How To Fix Hot Water Faucet In Tub With New Replacement Seats

Why is My Bathtub Faucet Leaking?

Is water leaking or dripping from your bathtub faucet? You are not a lot alone. That is a problem that will touch on every homeowner after every few years.

A leaking bathtub faucet is not merely annoying, simply expensive if left unfixed for a while. Merely what causes a bathtub faucet to kickoff leaking, or continuously dripping water into the tub?

A leaking bathtub faucet is caused by a worn out washer. The washer is used to create a watertight seal by pushing hard against the faucet seat. Friction between the washer and the faucet seat as the faucet turns causes it to vesture out and as a upshot the faucet starts to leak.

If your bathtub faucet leaks when the shower is on, you accept a defective shower diverter. A shower diverter is the small knob at the top of the bathtub spout, which if pulled up blocks the spout forcing h2o to flow out from the showerhead.

I have written an article on how to fix a stuck shower diverter in this post. Y'all can also take your time to know the blazon of bathtub spout you take in this postal service.

Here is how the connection looks similar: Y'all have the faucet handle which is connected to a stem. A safety washer is then screwed to the forepart of the stem. When you turn the handle to shut the faucet, the stalk turns every bit well and pushes forrard, squeezing the washer against the faucet seat.

When you desire water to flow out of the tub spout, you turn the faucet handle in the opposite direction, a move which forces the stem to turn likewise and in the procedure pull the washer from the faucet seat.

The abiding pushing and pulling of the prophylactic washer against the faucet seat causes information technology to article of clothing out and soon the faucet starts to leak. Hot water likewise accelerates this trouble more than than cold h2o.

To set a leaking bathtub faucet, you demand to replace both the faucet washer and seat. Information technology is important that yous supersede the seat because a worn out washer ways that at that place is a metal-to-metal interaction between the stem and the seat, causing the seat to burr. A burred faucet seat will tear a new washer and the bathtub will first to leak over again.

Types of Bathtub Faucets

It is important to know the type of bathtub faucet you take earlier proceeding to fix it. There are 2 main types of bathtub faucets:

Single-handle bathtub faucet
Two-handle bathtub faucet.

A single-handle bathtub faucet as its proper name implies has a single handle which is used to plow on the water, increase pressure, as well as select whether hot and cold. They are mostly fitted with anti-scald devices and can be used with both diverter and non-diverter bathtub spouts.

2-handle bathtub faucets take 2 handles, one defended for hot water and the other for cold water. If you are non certain where exactly the trouble is with this type of a faucet it tin can have you quite a while to fix since you will demand to work on both of them.

Let u.s.a. now wait at how you can set up a leaking bathtub faucet starting with a two-handle tub faucet.

How to Fix a Leaking Bathtub Faucet

The starting time matter to do here earlier getting down to business is to gather together all the tools and materials needed for the job. These are:

Faucet repair kit
Philips screwdriver
Flathead screwdriver
Adjustable wrench
Faucet seat wrench

When y'all finally accept all your supplies proceed as beneath:

i. Is it a Hot or Cold Water Leak or Both?

The commencement thing to do is to determine if the leaking water from your faucet is cold or hot. That will give you an idea of which tub faucet washer you need to supervene upon. Note that if yous don't desire to do another repair for some time, it is best to supervene upon the two washers and seats.

Near often than not you will detect out that the water is hot/warm. This is considering hot water causes the washer to expand more cold water. Abiding expansion of the washer causes information technology deform and therefore like shooting fish in a barrel to vesture out when it comes into contact with the faucet seat.

2. Turn Off the Water.

You should e'er turn off the water supply to the bathtub faucet before fixing this trouble. Failure to practice that volition flood your bathroom with h2o.

Dash to the basement or wherever you lot water shut off valve is located (normally near the water meter) and turn off the h2o. If you run across a gate valve turn information technology all the mode clockwise. On the other paw if y'all accept a ball valve make sure that the lever is at a 90 degrees angle to the pipe.

After that open up both the cold and hot water faucets to drain out all the water trapped in the pipage. Wipe the bathtub clean and plug off the drain hole to prevent anything from falling downwards the drain.

iii. Remove the Faucet Handle

Use a flathead screwdriver to pry off the small cap at the front of the faucet handle. If you don't accept a modest-sized screwdriver a pocket pocketknife will piece of work just fine.
When the cap is off, you will meet a long spiral that attaches the handle to the stem. Use the Philips screwdriver to remove information technology by turning it counterclockwise. After removing the screw simply slide out the faucet handle.
Depending on the type of faucet you have, you might besides have a encompass plate (escutcheon) effectually the faucet. Apply the screwdriver to remove the cover plate (screw on the front or side) as well.
Over again, depending on the faucet you have, at that place will be a sleeve (stop tube) which is ordinarily paw tight and all you lot have to do is loosen it and slide information technology out.

