Understanding how to change shower faucet handles is one of those DIY projects that every homeowner is supposed to know. Are you serious to call a professional to come and only change the shower faucet handles?
If you take your time, you will quickly learn how to change shower faucet handles. After this, you will no longer need to call a professional to make the faucet handles’ replacement. In this post, I will walk you through two simple procedures that detail how to change shower faucet handles.
One thing that you need to understand is that the functionality of a shower faucet handle might be affected by the wet condition in the bathroom. These are not the only components that are affected by the wet condition in the bathroom, your best bathroom sink and faucets undergo the same effect.
More so, if you use hard water, it will deposit some minerals that gradually turn whitish around the faucet’s head. The resulting corrosion leads to the damage of the threads that hold the faucet handles in place.
If this happens, you don’t need to panic just because the handle has become loose. You need to learn how to change shower faucet handles, and you will be good to go. After reading this manual and implementing the knowledge acquired, you will realize that the work is less challenging. Let us first focus on the tools and materials that are required to complete this do-it-yourself project.
Contents
Tools And Materials Required For This Work
- Allen wrenches
- Hammer
- Spray lubricant
- Slot screwdriver
- Phillips screwdriver
- Flat-head screwdriver
- Old towel or rag
- Faucet handle puller
- Flat bar
Procedure # 1: How To Change Shower Faucet Handles
- As always the case when you are working on these type of bathroom fixtures, you turn off the main water supply.
- Study the nature of the shower faucet handles that you have in place. Armed with the right information about the tap handles that you have, shop for the related model. Having bought the new faucet handle, you are now ready to check the subsequent steps on how to change shower faucet handles.
- A plug covers the nut holding the handle. Use the screwdriver in your toolbox to pry off the cap.
- If you have pried off the cap, the nut holding the handle should be exposed. Use the Phillips screwdriver to unscrew it.
- If you are struggling to unscrew it, don’t force it; use the spray lubricant to lubricate the area. Allow some minutes for the spray lubricant to work. After some moment, try to unscrew it, and you will find it’s easy this way.
- After you’ve successfully unscrewed the nut, pull out the faucet handle. Sometimes, this can be troublesome depending on whether it is firmly held by corrosion or water mineral deposits that collect around this area. If this is the case, use a hammer to tap it lightly, and the work will be a bit easy.
- If it is a lever-type faucet handle, use an Allen wrench to unscrew the securing nut on the valve stem. Once you are sure that the handle is free, pull it off.
- If you find that the threads on the valve stem are worn out, you’ll need to replace the entire valve.
- If you are satisfied with the condition of the valve stem, start the installation process of the new shower faucet handles.
- Align the notches of the new shower faucet handle with those in the valve stem. Screw the nut that holds the handle in the place and secure the connection tightly.
- Once you are sure about the strength of the connection, return the plug to its place. That is, cover the securing nut with the cap.
- You can now test the working of the new shower faucet handle. If everything is okay, that is great; you know how to change shower faucet handles.
Procedure # 2: How To Change Shower Faucet Handles
- Turn off the water supply from the main meter.
- Cover the drain with an old towel or rag. Covering the drain helps to prevent the loss of screws that accidentally fall on the ground.
- Locate the position of the screw securing the shower faucet handle on the valve stem. Sometimes, the screw is hidden by a plastic cap.
- After locating the position of the cap, use a flat-head screwdriver to pry it off. For a lever-style screwdriver, the cap is located beneath the lever and you will require an appropriate sized Allen wrench to remove it.
- Sometimes, it is not easy to pull out the shower faucet handle once you remove the nut holding it in place. If this is the case, use a faucet handle puller.
- But a faucet handle puller is not helpful if you are dealing with a lever-style faucet handles. If this is the case, use a flat bar to pull out the shower faucet handle.
- Now that you have successfully removed the old shower faucet handle, down here, check how to change shower faucet handles.
- I hope that you have already purchased a shower faucet handle which has features similar to the old model. If your faucet had two handles, you should have bought two, and if it had three, it should be three and so forth.
- Also, I hope you have inspected that the valve stem is in the right condition and can hold a new shower faucet handle.
- If everything is right, align the nicks of the new shower faucet handle with those of the valve stem.
- Using a screw and a flat-head screwdriver, secure the connection tightly. Cover the screw with the cap and test the working of the set-up.
- If there are no issues detected after testing the functionality of the handles, the work was correctly done. Congrats! You know how to change shower faucet handles.
Conclusion
In summary, you need to learn some do-it-yourself projects such as how to change shower faucet handles. In the modern day world, people are working on these simple do-it-yourself projects and no longer invite professionals. It won’t take you long to learn how to change shower faucet handles and execute the knowledge acquired. If you like this post, share it with your friends.