How to Repair a Leaky Outdoor Shower Faucet? 6 Easy Steps to Fix a Leaking Outdoor Shower Faucet. A leaking outdoor shower faucet not only leads to increased water bills, it is also causes waste of a very important natural resource. Repairing this kind of faucet is not very difficult if the below mentioned steps are followed.
Outdoor Shower Faucet Repair Tools You Will Need:
- A crescent wrench
- An adjustable wrench
- Screwdriver
- Faucet grease or Vaseline
- Nut
- Small plate or tray
Step 1- Preparation
The small plate or tray will help you in keeping all the pieces together without you losing any of them. See to it that the water supply is switched off before you begin the work.
Step 2- Loosen Valve Assembly
Turn the handle of the faucet and open it. See to it that you loosen up the complete valve assembly with the help of a wrench. Once the valve assembly is loose remove it all together.
Step 3-Remove Packing Nut
Take out the packing nut washer that is situated under the handle. This can be done with the help of a wrench. You will have to remove the packing nut by sliding it through the stem. Make sure to keep the nuts safely in the small plate or tray so that you do not misplace them. With the help of the screwdriver, remove the graphite packing string or the packing washer present on the inner side of the washer.
Step 4-Re-Install Packing Nut
You need to substitute the old graphite packing string or the packing washer with a corresponding new counterpart. After this, you can then slide the packing nut back up through the stem and make it tight using an adjustable wrench. Now, put the handle as well as the retaining nut and make it tight using a screw driver or a wrench.
Step 5- Remove Old Compression Valve
In order to stop the leaking of water from the spout, remove the old compression valve in the valve assembly and put a new one there. This can be done by first taking out the retaining screw using the screwdriver and then the compression valve. Once the compression washer has been replaced put back the retaining screw with the help of a screw driver.
Step 6- Replace Faucet Assembly
Take off the handle and put the faucet assembly properly by putting the valve assembly in the fixture. With the help of a wrench, tighten the valve stem unit and double check that you have tightened it properly and sufficiently. It should not be left loose at all. Then the valve handle of the faucet will be closed finally and the water supply to it will be restored.
The outdoor shower faucet leaks can be therefore taken care of by having a little patience, the right tools and a little hard work. You will not require any professional help if you follow these above mentioned steps properly and you job will be completed very quickly and without any major hassles.