4. Remove the Faucet Stalk and Seat

Utilise an adjustable wrench to remove the stem nut past turning it counterclockwise and pull the stem out.
Check the condition of the washer. The washer is the small rubber piece at the tip of the stem, usually attached to it using a spiral. In about cases when y'all are dealing with a leaking bathtub faucet this washer will be worn out.
Grab a flashlight and check at the status of the faucet seat. The faucet seat is the small brass slice at inside the faucet opening. If it is in a good condition you may opt non to replace it, merely my advice would be that you just replace it as well. It'due south quite cheap and like shooting fish in a barrel to replace.
A faucet seat wrench looks like an Allen wrench. Just push information technology inside the faucet opening, appoint the seat and turn it counterclockwise. When information technology is completely free pull information technology out.

v. Supervene upon the Faucet Washer and Stem

Utilise the Philips screw driver to remove the faucet washer spiral. Once it is out pop out the washer. Make certain that the grove where the washer seats is clean before installing the new one.
Push the new washer inside the groove, making sure that all its edges are inside the groove. New washers are not as flexible as old ones and you might have to have it in. You can buy a kit with lots of washers and screws from your local home improvement store for about $ii.
Once the washer is sitting pretty in the groove secure information technology with a new faucet seat screw.
Attach the new faucet seat to the to the seat wrench and screw it in place. Do not however overtighten it lest you strip the threads.

half-dozen. Connect the Faucet Handle Dorsum

Slowly connect the stem back. You desire to start off slowly to make certain that you lot engage the threads and they are not crossed. Hand tight the stem lock nut before tightening with a wrench.
Screw in the sleeve/stop tube. This should only be manus tight.
When the stop tube is tight, marshal the cover plate with the screw holes and fasten it in place using the Philips screwdriver.
Slide in the faucet handle and secure it in identify as well using a screwdriver. Pop in the handle cap.

7. Test the Faucet

Turn on the water supply to the bathtub faucet and check if the leak has disappeared.
Turn the faucet on and off just to ostend that the h2o is shutting off precisely as it should.

And that is how to fix a leaking two-handle faucet. In this illustration, I merely showed you lot how to set up i faucet (hot/cold) because fixing the other one is the aforementioned exact process. If yous have fourth dimension and the supplies y'all tin opt to supplant both the faucet washers and seats.

Let us now expect at how you lot can gear up a leaking single-handle bathtub faucet. The fact of the matter is that the process is almost the same, salvage for some few modest differences.

How to Set a Leaking Single-Handle Bathtub Faucet

These are the steps to follow when fixing a leaking single-handle bathtub faucet:

one. Remove the Handle

Shut off the water to the bathtub. Once the h2o supply has been shut off, open the faucet to drain all the water notwithstanding left in the pipe. Wipe the tub dry and plug off the bleed. You don't want to lose a screw to the drainpipe.
Await for a spiral under the faucet handle. Turn the handle upwards for ease of remove. You will so demand to use the correct size of Allen wrench to loosen the spiral. Once loose slide the handle out.
You will now encounter a band where the handle wax fixed. Use a wrench or pliers to disconnect it by turning it counterclockwise.
There will also exist a sleeve exactly where you removed the ring. The sleeve is not threaded to anything and then you simply need to slide it out.
Once the ring and sleeve are out you lot only need to grab the cartridge with your manus and pull it direct out.
There will be an O-ring circular the faucet cartridge. Inspect it for damages. My advice would exist that y'all supercede the O-ring no thing its status. That will give y'all the peace of heed of not having to worry about a leaking faucet for some years to come.
Next grab a flashlight and look inside the faucet opening. Yous will meet ii washers, one on the cold water line and the other on the cold water line. These washers are usually backed up by a jump on the rear side.
Whenever your unmarried-handle bathtub faucet is leaking, these 2 washers are usually the culprit. Pull them out using a flathead screwdriver. You will need to replace both the washers and the springs.
Earlier putting the new washers and springs, use a minor rag and with the assist of a screwdriver clean the grooves to remove any debris or mineral build up.
Connect each spring on the groove at the back of the washer and once more using the screwdriver push them in the cold and hot water lines.
Replace the O-ring on the cartridge and push it (the cartridge) back in its slot.
At present put in the sleeve and the band and tighten them together, but not crazy tight.
Slide in the faucet handle and secure it with the spiral.
Turn on the h2o and put the faucet to the test.

And basically that is how you gear up a leaking single-handle bathtub faucet. If y'all know the type of faucet you accept, just caput to the nearest dwelling improvement shop and buy a repair kit which once more is not more than $two.

How to Set up a Bathtub Faucet without Turning off the Water

It is actually possible to gear up or replace a bathtub faucet without turning off the water to the whole house. This volition however depend on the type of plumbing you have.

Remove your faucet handle and cover plate.
Look for 2 screws, one on each side of the pipes (cold and hot) that come across at the mixing valve.
Using a screwdriver, plow these screws clockwise, to turn off the water to the valve.
At present you can work on your faucet.