Repairs to shower faucets due to leaking, dripping and noisy faucets are the most common. It is not always necessary to replace the complete faucet and often the faucet can be repaired.
Faucet repair parts can be purchased from most plumbing retailers and reputable DIY stores. Some of the more well known brands are Delta, Moen, Kohler and Peerless.
Shower faucets are usually washer-type (also known as compression) or cartridge-type. Although there are other types of fauctet such as diaphragm, disc and ball, we will only be dealing with single handle washer and cartridge type faucets in this article.
Remember to shut off the hot water as well and then check that the water has been turned off by turning on the faucet.
Faucets are made from a number of small parts that are easily lost, so take care and place a cover (towel or cloth) over the shower drain so they cannot fall down the hole.
Before starting to dismantle the faucet, turn off the water supply. Sometimes there is a shutoff valve located underneath the unit, otherwise you will have to turn the water off at the main supply. You should know where this is located. Common places are crawlspace and basement, but it may be located elsewhere.
Another good idea is to place a soft rag or similar on the shower floor or tub to prevent accidental damage in case you drop any of your tools.
Washer-Type Faucets
Washers are made from rubber or some other composition that hardens over time and wears. Also the seat that the washer closes onto may also wear, thus causing the leak.
Prize off the cap of the valve with a small screw driver and you will see the screw securing the handle. Remove the screw and lift off the handle. Locate a small setscrew and loosen to release the lever handle.
Next, unscrew the packing nut beneath the handle and remove the stem by rotating it in the direction you would to turn the faucet on. Clean the stem and remove any debris from the faucet body. If the stem is bady worn or shows signs of corrosion then it’s is asdviseable to replace it with a new one.
It is good practice to always replace the washer with a new one. They are very cheap and while you have the faucet in pieces it makes sense to replace it. The same applies to any of the other small srews etc.
Reassemble all parts in reverse order and test for any leaks. If leaks persist, it’s likely that the washer seat is damaged and the easiest remedy is to replace witrh a new faucet.
Cartridge-Type Faucets
These are much simpler and have only a single moving part. The water hot and cold water flow is regulated by rotation of the stem while vertical movement controls the opening and closing of the faucet.
First remove the handle. Usually a retainer clip has to be located and removed before the cartridge can be pulled out. However, many manufacturers have their own unique way of securing the cartridge to the body and it may help to have their documentation at hand.
The new cartridge can then be installed in place of the old one. A suitable lubricant such as silicon grease can be applied to the cartridge body and stem as well as any o-rings, screw heads and retaining clips.
Replace the parts removed earlier in the reverse order in which you removed them. Finally turn the hot and cold water supply back on and test for any leaks.
Some manufacturers such as Delta provide complete fauctet repair kits with detailed installation instructions. If you are not comfortable with repairing your shower faucet, you can either repalce the entire faucet or call in a reputable local plumber to do it for you.
Leaking Shower Faucet Problem
Before you greet a leaking shower faucet with a sense of resignation, it’s imperative to get acquainted with the boiler-plate rules for success (read: repair).
Broken Stem Repair For Shower Faucet
Broken Stem Repair for Shower Faucet Ask the Plumbing Experts.
Faucet Identification Assistance
I have a very leaky shower faucet I need to repair but it doesn’t easily match up to the various descriptions I’ve seen online. Old house (1917), old bathroom (4" tiles), dual handled (hot/cold) faucets for the bath spigot.
How To Repair Dripping Shower Faucet
Trying to help inlaws.Delta tub/shower faucet (one handle)won’t shut off completely. (slow drip ) no plumbing experence..is this something i can fix??
I Can Fix Up My Home!
Take kitchen faucets, for example. Besides there being so many brand names, the thing you have to know when you need to repair a faucet is that it can be a mishmash of replace cartridges, washers, O-rings, and diaphragms. I recently replaced my kitchen … Same thing with the shower cold/hot water mixer. The manufacturer was long out of business so the first time it had problems I changed out the O-rings. The next time I just replaced the whole unit.
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This post was written by admin on February 10, 2009
Good accumulation of plumbing info. Faucets can be confusing since there is little standardization of parts between the brand names.
Thanks for the useful info. It’s so interesting
is it common to have a frozen screw in the center of the valve holding the plastic knob to it?? I can not loosen this screw
is it to turn clock wise or counter clockise?
On the cartridge type shower faucet, I removed the handle and removed the U-shaped retainer clip, but the cartridge still will not come out. Is there something else I need to do.
thanks
Why do you have that stupid video on there. I was thinking the video would help in repairing delta valves. Retarded!
How can I fix leaky diverter valve on Moen faucet? The diverter pull is on the water spout.
Thank you – Cindy
What side do the spring go in on? How do you adjust the plastic hold down screw that the medal wrench fits? How do you select the correct rubber seats? sense none of the faucets never have a brand and model #?
Thank you for this useful info. As a plumber I like to read articles regarding plumbing, and your plumbing round up is very good and certainly can be useful for homeowners.
For seat covers, i prefer to use cotton or polyester woven fabric because i like its feel.;’”
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