How to Repair a Shower Faucet Drip

A shower faucet drip can cause staining on your shower wall, in the tub or on the stall floor. In addition to being an annoyance, a leaky faucet also wastes water. Even a few drips per minute from a single faucet can add up to hundreds of gallons of wasted water per year. With ordinary tools, the average person can fix most leaky shower faucet problems without much difficulty.

Things You'll Need

• Adjustable Wrench
• Flat-head screwdriver
• Phillips screwdriver
• Drain cover or stopper
• Bath towel
• Utility knife
• Steel wool or scouring pad
• Plumber's caulk
• Replacement faucet handles and/or new washers

Instructions

How to Fix a Two-Handle Bathtub Faucet with Shower Diverter

1. Turn off water supply to the bathtub. If no shut-off valve exists for the tub, shut off the main water supply to the house. The main water shut-off valve will typically be located in the basement in colder climates and outdoors in warmer climates.

2. Open shower faucets, allowing all water to drain from the pipes.

3. Close the drain with the drain cover or stopper, or lay a towel over the drain to prevent small screws from falling in and getting lost.

4. Remove screws from the faucet handles with Phillips screwdriver. A protective or decorative cover may be hiding the screw housings, but will be removable by prying gently with the blade of a flat-head screwdriver.

5. Remove faucet handles.

6. Examine valves. Leaky faucets can often be repaired simply by scouring off residue and corrosion from around the valve threads.

7. Cover valve threads with a thin line of plumber's caulk. This will ensure a waterproof seal when the valve is returned to position.

8. Replace washer or gasket on the bottom of the valve if it seems worn or damaged. Tighten faucet with adjustable wrench, taking care not to over-tighten.

9. Return faucet handle to position or substitute with new handle. Use Phillips screwdriver to tighten screws on faucet handle.

10. Turn on water supply to house or shower.

11. Test faucet repair by turning on the shower and allowing it to run for a few minutes. Shut off the shower faucet and examine for leaks. If the shower continues to drip, disassemble faucet completely and visit your local home improvement store to consult with a plumbing department associate.

How to Fix a Single-Handle, Wall-Mounted Shower Faucet

1. Cover drain with bath towel to prevent losing small screws down the drain.

2. Loosen and remove screw from underside of faucet handle using the Phillips screwdriver. Remove faucet handle.

3. Use Phillips screwdriver to remove screws holding the escutcheon, the decorative metal plate or disc behind the faucet handle, in place. You may need to use a utility knife to cut caulk from the escutcheon in order to remove it. Remove escutcheon and set aside.

4. Shut off both water supply valves, which should now be exposed inside the wall.

5. Remove control valve cartridge using the adjustable wrench.

6. Scour away any residue from the valve threads with steel wool or scouring pad.

7. Remove and replace gasket or O-ring seal, if it seems worn or damaged.

8. Apply a thin line of plumber's caulk around the valve threads to ensure a waterproof seal.

9. Return valve to its place and secure, using the adjustable wrench. Avoid over-tightening. Open water supply valves.

10. Put plumber's caulk around the back edges of the escutcheon.

11. Screw escutcheon back into place. Return faucet handle to its position and screw it on securely.

12. Turn on shower and run the water for a few minutes, then shut off the water and test for leaks. If the shower faucet handle is still leaking, dismantle the faucet assembly entirely and take it to your local home improvement store for consultation with a plumbing department associate.