How To Repair Bathtub Faucet Handle

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Sooner or later, nigh homeowners will run into a trouble with a leaky bathroom faucet. Usually, faucet leaks are caused past worn washers or seats in the faucet associates. Fortunately, these parts are easily replaced. Yous can purchase all of the parts you lot'll need at a local hardware or home-improvement store. Fixing a bathroom faucet can be done in less than an hour with just a few replacement parts. Keep in listen, though, that if yous're not quite comfortable undertaking this plumbing task on your own yous tin can always call a local plumber instead.

1. 1

   Switch off the water valve under the sink. Before you start whatever sink repair, information technology's of import that the h2o supply exist shut off. Follow the pipes from the back of the sink down and find the water valves. They're oft located in a chiffonier beneath the sink. Turn the 1 or 2 valves that you find clockwise to turn off the water.^{[1] [2]}

   • If y'all don't close off the h2o, you lot could quickly observe yourself in the heart of a flooded bathroom.

2. ii

   Cover the sink drain with a rag to prevent parts from getting lost. You'll be working with a number of minor screws, O-rings, and other parts that could hands slip downwards the sink'southward drain. To forestall crucial parts from being lost, place an old rag over the drain.^[three]

   • For actress protection, pull on the lever behind your sink to shut the drainage pigsty at the lesser of the basin.
   • Once you lot've stock-still the faucet, remember to remove the rag.

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3. three

   Wrap the jaws of your wrench in duct record to protect the metal faucet. Yous'll be using a wrench to remove parts of the faucet. The precipitous, steel inner jaws of the wrench could hands scratch the metal of your faucet. To protect the faucet, tear off a ii in (v.i cm) section of duct tape and wrap it effectually ane side of the wrench's jaws.^[iv]

   • Repeat the process to cover the other side of the wrench'south jaws too.

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1. one

   Pry off the caps from the sink handle with a screwdriver. Work the border of a flat head screwdriver beneath the two caps on height of the sink handles. Use gentle leverage to pry the caps off, and lift them off with your fingers once they're loose enough. Work advisedly so you lot don't scratch or accidentally snap either of the caps.^[5]

   • Ball-type faucets will only accept 1 faucet handle with a single cap.

2. 2

   Remove the screws that agree the faucet handles on to the faucet base. You'll see a screw on the top of both faucet handles, right beneath the cap y'all just removed. In most cases, these are Philips caput screws. Identify the tip of a screwdriver into the slots in the screw and plough counterclockwise to loosen the screws.^{[half dozen]}

   • Gear up the faucet caps and the screws to the side in a safe place. For example, gear up them in a shallow bowl so they don't roll off your bathroom counter.

3. 3

   Lift off the faucet handle to admission the cartridges. With the screw removed, there will exist nothing holding the faucet handle(due south) in place. Pick the handle up and lift it up away from the faucet base.^[vii]

   • Set up the handle in a safe identify where it won't roll away—for example, in the same dish that the screws are in.

4. 4

   Unscrew the nut property the cartridges in place. With the faucet handle out of the way, you'll be able to see the tip of the cartridge sticking upward from above the ¹⁄₂ inch (ane.3 cm) nut that'southward property it in place. Fit the jaws of your duct-record-covered wrench around the nut and turn it counterclockwise to loosen it. One time it'southward all the fashion loose, cease unscrewing the nut with your fingers and lift information technology off.^[viii]

   • If you lot're fixing a cartridge-type faucet, there may be a plastic retaining clip holding the cartridges in place. Remove this with a pair of needle-nose pliers.

5. 5

   Grasp the cartridge stalk with needle-nose pliers and pull straight up. The tip of the cartridge will be about ^ane⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) high and ^ane⁄₄ inch (0.64 cm) across. Use the fine point of a pair of needle-nose pliers to agree onto the tip of the cartridge and elevator it straight up and out of the faucet base.^[nine]

   • If you're dismantling a brawl-type faucet, you lot'll too need to remove the seals and springs from inside the faucet with a needle-nose pliers.

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1. 1

   Pry a damaged washer out of the sink handle with a screwdriver. If 1 of the faucet handles that you've removed has been leaking, plow information technology over and find the apartment plastic washer in its base. Employ the edge of a apartment caput screwdriver to pry the washer out of its place in the handle.^[10]

   • A damaged washer is a common cause of leakage in older sinks or sinks that get used many times a day. When the washer is damaged, you'll notice h2o leaking out from the base of operations of the faucet handle.

