*Faucet Washer Replacement
Are the drips and chatter in your home driving you crazy? We're speaking
here, of course, about sink, shower, tub, and sill faucets that drip or
chatter when turned on-not annoying neighbors or in-laws!
Eventually faucets with rubber or plastic washers that stop the flow of
water when the faucet is closed will start to drip and in some cases,
chatter when turned on. Not only is this annoying, but wastes precious
water, increases utility bills, and can leave unsightly rust stains.
The tools you should have at hand would include:
. Screw drivers, both straight and Philips
. A crescent wrench or slip joint pliers
Find other handy tools to have in
<http://www.visionaware.org/info/everyday-living/home-repairs/gils-guide-to-
home-repairs/your-tool-box/1235> Your Tool Box.
You should have an assortment of various sized flat and cone-shaped faucet
washers, and brass screws which are readily available from a hardware store
or building supply outlet. These come in assorted packs of varying sizes and
styles to fit most faucets.
Just as anyone with vision, individuals with limited vision or no vision at
all can fix dripping faucets with a few simple tools, patience, using your
fingers and hands to gain information, and by following these five steps.
Step 1: Turning Off the Water Supply
The first step is to locate the shutoff valve that controls that particular
faucet. Many sinks and lavatories have shutoff valves which can be found
underneath the sink on a water line that comes out of the wall or up from
the floor. There should be one valve for the hot and one for the cold water
line. Usually the hot water supply line is on the left. You can easily
distinguish the hot from the cold by turning on the hot water faucet and
touching the pipe near the shutoff valve. It will be warm or hot to the
touch. Sometimes the washers in the shutoff valves have deteriorated and do
not completely shut off the water. In these cases, you will need to turn off
the water supply at one of the locations described below.
Tub, shower, and sill faucets usually do not have a shut off valve near the
faucet. In these instances you may be able to shut off the hot water by
turning off the valve on the outgoing hot water line at the top of the water
heater. If the water heater is not readily accessible or you need to replace
a washer on the cold water faucet, you will need to locate the shutoff where
the line comes in from the outside. This is usually located just outside the
building where the water line from the street comes in although it may also
be just under the building. If you live in an apartment, you may need to
consult with the manager or building engineer to shut off the water.
Tip: When the water is shut off, turn on the faucet you need to fix and
another faucet to help drain some of the water from the water lines. This
will help stop drips as you work on the selected faucet.
Faucet components: These instructions apply only to a stem and washer style
faucet, not a style of faucet which uses a replaceable plastic cartridge.
Essentially, the faucet has a chrome handle or knob to turn it on, a stem
that is threaded into the body of the faucet housing, a nut that locks the
stem in place, and a rubber or plastic washer at the bottom end of the stem
which is held in by a brass screw.
Step 2: Removing the Faucet Handle
For most faucets you will need to remove the handle or knob from the faucet
stem so that you can access the locking nut that holds the stem in place.
You can remove the screw that holds the handle in place which is often
located in the top of the handle. The opening for the screw may be covered
by a plastic insert which can be removed by lifting on one edge with a
fingernail or knife point. Some handles are anchored by a "set screw" that
locks the handle from the side. An allen wrench may be needed to loosen the
set screw. Sometimes a gentle tugging or even tapping of the faucet handle
is needed once the screw is removed as it may be stuck to the stem. If the
handle or knob can not be easily removed, you may have to get a faucet
handle puller to avoid damaging the handle or breaking off the stem.
Step 3: Removing the Faucet Stem
To remove the faucet stem, you must loosen the hexagonal locking nut that
holds the stem in place and holds packing in place thus keeping water from
leaking out around the top of the stem. To do this, open the faucet a bit
and then loosen the lock down nut by turning it counter clockwise with a
wrench or channel lock pliers. Try not to let the wrench or pliers slip thus
rounding the corners of the locking nut. This can make it difficult to
loosen or tighten the locking nut. Once you have loosened the locking nut a
bit you may be able to turn it by hand. You will want to be sure the faucet
remains slightly open by turning the stem so it doesn't interfere with
removing the locking nut. Once the nut is loosened, remove the stem by
turning it in the same direction you would to turn on the faucet which can
usually be done without using a wrench.
For many faucets, the locking nut is readily accessible but in tubs and
showers, there may be a decorative chrome covering, sometimes called a
flange, that keeps water from getting into the wall where the faucet is
connected to the water lines. This flange can be removed by loosening a
knurled holding device on the exposed end through which the stem protrudes.
