How to Repair a Three Handle Shower Valve

Ask This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey repairs and replaces a leaking shower valve. Click here to SUBSCRIBE to the official This Old House YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=thisoldhouse Time: 3-4 hours Cost: $80 Skill Level: Moderate Tools List for Repairing a Three Handle Shower Valve: Screwdriver Slip joint pliers Tub sockets Adjustable open ended wrench Shopping List: Drop cloth Shower valve replacement kit Shower valve stems Steps: 1. Shut off the water at the main water shutoff. 2. Put a drop cloth in the tub to protect it from any work and also to prevent small parts from falling down the drain. 3. Remove the handles from the valves using the screwdriver. They’re usually under small covers that read “hot” and “cold”. 4. Remove the escutcheons from the valves. They can usually be loosened by hand. 5. Unscrew the valve bodies from the wall with the slip joint pliers and the tub sockets. 6. Replace the seats for the valves. They should come in the repair kit. 7. Put the new stems into the valves and tighten them with the tub socket. 8. Tighten the bonnets on each of the stems with the open-ended adjustable wrench. 9. Screw the trim from the replacement kit over the stem and then put the escutcheons on over the trim. 10. Add the handles to the stems and screw them in with a screwdriver. Be sure to have the “hot” and “cold” labels installed right side up so they’re easier to read. 11. Turn the water back on. Resources: Three-handle shower valves are no longer up to code due to a risk of scalding, and should be replaced with a single-handle, pressure-balanced one, particularly if the shower is used regularly or will be used by children. Pressure-balanced shower valves can be found at home centers or plumbing supply stores. You can also purchase cover plates that can hide holes left behind in the tiles when the valves are swapped. When repairing existing three-handle valves, finding the correct components requires some detective work. Home centers have a book you case use to help you match up the correct parts, or you can go to a plumbing supply store and they will usually have the parts that you need. Tub sockets and the other materials required to complete this project can also be found at home centers and plumbing supply stores. Expert assistance for this segment was provided by Eastside Plumbing Supplies Inc. Ask This Old House TV Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we're ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers—and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O'Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook.   This Old House releases new segments every Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday.   Keywords: This Old House, How-to, home improvement, DIY, richard trethewey, plumbing, shower, valve, repair, bathroom, ask this old house Watch the full episode: https://ift.tt/2K2a87L Follow This Old House and Ask This Old House: Facebook: https://ift.tt/1psm4fC Twitter: https://twitter.com/thisoldhouse https://twitter.com/asktoh Pinterest: https://ift.tt/1psm4fE G+: https://ift.tt/1CtsNjJ Instagram: https://ift.tt/1psm1QZ Tumblr: https://ift.tt/1CtsLbH