Bathroom Shower Faucet

Have you ever had a leaky shower faucet? Have you ever wondered what to do, what steps to take when you suddenly encounter this problem and there’s no one available to fix it? Have you ever wanted to fix things up yourself without having to spend for a plumber or a repair service? Don’t be worried. There is an easy way to do a shower faucet repair.

Before you set about doing a shower faucet repair, you first have to understand the basic concepts behind a faucet. This means knowing how the faucet works, what its parts are, and the like. Your shower may have one or two handles. A two-handled faucet usually controls the hot and cold waters supplies. These two water supplies are mixed by a faucet body and given off by a single bathtub spout. In order to nudge the water in the direction of the shower head, you have to lift a diverter handle.

It is important to turn off the water supplies before going about any kind of shower faucet repair. This can be done by turning off the main water switch located somewhere in or out of the house. With this in mind, you can now get to business.

After turning off the water supplies, you should remove the faucet’s handle. The faucet’s handle is often connected to the faucet via a screw. Remove the screw with the appropriate screwdriver or knife. A knife may sometimes be needed since some faucet screws are found underneath a thin plastic cap whereas some faucet screws are exposed to the naked eye. This may take some time but it is essential to do this since the problem (usually a leaky faucet) is oftentimes found on the inside of the faucet assembly.

Once the screw and the faucet handle are removed, use an adjustable wrench to remove the valve stem. This can be done by turning the valve stem counterclockwise. After removing the valve stem, you can remove the washer from the bottom of the valve stem and have it replaced in a hardware store. If the faucet doesn’t have a washer, then it is the cartridge (the valve stem) which may need to be replaced. Make sure that the new part is the same size as that of the old one. It is a good idea to bring the old part with you to the hardware store so as to be able to compare the new part to the old part.

To assemble the whole faucet again with the new washer or new valve stem, simply put things back in the reverse order. You start with the new washer after which come the valve stems, the faucet handle, and the screw. Once the screw is securely in place, your job is done. Of course, you shouldn’t forget to turn the water supplies back on in order to test the job you’ve just done. Congratulations! You’ve just completed a shower faucet repair.