2. ii

   Replace the seat washer with a new washer. Washers cannot be fixed or repaired, so y'all can dispose of the old washer. Coat the new washer with plumber's grease, and so install information technology in the base of the handle. Washers fit by pressure level, so utilize your fingers and the edge of a screwdriver to set the washer firmly in identify.^[eleven]

   • Purchase new washers at a nearby hardware shop. When you lot become shopping for washers, have the old washer with yous and so you can friction match information technology to the new washer.
   • You can also find plumber's grease at whatsoever hardware store.

3. 3

   Throw abroad an old, leaking cartridge and replace it with a new one. Cartridges are used in more modern faucets that accept been manufactured inside the last 15–20 years. If the cartridge in your sink leaks—or if yous suspect it of leaking—throw it away.^[12] Replace the quondam cartridge by sliding a new i into the faucet base in its place.

   • Some larger hardware stores may stock a diverseness of bathroom-faucet cartridges. However, it'southward more likely that you'll demand to guild a new cartridge directly from the manufacturer's website.
   • If you're not sure whether or non the cartridge is responsible for the leak, it's better to err on the safe side and supersede it anyway.

4. 4

   Remove the old O-band if your faucet is leaking around the base of operations. If the base of your bathroom faucet leaks, a worn-out O-ring may exist the culprit. To supercede an old O-band, unscrew the stem from the packing nut and remove the O-ring. O-rings are institute in the base of the packing nut, which will be visible once you've removed the nut holding the cartridges in identify. Unscrew the packing nut with your wrench to access the O-band.^[13]

   • If yous're struggling to pull the O-ring out of its housing, yous may demand to use a utility knife to cut through 1 side of the O-band.
   • Do non throw away the old O-ring. Instead, take it with you to a hardware shop and so you can precisely friction match the new O-band to the size of the onetime ane.

5. 5

   Coat the new O-ring with grease and install it in the faucet base. Dab a pocket-size dollop of grease on both sides of the O-ring and use your fingers to rub it across the plastic. So set the O-ring back in the faucet base and place the packing nut on top of it. Apply your wrench to tighten the packing nut equally tight as it will go. If there's whatsoever jerk room, water may be able to leak past the O-ring.^[xiv]

   • Waterproof plumber's grease will continue the O-ring'due south seal tight and foreclose any minerals in the water from damaging the plastic ring.

6. half-dozen

   Reassemble the faucet and exam it for any lingering leaks. Place the cartridge back in its place and use a wrench to tighten the nut in identify around it. Set the sink handles in place over the cartridges, and tighten the spiral(s) dorsum in the top of the handles. Finally, push the caps back in place on the pinnacle of the handles, and turn the water valves back on past rotating them counterclockwise.^[fifteen]

   • To see if the leak is fixed, run the faucet. At this point, the leak should accept stopped. If information technology notwithstanding leaks, it may be time for you to call a plumber.

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• Question

  How exercise I increase the water pressure level on a bathroom sink?

  

  James Schuelke, along with his twin brother David, is the co-owner of the Twin Abode Experts, a licensed plumbing, leak detection, and mold inspection company based in Los Angeles, California. James has over 32 years of home service and business organisation plumbing feel and has expanded the Twin Home Experts to Phoenix, Arizona and the Pacific Northwest.

  

  Professional Plumber

  Proficient Answer

  Remove and make clean out the aerator on the finish of the faucet since droppings may take built up over time.

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• At that place are 4 primary types of faucets: ball, compression, cartridge, and ceramic disc. While the rudiments of fixing a faucet are more or less the same, some types no longer use washers to create a seal in the assembly.^[16]

• Brand certain that you recognize the type of faucet that yous have earlier attempting to fix a leak because different assembly parts and tools might exist needed.

• While the faucet is taken autonomously, it'due south a good time to clean the components with distilled white vinegar and a soft scouring pad.^[17]

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Things Y'all'll Demand

• Former rag
• Wrench
• Duct tape
• Flat head screwdriver
• Needle-olfactory organ pliers
• Plumber'southward grease
• Philips head screwdriver
• New washer
• New O-ring
• New cartridge
• Utility knife (optional)
• Distilled white vinegar (optional)
• Soft scouring pad (optional)

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