Stopping a Leaking Shower Faucet

But you don't need to call a plumber and spend money on a service call. With a few easy steps you can become your own 'master plumber'. If you ever need to repair a shower diverter then this article is just what you need to get the job done.

Before starting, you must ensure that you have turned off the supply of water. The most common place to find the valve that shuts off the water supply is directly below the faucet.

If the valve is stiff and won't turn, applying a few drops of oil will often fix the problem. Then use a wrench to loosen the nut one complete turn, and tighten it back up by hand. Wait for a couple of minutes and then you should be able to turn the valve off.

The next step is to take out the stem from the body. Then there will be nut that needs to be turned counterclockwise to be taken off. The last step is to turn the faucet handle in an anti-clockwise direction. The whole thing will lift out in your hand.

You will need to remove a setscrew near the bottom of the handle if you are working on a ball-type fitting. There will be a plastic ring or cap which you just unscrew and remove before pulling out the ball assembly.

Don't be put off stopping a leaky shower faucet, it's not all that difficult. Even if you don't know anything about how shower diverters work, you can still fix your leaking shower faucet.

You are almost finished, just need to replace the washer, which should still be attached the ball assembly you just pulled out. There's a screw holding it on so remove that, replace it with the new washer, tighten the screw back on and be sure not to go too tight where the washer starts to become damaged.

Reinsert the stem assembly, and twist it firmly clockwise (don't over tighten it). Remember to tighten the larger of the nuts. Turn the water valve back on and that's it!

If you are unlucky and the leak persists, you will most likely have to replace the entire unit. You will need to purchase a repair kit that you can find at your local plumbing supply or hardware store. On some occasions you may not be able to get a replacement part made by the original manufacturer. In that case look for a generic spare part from any well known vendor.

The worst thing that can happen is to commence the repair and then discover that there are no replacement parts available. So it's always a good idea to check first!