How to repair a leaky shower faucet valve?
Answer
To repair a leaky shower faucet valve, follow these steps:
- Turn off the water supply to the faucet by twisting the shut-off valve mounted below the sink. Test the faucet to ensure the water is not still flowing2.
- Remove the faucet handle by prying off any decorative caps, unscrewing the handle screw, and gently lifting off the handle. This will expose the internal parts where the leak could be originating2.
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Remove the faceplate and escutcheon (sleeve) to access the valve cartridge. The cartridge may be locked in place with a small tool that can be purchased or rented from a plumbing supply store.1
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Pull out the cartridge and take it to a hardware store to match up a replacement. Ensure the new cartridge is compatible with your specific faucet model.1
- Apply plumber's grease to the O-rings of the new cartridge and carefully insert it into the valve body, aligning the tabs4.
- Replace the escutcheon and faceplate, then reattach the handle. Turn the water supply back on slowly to prevent cracking the ceramic disk24.
- Run the shower and check for any remaining leaks around the faucet handle or showerhead. If the leak persists, you may need to replace additional washers, seals, or the entire valve body5.
References
1. How to Repair a Leaky Shower Faucet - YouTube2. How To Fix a Leaky Faucet Handle: A Step-by-Step Guide3. Repair Leaky Shower Faucet - YouTube4. How To Fix a Dripping Showerhead - Mira Showers5. How to Fix a Leaky Faucet | Delta Faucet Blog
Author: This Old House
Key insights
- The issue with these valves is that you can get scalded if somebody flushes a toilet.
- The use of a "mud job" and metal reinforcement in shower enclosures can make them last for another 100 years.
- The spindle adjusts to maintain consistent temperature, preventing scalding from sudden changes in water pressure.
- Cutting the valve from the other side and pushing it back through the tile wall is an interesting technique for repairing a leaking shower valve.
- Moving the center of the new valve up is necessary to create enough space for the tub spout.
- Marking the center for the valve placement is crucial for a successful repair job.
- Soldering the spindle back in place is crucial to prevent leaks in the shower valve.
- The access panel allows for easy maintenance and repair without leaving a trace, making it as if the repair never happened.
Video Full Text
- You must be Chris I am how are you good morning Richard thanks for coming nice to be here so beautiful house. Thanks we've been here for uh 13 years okay and it's uh how old is it. It's built. In 1939 I mean look at all the cool brick details back when they used to do it that way yeah. Yeah we really like it but you sent me an email about. We have a uh tub spout that drips okay. Let's go. Let's see what you got never bought the fireplace nope. So this way to the main bathroom we have one and 1 half baths. I love how you've been respectful of all the original details looks great yeah. We really like all the original features talk about original look at this tile. Fabulous thanks. It's still in great shape but the reason we called is because of the the spouts leaking okay and I've been reluctant to touch it because I don't want to ruin the tiles who still really like it all right well. That's the standard three valve and these valves are pretty straightforward. You have a hot and a cold comes together through a diverter and the water either comes out of the spout or out of the shower head up there. But the issue with these valves is and will always be is that you can get scalded if somebody flushes a toilet that happens I bet you.Read More
- It does you don't forget that so do you have access behind. Here you good this way all right so the access panel is in the bedroom closet. All right. That's always good to have an access that's great okay there. It is you know these are terrific for a couple reasons. One is access to the valve that we're looking for but also if you ever had to get down to the Trap or the bathway right there. Now here's the back side of our valve so you can see the hot cold tub spout up to the shower head right here all right but look at this level of tile that you have here you really can see it from the back. Here. This was called a mud job and it was reinforced with this metal LA and it's one big monolithic solid enclosure which will last another 100 years years. Nowadays you're going to see tile on wall board or cement board but because we have this access I'm going to leave you for a minute and I'm going to come back with. I think the perfect solution for this all right sound good all right so this is a modern pressure balanc tub and shower valve. You got the hot water pipe here cold water pipe here and what you've got inside.Read More
