it, purchase a faucet puller.
- Remove the trim and the sleeve
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Once you’ve removed the handle, take away the sleeve and the trim which fits over the stem of the faucet. Here, you would require a plumber’s deep socket to remove the faucet stem from the body of the valve. Fit it over the hex nut’s stem and unscrew the assembly by turning it counterclockwise. Then, pull it out of the valve after unscrewing from the faucet stem. Replace all o-rings, faucet washers, flat washer, and the seals at the stem’s end.
- Replace the stem of the faucet in the valve body
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Reverse the above steps to replace the stem of the faucet in the body of the valve. Use plumber’s grease to lubricate the threads before you put it in. Then make it tighter in the valve’s body and put back the handle. Now test the valve by turning on the water supply. After ensuring that it is well repaired, finish reassembly and use a tub caulk to close the trim no the wall.
If the leak persists, try to replace the washer. If this still won’t work, call a professional plumber to do it for you.
Showerheads and leaky faucets can cause a range of problems ranging from damaged bathroom walls to costly utility bills. However, by following the above steps, you can avoid such issues since you’ll be able to replace the faucet valve by yourself.
References
https://www.hometips.com/repair-fix/how-to-repair-leaky-shower-faucet.html
https://www.familyhandyman.com/plumbing/faucet-repair/how-to-fix-a-dripping-shower/
https://www.wikihow.com/Fix-a-Leaky-Shower-Faucet
https://sensibledigs.com/fix-leaking-shower-faucet/