Single Handle Faucet Repair

A leaky faucet can be easy to repair, but till the time it is leaking, it is irritating. In addition to that if the faucet is not in good shape, it means that water is going to be wasted. Therefore, it is best to repair such a faucet as soon as possible. Repairing single handle faucets is not a major hassle and is one of the most common types of plumbing problems. It is most likely that the washer has worn out and so the faucet is leaking. If you are wondering how to go about this task, the text to come is for you!

How to Repair a Single Handle faucet

Fixture 1
Begin with blocking the shower drain to avoid parts from flowing away. If it is not possible to close it with a towel or cloth, cover the floor. Normally faucets will have a plastic or metal face plate which will need to be removed. This can be popped off with the help of a knife or a screwdriver.

Fixture 2
After you remove that faceplate a small screw will be exposed. You have to remove this screw and once you do that properly keep the pieces aside. The face plate around the fixture, called the escutcheon will also need to be dismantled. This piece can be simply popped off the wall.

Fixture 3
Now we move on to the piece of metal work seen sticking out of the fixture which is now exposed. This is the cartridge. The hot and cold water controls are on either side of the cartridge. They are small screws, easily tightened using a flat head screwdriver. Next, turn off the water from either the shower source or if it is not there, locate the water supply cut off from the main plumbing line of your home.

Fixture 4
Now get your pliers and locate a nut or pin securing the cartridge in place. Using the pliers remove this by turning the nut or popping off the pin and again keep this aside properly while doing single handle shower faucet repair. Pull the cartridge out of the wall, it should be easy, but be careful to prevent damage.

Fixture 5
You can see at this stage if the cartridge is damaged or is attacked by mildew. Consider cleaning the cartridge under running water. If the damage is irreversible may be you will need to replace the entire cartridge. If that is not the case, just simply remove the O-ring made of small rubber. Remove the old one and fix a new one in its place. This will most probably solve your leaking problems.

Fixture 6
Finish off by fixing it in reverse order. Fix the last thing you dismantled for reassembling the whole faucet ensemble. Again cleaning up the faucet at this point will be a good idea to keep the faucet free of dirt, mildew and grime. Once you reassemble the faucet, test the faucet by turning on the cold and hot water to make sure that there are no leaks.

The method might slightly change depending on the type of the faucet, but overall, the method for any single handle faucet will be the same. For instance if it is a disc faucet, you would need to open or the unscrew the cap covering the cartridge. Lift the screws out of the faucet and there will be a set of seals at the bottom. Just take them out and replace them with the new ones.

There, you are done! I hope it wasn't tough! Basically, single handle faucet repair is all about the O-ring, a rubber ring which makes sure that the seal between the shower plumbing and shower cartridge is right. This is where I sign off!