- Here is this really ingenious spindle and this will adjust now if I spin it back and forth this thing's sliding back and forth and so what happens is if you have this installed and you flush a toilet that means that the coal water pressure will drop and the hot will increase well. This spindle will actually close the Hot by the same amount and that means you'll get the consistent temperature here and not get scalded. That's pretty good that's brilliant all right. So now it comes with a standard cover plate. So we pull this valve out and we put this new valve in and the cover plate will only cover right right here so that means you'd be forced to try and call a tilean or some way to patch this and it's never going to look good well. They make a pretty ingenious invention. Here's this cover plate designed to be able to cover over those holes and that's the finished look.Read More
- What do you think of that it looks great all right so why don't we do this you ready to help me I'm ready to do it. Once don't you run to the basement we're going to turn off the water all right. I'll get to it all all right. So now we want to take all the trim pieces off without damaging this tile all right so now with all those es scotches off. All the trim gone. Now. We're free to cut the valve from the other side and then push it back through the tile wall clean the pipe first why do you need to clean it first well it just makes it easier after the cut. So this is an interesting cutter. It's called an imp. It fits in really tight places. The key on these Cutters is to just get around that first Revolution to make sure that the blade goes back into the groove you've started okay. So now you would think that this valve it's completely cut away. You'd think it would fall right out but look at this.Read More
- They've actually mudded this thing right in so what we want to do is try to carefully loosen It Up by just chipping away like a little archaeological dig okay. Chris put the wood across the three horizontal bronze pieces see if we can drive this carefully back through the the mud okay you ready yep yep good keep coming keep coming almost there. There it is beauty all right all right. So we've got our valve out of the way and now we've got to cut a new hole for the new pressure. Balance shower valve but here's our cover plate and normally we would just go right here and open it up and there's where it'll be but look at what happens there's not enough space for the tub spout. So what we're going to have to do is to artificially move the center of the new valve up a little bit.Read More
- But we got to respect this opening. So I want a little bit of coverage for that plate. So this is our go noo point right here and then this will be our absolute lowest that we can go here. So I'm just going to mark this a little bit just as a reference describe this okay. So now that's our overall plate and they make a template and now we're going to mark this. Now we have to cut it without destroying all the tile that was easy wow look at that. I'm going to hand you this valve and I want you to hold this at mat on the center marks that I made that just to eyeball it okay yep all right. So tell me is that close to being on the center yep. It is. It's a little higher than Center I would say but I'll allow for that thank you okay. I'll take that okay so now you stick that spout through almost all the way through. I'm going to flux it stand by right. There.Read More
- Okay now draw it back slightly just about a half an inch back to you okay hold on the the other way push now push. Straight Into Me Hold on let me work with you looks pretty good okay. So now I'm going to solder this and then think we good all right so that should be cool enough. Now to put the spindle back in okay. You just don't want to melt that spindle and then right on the shoulder. There snug it up tight. There. You go right there okay good so now let's put the cap on see there's a little cap threaded cap right there y so this is the diverter handle for tub or shower and what you got to do is key it in here. But then you've got to line it up exactly right into that hole that's the hardest part of the job. Chris nice all right now two screws right.Read More
- There all right so we're ready for a test. You want to send me to the basement. This time. I'll go to the basement okay good all right so the water is back on and the good news is. There are no leaks so we're going to put our access panel on it's as if we were never here okay. Now the homeowner always gets the Honors that gets to do the test drive so that's up to you to try. This shower valve out for the first time okay wow and it looks beautiful right okay so it goes through cold or hot slide. It goes up out of the shower head so now you get to keep that classic look bathroom with a killer tile that's never going to go south and now you can have a safe shower. It's nice all right thank you so much all right brother appreciate. It means I can even flush the toilet if you in there do it all right. We'll see you all right see you thanks for watching. This old house has got a video for just about every Home Improvement project so be sure to check out the others and if you like what you see click on the Subscribe. Button make sure that you get our newest videos right in your feed.Read More