# Category : Plumbing articles

## Remove Bathtub Faucet Yourself

When the faucet becomes leaky or its knobs become wobbly, it is time to replace it. Homeowners should remember a critical stage in bathtub faucet removal, which is shutting off the water supply in the entire house before repairing any parts. Additionally, when you are looking for faucet replacement, you can check out Moen, Delta, and Kohler. Bathtub faucets typically costs around $30 to $500 depending on the brand and style, which can be bought online and in local stores.

##### Gather All Tools Needed

Look for screwdriver and wrench in your toolbox. If you do not have this on your toolbox, this is available in any hardware store.

##### Close the Water Source

Close the water source or the valve; this is located mostly under the bathroom sink. If you do not have any valve, you should shut off the main water source of the house located outside your house.

##### Apply Lubricating Product

Faucets that have been used for a long time are hard to remove. In order to take it away, lubricating products should be applied on the valve stem, faucet’s O-rings and other moving parts.

##### Look for the Screw

Locate the screw above the spout or underneath the handle. You can use a torque screw, Allen wrench, or Philips in removing it.

##### Remove the Faucet

Remove the handle of bathtub faucet. To remove the handle of bathtub faucet make a flip counter clockwise.

##### Hire a Plumber

If you think you cannot do all these steps, consider hiring a plumber. A plumber is the one whom you can count on, because their expertise in all pipe works.

##### Look for Professional Plumber

Look for legitimate plumber, because there are some cases that some of the rubber disguise to be a plumber and end up rubbing the house of the person who contact them.

##### Ask How Much it Costs

Hiring a plumber in United States is too costly, so you can negotiate to them. Ask for discount or packages that they can offer. Some of the plumber charge

##### Buy New Faucet

The things to consider when buying new bathtub faucet are the design and the functionality that will best fit for your bathtub.

Armed with a new faucet, socket wrench, pliers and screw driver you can start the bathtub faucet removal yourself. Just do not forget to turn off the water supply inside the house or else your bathroom will be the bathtub itself. Another good thing to remember is to pick the right type of faucet for your tub. You can ask the personnel in the store to help you in choosing the proper one. When the faucet is in place, test it. The water should flow out easily and there should be no more leaks.

- Posted on 12 Aug 2014
- By admin
- In Home repair

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## How to Replace Your Shower Spout?

There are various reasons you might need to replace your shower spout. Perhaps the old one broke and you need a new one, or maybe your current shower spout offers poor water pressure. Many people choose to install handheld shower spouts, and rain shower spouts are getting more popular. Replacing shower spouts is easy to do, and it’s an appropriate adjustment for renters because the old spout can be returned when you move out, leaving the residence in the same condition it was in when you moved in and allowing you to take the nicer shower spout with you. Here is how you do it.

1. Choose a New Shower Spout

Before you start, you need a new shower spout. There are a few things to consider when you’re choosing. First off, while price might be a concern, you’ll want a good one, because you don’t want it to leak or break quickly. Consider spending a few more dollars on a quality spout. Second, you should think about water pressure. You might want the water stream to be stronger, or maybe water consumption is a concern of yours, and you want one with lighter pressure that uses less water. Last, choose one you like the look of. There’s no point in replacing your shower spout with something ugly.

#### 2. Gather Materials

You’ll need a few tools and supplies to replace your shower spout. Get these things together in advance:
*a) A new shower spout: This is an obvious part of the job. If you’ve done the first step, you should already have one.
*b) A wrench: An adjustable wrench is best; otherwise you’ll need one that fits the exact size of the bolts. You’ll need this to loosen the bolt holding the old shower spout and to tighten the bolt when you put in the new one.
*c) A pair of pliers: You might not need these, but they could come in handy.
*d) Plumbing tape: This is also optional, but it can help keep your shower spout from getting

#### 3. Take the Old Shower Spout Off

You’ll need the wrench for this step. Use your pliers to hold onto the pipe, or use your hands if you have a strong enough grip. Tighten your adjustable wrench to fit snugly around the bolt holding the shower head, or choose a wrench that fits around it well. You don’t want it to be too loose or too tight. Turn the wrench slowly counter-clockwise. Be careful not to turn it too hard, because you could break the pipe. You should feel it get looser after a couple of turns. Keep doing this until you can unscrew the bolt by hand, and gently take off the old spout.

