From experience, we know that a leaky bathtub faucet is a pain. Not only can it use more water (driving up your water bill), but it can also cause your spout to start breaking down. Overall, a leaky bathtub faucet is a problem that you shouldn’t be putting off fixing. Luckily, fixing a leaky faucet is an easy fix. So, how do I fix a leaky bathtub faucet? Most likely, your fix is going to come in the form of replacing the handle, faucet washer, or faucet stem. So let’s take a quick look at how to do each of these! And if you’re still stuck at the end of our guide, you can always give your favorite Brevard plumber a call to handle it!
Important: Remember to turn off your water supply whenever you’re working on anything connected to a pipe or drain!
Replace the Handle
After many years of use, you can start to see the signs of aging on your bathtub faucet. Rust and cracking are signs of extensive wear that can cause your faucet to start malfunctioning. This can keep your faucet from being able to turn off all the way, meaning it will leak. If you see wear and tear on your handle, we recommend putting on a new faucet handle and then checking if the leak is gone.
Replace the Faucet Washer
Over time, your faucet washer (the rubber ring at the top of your faucet stem) can become cracked, loose, or hard – and sometimes it can even break. All of these things will make it less effective in sealing of the water flow in the faucet. When you remove the handle of your faucet, you’ll be able to check the stem for signs of a damaged washer. It’s very easy to replace the washer ring! Just take the old part to your local Home Depot or other store to make sure you find the correct replacement.
If this doesn’t fix the problem either, you may have to complete a more difficult project: replacing the faucet stem.
Replace the Faucet Stem
Make sure to clean the stem and base of your faucet to begin replacing the stem. The easiest way to make sure that you’re replacing it with the right part is to take the old faucet stem to the store to compare. You’ll need to remove the bolts that fasten it to the rest of your faucet. New bolts will be necessary to make sure your new stem is fully secured to the faucet! Since this can be a little more difficult to do, stop and call a professional plumber if you feel like you are unsure of how to start or complete the replacement!
If you’re still experiencing a leaky bathtub faucet after these three steps, you may have a bigger problem on hand. Call a professional to take a look before you experience more high water bills or risk water damage in your walls!
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