i am having alot of trouble with a leaky bathtup faucet

[BrooklynHandyman]

hi guys,
i have changed many seat faucets in my day without a problem but this latest one is a real headache. i bought a brand new spindle beause it was also leaking a bit from the handle. it was a gerber spindle. the one i first bought was defective becuase it was leaking form the handle. i tried tightiening the packing nut but it didnt work. when i bought the second one the plumbing supply tightened it to make sure. when i put in the replacement, the handle was too tight to open and close so i had to loosen the packing nut and it worked. the leak stopped as well.
a couple of weeks later it started leaking again. i took the spindle out and looked at the washer at the seat. it had a circular scar around it. i changed it again and it scared right away. i took a flashlight and noticed that there was a sharp nicked edge at the seat. just my luck. the question is is there a way to remove that seat and what tool do i use to do it?
i dont want to screw up becuase if i damage anything after the seat i assume the next thing is the whole chamber and all the pipes of the shower will have to come out.
so what do i do here? can the seat come out without having to take anything else out? what tools do i use?
thanks.

[All Clear Sewer]

Call a plumber ;) This is not a job for a handyman!

[Rambo]

Some washer seats can be unthreaded and replaced. Check the faucet body with a flashlight to see if it has a square or hexagonal hole through its center or is slotted for a screwdriver; if so, it is replaceable. However, if the seat simply has a round hole through its center and no slots, it is not replaceable. In this case, dress it with a seat-dressing tool. To replace it, you'll need a faucet seat wrench, which comes with a combination of square and hex heads to fit most faucet seats. Turn the washer seat counterclockwise to loosen, clockwise to tighten. Add a little silicone rubber sealant (RTV) or pipe joint compound around the threads of the seat before you install it to make it easier to remove during future repairs.
Hope this helps.

[ToUtahNow]

hi guys,
i have changed many seat faucets in my day without a problem but this latest one is a real headache. i bought a brand new spindle beause it was also leaking a bit from the handle. it was a gerber spindle. the one i first bought was defective becuase it was leaking form the handle. i tried tightiening the packing nut but it didnt work. when i bought the second one the plumbing supply tightened it to make sure. when i put in the replacement, the handle was too tight to open and close so i had to loosen the packing nut and it worked. the leak stopped as well.
a couple of weeks later it started leaking again. i took the spindle out and looked at the washer at the seat. it had a circular scar around it. i changed it again and it scared right away. i took a flashlight and noticed that there was a sharp nicked edge at the seat. just my luck. the question is is there a way to remove that seat and what tool do i use to do it?
i dont want to screw up becuase if i damage anything after the seat i assume the next thing is the whole chamber and all the pipes of the shower will have to come out.
so what do i do here? can the seat come out without having to take anything else out? what tools do i use?
thanks.

It would be a lot easier if we knew which model you have but generally speaking they all have repalceable seats and seat wrenches are available for replacing the seats.

Mark.

[PLUMBER RICK]

hi guys,
i have changed many seat faucets in my day without a problem but this latest one is a real headache. i bought a brand new spindle beause it was also leaking a bit from the handle. it was a gerber spindle. the one i first bought was defective becuase it was leaking form the handle. i tried tightiening the packing nut but it didnt work. when i bought the second one the plumbing supply tightened it to make sure. when i put in the replacement, the handle was too tight to open and close so i had to loosen the packing nut and it worked. the leak stopped as well.
a couple of weeks later it started leaking again. i took the spindle out and looked at the washer at the seat. it had a circular scar around it. i changed it again and it scared right away. i took a flashlight and noticed that there was a sharp nicked edge at the seat. just my luck. the question is is there a way to remove that seat and what tool do i use to do it?
i dont want to screw up becuase if i damage anything after the seat i assume the next thing is the whole chamber and all the pipes of the shower will have to come out.
so what do i do here? can the seat come out without having to take anything else out? what tools do i use?
thanks.

not sure if you have or have not ever changed a seat before:confused:

basically you need to remove the stem as before. you then need the correct replacement seat. gerber will have a few different sizes. so it's best to know which size it is or have the few different ones.

a seat wrench is what is needed to unscrew the seat. i would buy the tool with the seats. the end is either square, hex, or tapered.

once the water is off and the stem removed, you will see the brass seat at the mating surface of the washer. insert the proper wrench style and unscrew it in a counterclockwise direction. the new ones needs to be doped or tefloned properly.

by the way, i always service both hot and cold at this time. doing one is like doing a brake job on the front drivers side and not the front passengers side.

if you need to shut the water to the entire home, and not just the fixture, don't screw it up. you'll be going from the frying pan to the fire:eek:

rick.

