If your bathtub faucet is leaking, you should get it repaired as soon as possible. If you don’t take care of your bathtub faucet repair in a timely manner, you will waste a ton of water, pay much more on your water bill than you have to, and possibly end up with rusty parts that you’ll have to replace. If your bathtub is relentlessly dripping, you don’t necessarily have to pay a plumber to come in and fix it for you. There are some things you can do first to see if you are able to remedy the situation. It’s cheaper to do it yourself, but if you can’t get it to stop, then you’ll obviously need the help of someone who knows what they are doing.
There are two common leaks that will require bathtub faucet repair. Chances are that your faucet is leaking from the base when you turn the water on or there is a constant leak that drips from the faucet, even when the water is turned off. Good news is that both of these leaky headaches can often be corrected with the same solution.
The first thing you need to do is turn off your water supply. You’ll probably find a shut off valve hiding under your bathroom sink or in the vicinity of the sink. If you can’t find it, you can just turn off the main water supply to your house. Also, make sure the water supply to your water heater is cut off. After turning off the water supply, wait a few minutes before you begin your bathtub faucet repair.
If your faucet handles have a decorative front, you’ll probably need to remove them. They should just snap on and off. Take a thin washcloth or some kind of other soft cloth and cover the tip of a flat-head screwdriver. You can use that to pry off the decorative front. Remove the screw from the center of the handle if there is one. Now you should see a nut underneath there. Loosen and remove it, then take out the rod-like piece.
Clean out the inside of the cavity while you’re in there. Clean the rod-like piece with a soft cloth and a mild soap that isn’t too abrasive or harsh. If it’s covered in rust, corroded, or simply worn down, you’ll need to replace it. Take it to a hardware store so they can help you get the right replacement part. As for the washer, it’s best if you just replace it while you’re in the process of repairing your bathtub faucet. Even if it appears to be in pretty good shape, take out the screw and go ahead and replace the washer. You can normally find a generic washer with the same width and diameter that will work perfectly.
Put the new washer on and put the screw back in. Insert your rod-like piece back into place within the cavity you took it out of and turn it clockwise. Don’t try to make it too tight, as you could strip the threads. Put the handle back on and put the screw back in. Snap your decorative cap back on if you had one. Test it out! Your bathtub faucet repair should be completed now. You can find more information on bathtub faucet repair and other faucet repair at AllPlumbingRepair.com.
Special tip: Wrap the threads on your rod-like piece with Teflon tape while you have it out. This will help keep the handle from leaking.
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Wow it seems you are a hard worker, I usually hire a contractor if I want to repair or improve the look of my bathroom because I did not have much time to do it my self. But after reading your article, I was inspired to do it my self. Thanks for posting it.
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