Repairing a shower faucet is a project the homeowner can perform. Ball faucets are characterized by a single handle and are popular in sinks and bathtubs. Instead of having washers, like a compression faucet, ball faucets operate by moving the faucet handle from side to side to rotate a ball with two inlet seals that mix hot and cold water to the desired temperature. The flow rate of water is also determined by moving the handle up or down. Ball faucets have more parts than other faucets, putting them at risk to develop more leaks. The repair of ball faucets is a straightforward process; doing it yourself will save on costly plumbing repair bills. Turn off the water supply to the shower faucet by locating the access panel behind the shower. Turn off the main water supply to the house when the access panel behind the shower is unavailable. Turn on the shower’s faucet to drain the water line after the water supply is turned off. Remove the set-screw located underneath and at the base of the faucet handle with an Allen screw requiring an Allen wrench.

Pull the handle straight off the faucet body. Grasp the metal cap under the handle with a pair of adjustable pliers and remove it by turning it counterclockwise. Clamp the pliers to the plastic collar beneath the metal cap and unscrew it counterclockwise until it comes off. Locate the special tool in the faucet repair kit to remove the cam along with the cam washer and the rotating ball. Place the needle-nose pliers into the faucet body and remove the rubber inlet seals and small springs located at the base of the ball. Cut off the O-rings with a small knife, coat the new ones lightly with heat-proof plumbers grease; roll them back into place. Replace the old rubber inlet seals and the small springs with new ones at the base of the ball. Reassemble the faucet in the order you disassembled it. Turn on the water supply, allow the trapped air to blow out the faucet and then ensure that the leak is fixed. Things You Will Need Allen wrench Adjustable pliers Faucet repair kit Cam removal tool, included in kit Needle-nose pliers O-rings, included in kit Plumber’s grease, heat proof Rubber inlet seals, included in kit Small springs, included in kit Tips Warnings Photo Credits Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images Suggest a Correction

For the past year or so we’ve had a leaky shower head. It hasn’t been a huge problem, as I could usually get the dripping to stop if I turned it off just right. Unfortunately, my wife didn’t have the magic touch, so it was pretty aggravating for her. The good news is that I fixed it. We actually had a plumber take a look at it one time when he was out to repair something else, but he was totally useless. He opened it up, cleaned a few things off, re-assembled things, and went merrily on his way. Unfortunately, it was still leaking. Today, I decided it was high time to fix it myself. What follows is a rundown of the process, complete with pictures. As an aside, this was such an easy fix that I can’t believe the plumber didn’t nail it — I’m guessing he either didn’t have the right parts, or couldn’t be bothered to walk out to his truck to get them. Either way, this was a quick and painless repair. I only wish I’d done it sooner. Before you get started, you’ll need to have a few things on hand.

Before you start taking things apart, be sure to turn the water off. Unfortunately, we have no way to shut off the water for just the shower. Thus, I had to turn it off for the entire house. Once the water is turned off, you’re ready to get started. Pictured below is the faucet handle prior to disassembly. Pardon the water stains, they’re a byproduct of the dripping.Thomasville Outdoor Furniture At Home Depot The read arrow points to the set screw in the side of the handle. Houses For Sale In All Saints Road BromsgroveUse your allen wrench to loosen this screw and remove the handle.Cheap Tyres Monaghan Next, you’ll want to remove the grey plastic disc (if your faucet has one) as well as the silver (metal) sleeve.

These two pieces, labeled with red arrows below, should just slide off. You should now see something similar to what’s pictured below. Next, you’ll need to remove the brass ring (indicated with the red arrow, above) that is holding the “guts” of the faucet assembly in place. Before you do anything, double-check to be sure the water is off. Once it’s safe to proceed, loosen the brass ring either by hand or using the strap wrench. After you’ve removed the brass ring, you should see something like what’s pictured below. You can now remove the faucet assembly. It may be kind of stuck in place, so apply even, consistent pressure and ease it out. Even though the water supply has been turned off, you’ll likely have some water draining out of the pipes. Once you’ve removed the faucet assembly, you should be holding something like what’s picture below in your hands. The parts that you’re after are located on the inside (sandwiched between the blue and white halves).

To open the assembly, press in on the blue half and twist. Once it comes apart, you should see something like what’s picture below. The parts that you’re after (the rubber seats) are indicated by the red arrows. You can simply pull them out (along with the springs, if you wish) and replace them. In the picture above, you can also see the faucet repair kit that I purchased — Danco DL-17 for Delta/Peerless faucets. Note the two different spring sizes. The original springs were most similar to the shorter, fatter springs in the repair kit. They were, however, ever so slightly shorter. I decided to use the new springs to give a slightly more snug fit. To put everything back together, simply reverse the steps listed above. Put the springs and rubber seats in place, compress the blue and white halves together and twist to re-join them. Next, re-insert the faucet assembly into the brass sleeve and secure in place with the brass ring (I re-tightened with the strap wrench, but I was careful no to overdo it).