Always remember that through this, you are doing yourself a favor of saving hundreds of gallons of water. Ignoring this can only be costly and in the long run you will complicate the situation as other components inside the stem can begin to deteriorate as well. So, here are a few steps that you can follow if you have finally decided to replace your shower faucet stem.
1. Turning Off Water Supply
Always remember to cut off supply of water before doing any fix inside the bathroom. It’ll be great if you can reach the mains and turn off the supply from there. But if you need to supply water to other parts of the house, you can just turn off the water control for the shower. However, it could cause other water outlets to leak if the main valve is not turned off.
2. Taking Off Faucet
A round disc can be seen on top of the faucet handle. This acts as the cover to the faucet which you can remove using the screwdriver’s flat tip. After popping this out, you can see a huge screw that is holding the shower handle. Try to unscrew this and put it on a corner. By then, you can remove the handle in which you can see the flange at the back of the handle. Remove this as well.
3. Taking Off Faucet Stem
At this moment, after doing step 3, you should’ve cleared everything to see the stem. You can also see that on both sides of the stem are hexagon-shaped bolts. Thus, you need to inspect the one near the wall. You can now loosen this by using a wrench and remove it. You can now remove the stem. If ever you will find the bolt to be fitted on the wall, make sure that you unscrew it with the help of a socket wrench.
4. Replacing the Stem
The moment you set the bolt loose, you can now remove the stem. Make sure that you made a purchase of a replacement before taking off the stem. Likewise, ensure that the one you bought is a suitable match. A stem double can be used to prevent leaks. Thus, the new stem must be pushed onto the wall, while tightening the bolt back. Don’t forget to replace the flange and reattach the handle with the help of your handy screwdriver. After all these have been completed, remember to refit the cover.
Don’t forget to turn the water supply back on and before opening the faucet, try to check if the leaks have subsided. Likewise, remember to tidy up the bathroom when you’re done.