How to Repair a Leaky Bathtub Faucet

If your bathtub faucet is dripping, it can cause stains in your tub and can be a waste of water.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• screwdriver

1. When a bathtub faucet is dripping it is usually because a washer or seal in the plumbing is damaged or just worn out due to age and use.

2. To replace the seal or washer you will first need to turnoff the shutoff valve for that fixture. If your fixtures do not have separate shutoff valves, you will need to shut off the plumbing for the entire home or at least that particular room.

3. Next you will need to disassemble the faucet. Begin by removing the bathtub spout. For most spouts this can be done by putting a screwdriver in the spout, and holding it while twisting the spout with the other hand.

4. Be sure to lay the parts out as you disassemble the faucet so that you will not have any trouble when you go to reassemble the faucet.

5. Determine which seal is damaged by looking for wear or a break. Seals and washers are inexpensive, if in doubt replace all. Make certain to realign the seals as they were when reassembling the faucet.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have a compression faucet you may also need to replace the valve seat if it is corroded.

[KatieDidit]

on 1/13/2009 Thanks for the instructions. This is a simple fix with a huge financial reward in terms of cost savings over hiring a plumber to do it.