Three handles, not three seashells

August 3, 2013 10:35 AM

Our second bathroom has a cruddy bathtub/shower faucet. It's probably original to the house, would be ugly even in new condition but is currently crusty with scale, wiggly, and doesn't seal off all the way for the shower. We do not gave the funds to get professional help. I am a fairly handy guy but I am not a plumber. Can I do this?

It's a three handle unit, and I'd be ok replacing it with such, but if a single handle unit with a remodel plate is the way to go that is fine with me.

posted by dirtdirt to Home & Garden (8 answers total)

Yours might be different of course, but I've replaced bath/shower faucets easily - they just unscrew off from the pipe stub which sticks out of the wall. It took a big wrench and some determination, but the only difficult part was convincing myself that it wouldn't destroy something. You might want to go to the plumbing store and look at replacement parts to get an idea of what you'll be doing.
posted by anadem at 11:28 AM on August 3, 2013

On second thoughts: you're describing something different than what I've done, so there may be extra complications. The part I've replaced is the spout, which has a pull-up bit that switches between bath and shower. I think the part you're asking about is likely to be much more difficult - is it connected with soldered pipes or screwed joints? Ideally, put a photo online so we can take a look.
posted by anadem at 11:32 AM on August 3, 2013

You can do this! Might have to replace with a three handle again, but it's worth taking apart to do it.

Worst case scenario--take WD-40 and spray it on, magic stuff! Will take all sorts of scale off. The water penetrating action gets under the scale and just...lifts it. Then bleach and scrub with a toothbrush. You can replace the washer and tighten it up on the pipes. If it doesn't seem to tighten, I've seen people put a rubber seal between the faucet and the wall using a cut out made from a bike tire. Not exactly beautiful, but certainly functional. Everything said here said is next to nothing in cost.
posted by BlueHorse at 11:43 AM on August 3, 2013

You can do it, but keep a couple of things in mind:

Unless you can find a separate shut-off for the shower, you'll be without water in the house for as long as the bath/shower plumbing is disassembled.

Also, cover the drain opening, because every small part you remove will fall to the bottom of the tub, and then disappear down the drain.

Every. Single. One. Ask me how I know.
posted by dinger at 11:58 AM on August 3, 2013 [1 favorite]

If you know what brand it is, buy replacements from that brand. All of these things have unique sizes and if you just want to replace the handles and spout, then stay in the same family and it will be a TON easier.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 12:43 PM on August 3, 2013

You may need to open up the wall behind the shower, if you are replacing the tap, to install the valve unit it connects to. There are how-to videos, but it does help to practice soldering beforehand, if you haven't done it before. You'll also need to shut down water to the bathroom, if possible, or to the house, while you install the valve. You'd patch up the wall with a piece of drywall cut to fit, spackling and painting afterwards, if visible.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 1:31 PM on August 3, 2013

I don't know how easy it is. We hired a Handyman guy in our neighborhood to change the 3-handles in our bathtub. It took him a really long time and some weird "well, since the shape of the XYZ and fit of ABC don't match, I have to try to bend the WXY" kind of talk. We went on vacation and came back after a week to a wet wall and ruined hardwood flooring in the room on the backside of the wall. Maybe if we had been home we would have noticed the leak and avoided the extra damage, who knows.
posted by CathyG at 2:34 PM on August 3, 2013

This is a case where some photos would improve the advice you get. Tub/shower faucets have several different styles, and depending on what you have, it may or may not be easy. I've seen replacement situations that have involved jackhammering through tile, for instance.

I would potentially consider whether repair/maintenance approaches are better in your case. If it isn't leaking into the wall, it really doesn't need replacement. Can you clean and/or polish the surface, to improve the appearance? Is the shutoff valve just limed up, which you might be able to fix with multiple applications of a CLR-type cleaner (or vinegar)? If it wiggles, is that becuase the entire pipe assembly behind it is loose? Has it lost a layer of plumber's putty or other spacers holding it in the wall properly?

Those are definitely all things you can "handle" without much experience. They may or may not be enough to fix your situation.
posted by dhartung at 2:56 PM on August 4, 2013