It is not uncommon to overlook a leaky faucet while bathing or showering. After all, just water leaks into the bath or shower, and goes down the drain. Unbeknownst to the homeowner, however, water can also be losing on the wall, causing untold damage from wet wood. This can lead to health risks such as mold or structural damage to the rotten wood floor and framing from moisture constant.

Fortunately, the problem is, more often than not, easily remedied, and can often be handled by the homeowner or maintenance personnel.

The typical three handle shower / tub combination faucets found in many bathrooms will exit the back of the faucet handle. This is caused by a bad valve stem, and can easily leak from a new model as an older model. To repair this type of leak, you must first investigate the make and model of the faucet, then look for a replacement stem. A trip to the store home improvement may be all that the owner has to find a replacement for Kohler Sloan valve or through a call to the manufacturer can also be justified, and not uncommon.

Second, if the repair kit does not include a stem removal tool, and many do not, plan on spending an additional $ 20 or less, so this tool is necessary.

Once the tools and repair kit are on hand, use a flathead screwdriver or knife to remove the cover in the center of the handle.This is marked with a red H or a C blue, meaning hot and cold water. Just pop it, then remove the screw holding the handle in place.

Before removing the stem, however, ensure that the water supply valve tub / shower is turned off. Turn off the hot and cold water.

 Now simply remove the old stem and a new replacement.Reverse the procedure to assemble the handle, turn the stopcock and voila, mission accomplished.
Hydrostatic valves or single lever handles are not so different from the variety of handle .

Again, make sure the water supply was turned off first. The hand shower is a hex, you have to loosen to remove the handle and cover. Sometimes, the Shroud is celebrated with a two-way tape, so a little effort and prying may be necessary to remove. However, once removed, and exposed the stem, use the removal tool stem to replace stem bad. Depending on model, an adjustable wrench may be necessary to loosen and remove the first nut.In other models, a clip tension may be necessary to remove with a flathead screwdriver. Use a free hand, not even a rag or towel handy to help prevent tension clip flying out.

Finally, some single lever valves may require a security key to keep the trunk in rotation while removing. Adjustable pliers, or channel locks, work well.