#### 4. Clean up the Area Around the Spout

Sometimes, a bit of dirt might come out of the old spout or plumbing. Also, if you live in an area with hard water, there could be mineral deposits around the pipe. Clean this up as best you can before you put on the new spout. Make sure you also dry off the area well, because it will be easier to work if there isn’t much water around.

#### 5. Apply Plumbing Tape to the Threads

You don’t need to do this, but it can help keep your shower spout sealed and hold it more securely in place. Wrap the plumbing tape around the threads three or four times, and then cut it off. Press the tape into the threads to make sure it’s snug.

#### 6. Screw on the New Spout

Slowly screw the new spout onto the pipe. When it’s on, take your wrench and tighten it as much as you can. You don’t want to do this too much, though, because you don’t want to break the bolt or pipe. If you’re installing a hand-held shower spout, this step is the same, except you will be installing the mount onto the pipe. After you’ve done this, you’ll need to connect the hose to the mount.

#### 7. Test the New Spout

When you’re finished, test the new spout to make sure that the bolt is tight enough and there are no leaks. You’ll also want to make sure the new spout works properly. You can do this by turning on the tap. You may have to wait a couple of seconds for the water to come through the new spout, especially if you’ve installed a handheld spout, because water must flow through the hose.

#### 8. Redo Your Work, if Needed

You only need to take this step if there were major leaks when you tested your new spout. If you’ve tightened everything and it’s still leaking, you need to redo all the above steps. If you do this and there are still leaks, the spout is probably defective and you should exchange it for a new one.

Installing a new shower spout is one of the easiest home repairs you can do. It’s just a matter of simply screwing and unscrewing bolts and making sure things are tight. Always remember to test your new spout when you’re finished. A leaky shower can be costly in wasted water, and it can cause water damage in the bathroom.

- Posted on 28 Jul 2014
- By admin
- In Home repair

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## Fixing a Rotating Ball Faucet

If you have a kitchen or bathroom faucet with only one handle that swings up and down and side to side, you have a rotating or rotary ball faucet. This particular type of faucet is prone to leaking, but repair is fairly straightforward and is done by anyone with minimal plumbing skills.

#### 1. Gather the needed tools

The necessary tools and parts include pliers, screwdrivers or Allen wrenches, a new rubber seat and spring from the hardware store and seat lubricant. Vaseline works well as a lubricant. There is no need to check for part numbers or the manufacturer of your faucet, as there is one universal size of replacement rubber seats and springs.

#### 2. Turn off water supply

Turn off the water supply to the faucet. If there is no shutoff valve on your sink, turn off the main water supply.

#### 3. Remove the handle

Remove the ball assembly by loosening the screw that holds the handle on, and lift off the handle. Remove the bonnet nut holding the ball in place. Lift the ball and top ring straight up and set them aside.

#### 4. Remove the spring and seat

Remove the spring and rubber seat from its cylinder. Lubricate the new rubber seat by rubbing lubricant on the outside surfaces of the seat and place the new spring and rubber seat in its cylinder.

#### 5. Put it back together

Lift the ball and top ring straight up and set aside. Reattach the handle and tighten the set screw to hold it in place.

#### 6. Check for drips

Turn on the water and rotate the handle through hot and cold to check for correct installation. Shut off the faucet and check that there are no drips.

Repair of a rotating ball faucet is similar to the replacement of parts on any faucet. Do-it-yourself small plumbing repairs save you a lot of money with a small investment of your time.

- Posted on 28 Jul 2014
- By admin
- In Home repair

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