How to Fix a Shower Faucet

My aunt, a few days back was pestering me with the issue of how her shower faucet was leaking. As my parents and her husband were not at home, it was I who had to bear with her prattle. So I told her to calm down, relax and called for a plumber. It was hardly an issue for the plumber who was doing this job for years together. I knew I wouldn't have to supervise or poke my nose in there, but still I observed what was he doing. I did this because, in case that happens again and no one was available, I could do it. So let me share the enlightenment I got about how to fix a shower faucet.

To fix or not to fix? Well, jokes apart, to fix a shower faucet is not a big deal, actually. You just need to have a mechanical bent of mind and some knowledge of tools. If you know plumbing or how to repair a shower faucet, you would not need to depend on anyone else and it will also give you the satisfaction of having done something on your own. So here is all about repairing a shower faucet.

How to Fix a Leaky Shower Faucet?

• The first thing you do is cut off or shut the water supply to shower.
• Check if there is a separate cut-off valve for that specific fixture, if there is not, then you would need to shut off the water supply for the house in totality for some time.
• Now leave open the faucets, allowing the water to thoroughly drain from the pipes. This is important for preventing the splashing or pouring out of water during the repair.
• There would be a screw on the faucet handle. Place it and use a flat-head screwdriver to pry it off.
• Remove the faucet handle by loosening the screw and removing the faucet handle, using the proper screwdriver. Now, most of the leaks are caused by damaged and worn out washers.
• If you find that the washer is the culprit, then it is not a major problem. All you need is to replace the damaged washers with new ones.
• If you find that the washer is not the culprit, see if the faucet part has to be firmly fixed or tightened. An adjustable wrench would be the best bet for tightening it.
• Now reinstate the water supply, and cross check if there is any leak. If that's not happening, see if the washer size is correct or probably you need to tighten the faucet a little bit more.
• If it is found out that the faucet is broken, completely dismantle the shower faucet by following the initial steps for removing the shower faucet. Gather the parts and buy replacements from the plumbing store by taking the original parts with you, so that you get the correct replacements.
• After you get the replacements, fix the new faucet. Just follow the cue of the holes and crevices, where the earlier one was fixed.
• The screw holes are already there, and so it will be as simple as lifting each part and fixing it in the right place firmly.
• Again, have the handle replaced, and resuming the water supply, see if the leak has stopped.

It was pretty easy, wasn't it? I mean, you don't have to be a hot shot plumber to do this thing? Right? That was all about how to fix a leaking shower faucet and I would say it was pretty neat, wasn't it!

It did not even take a lot of time. So I am sure, you know how to fix a shower faucet and if next time there is any faucet malfunctioning at home, you would be ready for the challenge. That too, armed with your screwdrivers, wrench pipes, et all!