[nautica]

A spout leak in a faucet like yours is caused either by a defective seat washer or a damaged valve seat. You can replace most valve seats with exact duplicates, using a valve seat wrench. If a worn valve seat can't be removed, use a valve seat dresser to grind it until smooth. Or call the plumber who installed the faucet or any qualified professional.
http://tonawandaplumbers.com/

[nanson]

you should have called the plumber. For saving some buck you have faced problem and also you may have to spend more money.

[BrooklynHandyman]

not sure if you have or have not ever changed a seat before:confused:

basically you need to remove the stem as before. you then need the correct replacement seat. gerber will have a few different sizes. so it's best to know which size it is or have the few different ones.

a seat wrench is what is needed to unscrew the seat. i would buy the tool with the seats. the end is either square, hex, or tapered.

once the water is off and the stem removed, you will see the brass seat at the mating surface of the washer. insert the proper wrench style and unscrew it in a counterclockwise direction. the new ones needs to be doped or tefloned properly.

by the way, i always service both hot and cold at this time. doing one is like doing a brake job on the front drivers side and not the front passengers side.

if you need to shut the water to the entire home, and not just the fixture, don't screw it up. you'll be going from the frying pan to the fire:eek:

rick.

thank you very much and everyone else for all the helpful tips.
no i havent. i have changed seat washers with success but never got into the seat itself.
i have shut the water off numerous times for plumbing projects at home. it is nothing new to me. i shut the water off at the water meter. it has a lever. i never shut it from the main valve.
this job is difficult becuase of the water shut off problem. i am living with 2 other tenants with large families and its hard to shut the water then take the part out to match it with the new because they always need water. you probably know about this as a plumber.
so i will have to get whatever seats they may be. i do have the old spindle to use as a reference so that might help. the plumbing supply store told me its a gerber. thats how i know.its listed as a gerber b/s h/c stem on the receipt.
when i install the seat should i dope it or put teflon tape on the seat tread? i thought dope is only used to gas pipes. i did some gas pipe connections for my stove i am familiar with this.
as far as the seat wrench i sent you a photo of what i think you are describing. let me know if this is what i should get. i also sent you a photo of the bathtup faucet system i have.
thanks again for your help.

[BrooklynHandyman]

A spout leak in a faucet like yours is caused either by a defective seat washer or a damaged valve seat. You can replace most valve seats with exact duplicates, using a valve seat wrench. If a worn valve seat can't be removed, use a valve seat dresser to grind it until smooth. Or call the plumber who installed the faucet or any qualified professional.
http://tonawandaplumbers.com/

thank you very much. i may need the valve seat dressing tool since this may not be a hex or slot headed seat. it may be round. i do not know yet since i have not removed the stem yet to check.
i sent you a digram below of what i think the dresser looks like and what you are talking about. please take a look and let me know.
additionally when i dress the seat should it be done while still inside the faucet chamber or should it be removed and put in a vice?
thanks.

[ToUtahNow]

thank you very much. i may need the valve seat dressing tool since this may not be a hex or slot headed seat. it may be round. i do not know yet since i have not removed the stem yet to check.
i sent you a digram below of what i think the dresser looks like and what you are talking about. please take a look and let me know.
additionally when i dress the seat should it be done while still inside the faucet chamber or should it be removed and put in a vice?
thanks.

You only dress a seat when you cannot take the old one out or they are no longer available. It is more of a band-aid repair so try to remove the seat to replace it first.

Mark

[PLUMBER RICK]

http://www.ridgidforum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=2478&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1199185470 (http://www.ridgidforum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=2478&d=1199185470) the picture you have posted is a price phister valve. if you took in the handle or the complete stem, they should be able to match it up. even a good digital picture of the parts will usually work.

rick.

[NHMaster3015]

It's an old non pressure balanced, non scald guard faucet. I'd make the extra effort and replace it.