HELP! I'm NOT a plumber. And I don't play one on T.V.! UPDATE: I CALLED A PLUMBER
We've lived in our house 2 years and have had a plumber "fix" our dripping shower faucet twice already. Now $300 later it is dripping yet again.
The house was built in the 60's and the plumbing is original. It is a two handle set-up. It is the hot water that drips from the faucet. The first time the plumber replaced the valve and handles. A few months later,
drip..drip..drip. The plumber wouldn't call us back so we called another guy who replaced the washers($200). A couple of months later it started dripping again. This is my son's bathroom so we have been making him go down to the basement and turn the hot water on and off down there. (Much to his chagrin!:wink Now it is dripping even when it is turned off at the basement. How can that be, and any ideas? I would like to try and repair this myself. My husband says "call the plumber, but I'd like to give it a whirl first! Any helpful tips would be much appreciated. (Or should I just go ahead and call the plumber?
UPDATE:10/2/08 My husband has been out of town and returns tonight, and I STILL haven't called a plumber! PLEASE help me fix this before he comes home! I have been working at it, and here is where I'm at: I've removed the packing nut and the washer(see picture of washer)
It looks good to me, but what do I know? It isn't flat or worn looking.
BTW the book says remove packing, which there wasn't any, and remove screw that holds washer, which there was no screw. It says to examine the stem, but I don't know if I am suppose to try and remove the stem.
It doesn't say how to do that, and there are no pictures. I think I see the valve seat, but I don't know if the strem comes out first. I have one of those ratchet and socket thing-ies, but can't get around the end of the stem to turn the ratchet. See pics of what tools I have, the washer, and
what I see when I'm looking "down the pipe"!
Thanks for any assistance. BTW: the handle at the basement shutoff feels damp:huh:
UPDATE 10/10/08 I surrender..I called a plumber! He told me over the phone that I need a new valve. He gave me an estimate of nearly $900 to replace the valve, and replace the trim with Delta Michael Graves designer(that's just what he uses.) It will go from a 2 knob to a single lever. He also has to create an access panel in a closet. I called another plumber for a second estimate. They suggested I go to the MOEN web site and pick out the trim and valve i want and then they will charge $300 to do the work, and will order the parts i use at a discount.
If I go with the second plumber the labor is $195 less, but I have the hassle of pickling this stuff out. They said Moen is more reliable in the long run than Delta.
QUESTION: I have spent hours looking at Moen. Should I convert to a single lever and have two silver doo-hickies covering the faucet holes, or should I choose trim that has two handles? Also, I'm thinking just the simplest valve, or is it best to get the pressure adjusting/temp.control valve? Any advise from all you wonderful plumbers would be so appreciated! I'm trying to keep the cost down, but don't want to sacrifice quality.
We've lived in our house 2 years and have had a plumber "fix" our dripping shower faucet twice already. Now $300 later it is dripping yet again.
The house was built in the 60's and the plumbing is original. It is a two handle set-up. It is the hot water that drips from the faucet. The first time the plumber replaced the valve and handles. A few months later,
drip..drip..drip. The plumber wouldn't call us back so we called another guy who replaced the washers($200). A couple of months later it started dripping again. This is my son's bathroom so we have been making him go down to the basement and turn the hot water on and off down there. (Much to his chagrin!:wink Now it is dripping even when it is turned off at the basement. How can that be, and any ideas? I would like to try and repair this myself. My husband says "call the plumber, but I'd like to give it a whirl first! Any helpful tips would be much appreciated. (Or should I just go ahead and call the plumber?
UPDATE:10/2/08 My husband has been out of town and returns tonight, and I STILL haven't called a plumber! PLEASE help me fix this before he comes home! I have been working at it, and here is where I'm at: I've removed the packing nut and the washer(see picture of washer)
It looks good to me, but what do I know? It isn't flat or worn looking.
BTW the book says remove packing, which there wasn't any, and remove screw that holds washer, which there was no screw. It says to examine the stem, but I don't know if I am suppose to try and remove the stem.
It doesn't say how to do that, and there are no pictures. I think I see the valve seat, but I don't know if the strem comes out first. I have one of those ratchet and socket thing-ies, but can't get around the end of the stem to turn the ratchet. See pics of what tools I have, the washer, and
what I see when I'm looking "down the pipe"!
Thanks for any assistance. BTW: the handle at the basement shutoff feels damp:huh:
UPDATE 10/10/08 I surrender..I called a plumber! He told me over the phone that I need a new valve. He gave me an estimate of nearly $900 to replace the valve, and replace the trim with Delta Michael Graves designer(that's just what he uses.) It will go from a 2 knob to a single lever. He also has to create an access panel in a closet. I called another plumber for a second estimate. They suggested I go to the MOEN web site and pick out the trim and valve i want and then they will charge $300 to do the work, and will order the parts i use at a discount.
If I go with the second plumber the labor is $195 less, but I have the hassle of pickling this stuff out. They said Moen is more reliable in the long run than Delta.
QUESTION: I have spent hours looking at Moen. Should I convert to a single lever and have two silver doo-hickies covering the faucet holes, or should I choose trim that has two handles? Also, I'm thinking just the simplest valve, or is it best to get the pressure adjusting/temp.control valve? Any advise from all you wonderful plumbers would be so appreciated! I'm trying to keep the cost down, but don't want to sacrifice quality.