Usually you can loosen the locking mechanism with pliers or sometimes even
by hand. If you need to use pliers, you should rap a rag or masking tape
around the flange where the pliers will grip so that you don't mar the
chrome finish. The body of the faucet may be recessed into the wall making
it difficult or impossible to get a wrench or pliers on the nut that locks
the stem in place. In these cases, you may need to get a shower wrench
socket set from your hardware store. It looks like a long six sided tube
that will slide over the locking nut but extend far enough that is can be
turned with a wrench or a handle that comes with the set.
Step 4: Replacing the Worn Washer
Once you have removed the stem, you can examine the washer which will be at
the bottom end of the stem. The washer will be held in place with a brass
screw. If a brass screw was not used, the head of the screw may be corroded
which will mean that you must clear rust from the slot of the screw in order
to loosen it.
You will want to replace the worn washer with one as near to the same size
and shape as the one you removed so inspect the old one carefully. If it is
badly worn from use, you may have difficulty telling if the washer was flat
or slightly cone shaped. Find one that fits into the recess at the bottom of
the stem and replace the screw holding it in place. Tighten the screw snugly
so that it doesn't come lose but not so tight as to break the screw off.
Tip: You should inspect the seat at the bottom of the faucet housing to
determine if it has grooves or scratches which may occur if the faucet has
been used for a long time. You can sometimes inspect the surface of the seat
with a fingernail but if not, you may need to ask someone to look down into
the faucet housing to inspect the seat. If there are scratches or grooves,
the newly installed washer will ware down and need to be replaced sooner
than if the seat is smooth. There is a tool you can obtain that will grind
the scratches out but if they are too deep, you may need to replace the seat
or the entire faucet.
Step 5: Reassembling the Faucet
To reassemble the faucet, simply reverse the steps you followed in removing
the stem and washer. Lubricate the threads of the stem with a water proof
grease to make it open and close more easily and to help prevent a leak at
the top of the stem. Screw the stem back into the body of the faucet but do
not close the faucet completely. Before replacing the locking nut at the top
of the stem, inspect the O-ring or graphite packing where the locking nut
goes over the stem and replace them if it seems frayed or cracked. Replace
the flange if there was one. Then put the handle or knob back in place and
turn on the water.
Tip: If the faucet had a flange which shower or tub faucets sometimes have,
you may want to use a bit of caulking to be sure that no moisture can get
into the wall as this can cause damage to the wall over time.
When you turn the water supply back on, only open the supply valve part way
so that if there is a leak, which rarely happens, water won't be sprayed all
over causing a mess to clean up. Once the water starts flowing, you may hear
a thumping sound and the flow of water may be irregular for a short time.
This is only because air has gotten into the water line and it is being
expelled.
If all goes well, your faucet should no longer drip or chatter.
--- By
<http://www.visionaware.org/info/about-visionaware/contributors/gil-johnson-
ma/235> Gil Johnson
* RANDOM TIDBITS
contributed by Trish
In 1934, the Schulz family was given a black and white dog they named Spike.
The terrier impressed the family with his wild ways and intelligence-he
could understand about 50 words. Spike would later become the inspiration
for Snoopy.
One of the initial themes Schulz set out to explore in Peanuts was the
cruelty that exists among children. Lucy was an example of that, and her
most heartless behavior was usually directed toward Charlie Brown or Linus.
Schulz got the idea for Pigpen from a friend in Colorado who sometimes
referred to his children by unusual names, one of them being Pigpen.
Sally was the first character to have her birth recorded in Peanuts; she
entered the strip in 1959 as Charlie Brown's little sister.
Schulz considered Peppermint Patty - inspired by a dish of candy and
introduced in 1966 - a character that could "almost carry another strip by
herself."
Over time, Schulz began to draw a gaggle of birds in his strip. One of those
birds began to stand out and was named Woodstock - after the Woodstock
Festival - on June 22, 1970.
contributed by Trish
"Trust in the LORD always, for the LORD GOD is the eternal Rock." Isaiah
26:4 (NLT)
"Trust in the LORD always, for the LORD GOD is the eternal Rock." Isaiah
26:4 (NLT)
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Robert Acosta, President
Helping Hands for the Blind
(818) 998-0044
www.helpinghands4theblind.org
