How to stop a leaky shower faucet?

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Answer
To stop a leaky shower faucet, follow these steps:
  1. Turn off the water supply to the faucet by locating the shut-off valve below the sink and turning it clockwise1. Open the faucet to confirm the water is off.
  2. Remove the faucet handle by prying off the decorative cap, removing the screw, and gently lifting off the handle12. Use a handle puller if it's stuck.
  3. Disassemble the faucet by removing the exposed nut with a wrench and lifting out the stem1. Inspect the washers and O-rings for wear and replace if needed12.
  4. Clean the faucet parts by soaking the showerhead in vinegar for 30 minutes, rinsing, and scrubbing with an old toothbrush to remove any dirt, grime or limescale buildup2. This can cause blockages leading to leaks.
  5. Replace worn washers and O-rings with new ones to create a tight seal12. Apply a thin coat of waterproof grease to the replacement parts
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  6. Reassemble the faucet by reversing the disassembly steps. Make sure the stem is properly aligned and the adjusting ring is tightened to stop any leaks around the stem5.
  7. Turn the water supply back on and check for leaks. If the leak persists, you may need to replace the entire cartridge or valve mechanism
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Regular inspection, cleaning and addressing minor issues like loose parts can help prevent future leaks1. If you are uncomfortable doing the repairs yourself, it's best to contact a professional plumber to fix the leaky shower faucet.




Author: DIY Tinker



Key insights

  • The first step to stop a dripping shower faucet is to turn off the main water and open up the handles to see what's going on.
  • The handy tool with different sizes can be used to remove the host stem from the faucet.
  • The rubber o-ring or gasket might need to be replaced to stop the dripping shower faucet.
  • Identifying which faucet is leaking, hot or cold water, is crucial for the repair process.
  • Replacing the gasket in a dripping shower faucet is a straightforward process that can be done with a new o-ring from a local hardware store.
  • Sometimes replacing a worn-out faucet part can be a simple fix, saving you time and money.
  • Using Teflon tape can help stop a dripping shower faucet and prevent water leaks.

Timestamped Summary

  • 00:00 Fixing a leaky faucet by opening the handles and using a flathead screwdriver to address the issue.
  • 01:16 Remove oxidized and corroded parts of the faucet by applying heat and wiggling, then use a handy tool to remove the stem.
  • 03:04 Replace the rubber o-ring or gasket and the seat if it's damaged to stop a dripping shower faucet.
  • 04:28 Don't replace the faucet if it's in good condition, and identify the bad one before taking it out.
  • 05:06 Replace the worn out gasket with a new o-ring to stop the dripping shower faucet.
  • 06:10 Replace worn out parts of the faucet to stop the dripping.
  • 07:07 Replace the Teflon tape on the faucet to stop the water from dripping.

Video Full Text

  • 00:00 So I'm at my friend's place and they have a leaky faucet I turn off the main water. Earlier this will just keep on dripping water so why don't you do is open up. The handles down there and see what's going on but first I get pop open. That was a flathead come out next thing nation. There's more like this is a terrible situation. He didn't get necessary to have an answer all right district pull up to but it's not coming out okay.
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  • 01:16 I was file to take this out as you can see. It's all oxidized time if I can focus in here as you can see that slight angle just corroded. So that's why it's so hard take out and the way how I did it. Maybe demonstrate on this side. I have this side still very stuck very hard the way how I did it which was I first applied a little of heat and then I just try to wiggle this as much as I can so let's let me demonstrate. So finally this comes up - all right ah now. We can remove this so the next step is to take the host stem off and to do so. There's this little handy tool that helps out one in is 31 and 32. The other end is 29 and 32. Apparently they fit right in and then you can use open end wrench try to pop it open.
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  • 03:04 So there we go so here. We have Tuesday I'm probably pronouncing these technical terms incorrectly but at the N right there that is the rubber o-ring or gasket that might need to be replaced and a second thing is all the way down. There. We go and there that's the I think it's called a seat and if that is a damaged or it's chipped away like if it doesn't have a round smooth surface then that needs to replace I love that I looked at both of them.
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  • 04:28 You know I don't think both of them and both of them look like they're pretty good condition. So I'm not going to replace down. Now if I had to replace them you would take a tool that looks like this. I don't know what it's called. But you would then stick one end and then twist it out. But since it's in good condition. I'm not going to replace that in fact and I found out which one was the bad one because I didn't know which if it was hot water or cold water that was dripping. It's time to take both of them out.
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  • 05:06 But as you can see. This is the hot water and this one is all warned out. This gasket right here so we're going to replace that but since we have the cold water out too we'll go ahead and replace this one too. So replacing this is pretty straightforward. There is a Philip screw and I've already loosened this up that's why it looks. So easy. They got the screw and then the gasket behind it comes right out. Now then you're left with that and you just put in a new o-ring on it and then which you can buy any local hardware store and then you just tighten it back up.
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  • 06:10 Now you yeah. I'm just going to use a screwdriver see if I can pop it out. But it's just whatever means that you can pop it up again. Sometimes it's not as easy I'm just a little bit lucky. Today it came out pretty smooth again. You use a new one just insert it and screw up again and over time you can see a groove is being made and this one is a worn out.
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  • 07:07 You can even see right see the chips on the side so that's why it doesn't hold water as well. So let's just put everything back together. So here we go. I'm just whip up a little bit of Teflon. On here just teflon tape just put a little bit on here if you have pipe though that would work too. And this is the cold water you so as you can see. It's not dripping water anymore and that will check to see look inside see if it's any water trips. I already loved normal water drips. I'm going to foot back everything together again and we're good you.
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