Leaky faucets not only waste water, but also can cause your water bill to be more expensive. Who wants to pay more for their water bill than they already have to? You should address this type of problem as soon as possible so you can save yourself what could add up to a considerable amount of money.
Usually when your shower faucet starts to get leaky, it means it is time to just replace your old one with a new one but that is not always the case. It is perfectly normal and expected for the seals in your faucet to wear out over time. This happens due to the pressure of the water that flows through there. You can either replace the whole faucet or try to save money by seeing if you can salvage your old one by just replacing some very inexpensive parts.
You don’t need to be an expert to take care of this problem yourself. Fixing this on your own can easily be done with just a few simple plumbing tools and a little reading. All you will need to get started is a screwdriver, pipe wrench, channel locks, replacement rubber washers, caulk gun, and replacement packing washers. That’s it, now with your tools and these simple instructions, you are ready to get down and dirty. Well, probably not really dirty. This is going to save you a lot of time and money. Who needs a plumber when you can get the job done yourself?
First, will need to find where your water heater is located in your home, so that you can shut off the your water supply valves. Make sure your water supply is cut off completely before continuing on. Now, go turn on the faucet in your shower and let what water is left drain on out.
Many handles have a cap that you can easily pop off with a knife to get to the screws you will need to remove. Use your screwdriver, turning clockwise, to take out the screws that are holding your shower handle on. Then you can go ahead and remove the shower handle. After you finish doing that you will need to take the water guard off.
Next, unscrew the nut that holds on the stem. Now you need to go counterclockwise unscrewing the shower stem. After removing the old washer, take your new rubber washer and put it on the shower stem. Then you will remove the old packing washer, which can be found at the middle of the stem, and replace it with the new one. You will want to make sure that the stem and pipe are cleaned off really well, then you will be ready to put the parts back on from where you removed them. Just go in reverse order from when you took everything apart.
Finally, it is time to get your caulk gun out and apply some caulk just around the edge of your faucet guard so that you can prevent any water damage from occurring in the future. At last, the time has come to test out your handy work. Go ahead and turn on the water supply again, then go turn your shower faucet on. Hold your breath and if there are no drips or leaking, then you my friend can give yourself a big old pat on the back. Job well done, you can now sleep easy once again. You have just become your own personal plumber.
For more information on how to repair a leaky shower faucet yourself you can visit the following websites for some more helpful tips and guidance: E-How, Family Handyman
