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Reassemble the faucet — Reassemble Your Shower Faucet

Beginner2 hours

Part of project

Fix a Leaky Shower Faucet: Stop Dripping Shower Head · Step 4 of 5

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In this video

Carefully reinsert the valve stem into the faucet body, ensuring proper alignment. Tighten the packing nut by hand initially, then use a wrench to snug it up, avoiding over-tightening. Reinstall the handle by putting in the screw behind it. Tighten the screw, ensuring the handle is secure.

Goal: Restore faucet functionality

  • Apply a small amount of plumber's grease to the valve stem threads to prevent future corrosion.

Used in this video

  • 14 mm wrench (brand: Not specified, Adjustable Wrench Size: Not specified) · optional — Tighten the packing nut.
38.3K views1445 mins
Everyday Home Repairs

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FAQs

What should I do if I can't find the main water shut-off valve or if it doesn't work properly?

If you cannot locate your home's main water shut-off valve, look for an exterior spigot or contact your water utility for guidance on its location. If the valve is stuck or doesn't fully stop the water flow, avoid forcing it to prevent damage. In such cases, it's best to consult a plumber to ensure the water supply is safely and completely shut off before proceeding with repairs.

How do I ensure I purchase the correct replacement O-rings, washers, or cartridge for my specific faucet model?

Before buying replacement parts, disassemble the faucet and remove the old components. Bring the worn O-rings, washers, or the entire cartridge to a hardware store to ensure an exact match. Knowing your faucet's brand and model number can also greatly assist store associates in finding the correct parts.

My shower faucet is still dripping after I replaced the parts. What are the common troubleshooting steps?

First, double-check that all new components, especially O-rings and washers, are correctly seated and securely tightened without over-tightening. Ensure the cartridge is fully engaged and aligned properly. Sometimes, the valve seat itself might be corroded or damaged, requiring specific tools for replacement, or the new parts might be faulty.

How much money can I expect to save by fixing a leaky shower faucet myself compared to hiring a plumber?

DIY repair costs are usually limited to new O-rings, washers, or a cartridge, typically ranging from $5 to $30 depending on your faucet type. Hiring a professional plumber for this specific repair can cost anywhere from $100 to $300 or more, making DIY a significant cost-saving option if you're comfortable with basic plumbing tasks.

Transcript
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it and tighten it again sometimes if you just turn it like this it'll help push it in place and hold it like this take your wrench and try tightening this just to get it to start threading in sometimes it's hard to get the threads going so started here give it a push and then put some pressure on to try to get their threads to catch where's the thread sketchy trouble is sometimes you gotta see how it's gonna see right now it's stopping up here I want it to stop down there so what that means is I gotta pull this back out and give that thread one full turn so I take this out and when it starts catching the thread like saying here here's where it's catching a thread I'll give it one full turn like that or half a turn underneath degrees and then try to get it going and you see that mom helps it then I hope you can see this in my hands not in the way push some pressure on here and that helps to get the threads going push this to give some pressure on it to help thread it yeah so it's good and now you see it's gonna stop at the bottom where I want it to stop do you like it to stop at the top you could have left it as it was but personally I find it easier yeah not too tight yeah the tighter you make it the harder is to operate this so I'll loosen that a little bit there you see that's a lot easier so now you see how it stops here for me it's easier to just push it down here and give it some pressure so

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