Most older two-handle faucets have stems that move up and down as the handle is turned. A rubber washer at the bottom of the stem presses against a seat in the faucet body to seal out water. If the washer or the seat becomes worn, water seeps through and drips out of the spout. If water seeps below the handle or the base of the faucet, an O-ring or the packing probably needs to be replaced. All-purpose repair kits for stem faucets contain washers and O-rings of various sizes. To make sure you have a perfect match, take the stem along when buying the repair kit. An older type of faucet may need a packing washer or string packing. If the stem itself is worn, replacing the rubber parts will not solve the problem. You can replace the stem if you can find a new one; replacing the faucet may be the best option. Less than an hour for most repairsperhaps a handle puller, seat wrench, or seat grinder Shut off the water, close the sink stopper, and place a rag in the sink to catch any parts

Washer, O-rings, silicone grease, packing Shut off the water and open both handles until water stops running. Pry off the decorative cap, remove the handle screw, and gently pry off the handle. If the handle is stuck, tap and pry on one side, then the other or use a handle puller. Loosen and remove the retaining or packing nut with an adjustable wrench. A sleeve may also cover the stem. Grab the stem with a pair of pliers and pull it out. If water drips out the spout when the handle is turned off, you probably need to replace a worn washer. Remove the screw and install an exact replacement. If this doesn't solve the problem, or if washers wear out quickly, replace the seat. If water seeps out below the handle, replace a worn O-ring or any other rubber part on the stem. Gently pry out the O-ring with a knife or small screwdriver. Rub silicone grease on the replacement O-ring and reinstall it. If the seat is pitted or scratched, remove it using a seat wrench.

Install an exact replacement. If you can't find a new seat, you may be able to grind a worn seat to smooth it.After years of daily use, a faucet may develop a leak around the handle when it is turned on, or drip constantly from the faucet no matter how hard you try to turn it off. Carpet Cleaning Machine Supplier MalaysiaBoth problems can often be solved by replacing the washer and sealing the valve threads with Teflon tape.Outdoor Chair Cushions Ebay Start by turning off the water, then remove the screw in the handle of the faucet.Replacing Bathroom Diy Next, pry off the faucet handle. If corrosion has it frozen in place, you may have to use a spray lubricant like WD-40 and slowly work it loose. After the handle is off, use a deep well socket and wrench to unscrew the valve from the housing.

Once the valve is loose, take it out of the housing. Remove the screw in the end of the valve, and take out the washer. Replace the old washer with a new one of the same diameter and thickness and tighten the screw holding it on. Wrap the housing threads on the outside of the valve with Teflon tape to prevent it from leaking at the handle. Screw the valve back into the housing, being careful not to strip or over tighten the threads. Replace the handle, turn on the water, and you should be ready to go.If you’ve been experiencing a blockage, and I don’t mean the kind that requires more fibre in your diet, consider cleaning your shower head to improve water flow and give you a better shower experience. Keep reading or check out the steamy in-shower video… Basically, a shower head (like mine, pictured in this post), is constantly spouting water out, every day at your beck and call.  Naturally, water has calcium and other mineral deposits which over time can (and will) clog faucets, showerheads and coffeemakers (have you seen our blog post on cleaning a Keurig yet?).  

This isn’t harmful per se, it just slows the flow.  It constipates, if you will, your system. There are many corrosive products that are out there claiming to blast away calcium, lime and rust (catch my drift?) which I’d never allow in my house.  Certainly, all you need to dissolve this build up is a good soaking in some plain white vinegar.  The acids in vinegar naturally break down limescale and rust and allow your shower heads to work like new again.  You can also use this trick for cleaning and unclogging faucets. All you need for this trick is: 1) a zippered bag or sandwich bag, heck you could even use a produce bag. 2) an elastic band, tie wrap or hair elastic (I’m all about options) 3) white vinegar (no options here, just plain white vinegar) Fill your bag about half way with vinegar and fasten the bag to the shower head.  Do this by enclosing the mouth of the bag over the shower head and fastening it tightly in place with the tie.  Ensure the shower head is fully immersed in the vinegar, it needs to be in order for this to work.  

Let’s say yours is on a hose (like mine), then I’d suggest taking the hose down and letting it sit in the tub.  Let this sit for 12 hours, or 24 if the shower head is really crusty and you have an alternative shower you can use. When done, simply remove the bag (careful not to get any vinegar on your or worse, in your eye), and dump down the drain.  Yes, it will smell for a few minutes but shortly thereafter you’ll notice no smell.  If you want to be super sassy, throw some baking soda down your drain before you dump out the vinegar and you’ve now also cleaned our your drain in the process (go you!).  Let the shower head run hot water for a minute before getting in, you’ll marvel at your handiwork; it will run like new! If you are having stubborn stain issues, you can soak the shower head even longer to see if it will blast away.  If you wish, you can use some baking soda and rub that in to the small nozzles with a cleaning toothbrush which will help break down any additional limescale and remove the discolouration.