#BATHTUB SPOUT HOW TO#
#BATHTUB SPOUT FREE#

The same case applies for spouts that use an Allen screw to secure them. If the old one was threaded it means the supply pipe is threaded too so you should buy one which is threaded too.

The type of spout – Buy a bathtub spout that looks like your old spout in design.

There are 2 things that you really need to be careful about while buying a new bathtub faucet. By so doing you will have peace of mind for the next 10 years or more. If your current bathtub spout and shower diverter are in a quite bad shape and therefore not worth fixing, the best and long term approach is to replace them.

Connect the bathtub spout back to the steel pipe.

After the 12 hours, clean every part of the spout with a brush or emery cloth so that the shower diverter starts working like a new one.

Open the water and flush the line for a few seconds.

While you wait for the spout to get all cleaned up, use a toothbrush or any other drain brush to clean inside the supply pipe where the spout was connected to.

Let the spout sit in the vinegar for 12 hours or overnight.

Once the spout is out, put it inside a bowl and add vinegar until evert part of the spout is immersed in the vinegar.

Wrap a rag or duct tape around the spout (so as not to scratch it) and loosen it with an adjustable wrench by turning it counterclockwise.

Often, this type of spout will also be caulked to the bathroom wall.

If there is no screw under the spout, the spout is threaded to the supply pipe.

To be safe, plug off the bathtub drain so as not lose the screw down the drain. You actually don’t need to remove the screw completely.

Grab a set of Allen wrenches and use the correct size to loosen the screw.

Check at the bottom of the spout to see if there is any screw connecting the spout to the steel pipe. One which is usually threaded to the water supply pipe and another which is usually connected to the pipe using an Allen screw. There are 2 common types of bathtub spouts. This is a far better solution that tying a plastic bag around it as the vinegar will reach and act on every part of the spout. Sometimes the best wat to fix a sticky shower diverter is to soak the whole assembly in a bowl of vinegar. It dissolves calcium deposits in faucets quite effectively and will definitely loosen a stuck shower diverter. Vinegar is a mild acid which is fantastic cleaning agent on its own as well as when combined with baking soda. If this is the problem, it will also affect your shower head and you will notice that there is low water pressure coming out of your showerhead. Lime, which is basically calcium is the whitish substance that you might also notice at the bottom of the bathtub after draining it.Īfter many years of usage, calcium builds up inside the spout, restricting the movement of the shower diverter.

Keep spraying the penetrating oil and playing with the knob until it loosens up completely.įor folks who live in areas with hard water, I expect the cause of the stuck shower diverter to be calcium build up.

If it feels less resistant than earlier, spray more penetrating oil and wait for another 15 minutes.

Try to pull and push the shower diverter up and down after the 30 minutes.

If the knob is too stuck you might want to wait for about 15 to 30 minutes.

Pull and push the knob up and down as you spray more oil.

Insert the straw of the oil can inside the tub spout and spray the inside as well.

Spray the penetrating oil directly on the shower diverter knob at the top of the bathtub spout.

As you already know, oil and water are not the best of friends. If there is water inside or on top of the spout, use a rag or towel to dry it completely.

#BATHTUB SPOUT HOW TO#

Here is how to lubricate a stuck shower diverter: Dash to the garage and grab a can of your favorite lubricating oil. Luckily, a stuck shower diverter can be easily fixed and doesn’t always need to be replaced.ĭue to their low viscosity, penetrating oils seep slowly through connections or jammed parts (like a stuck shower diverter) in the process lubricating them. People who live in areas with hard water, old houses with steel pipes and those who use water from a well are more susceptible to this problem.

#BATHTUB SPOUT FREE#

The substances embed on the groove inside the spout thereby restricting the free up and down movement of the diverter causing it jam. What causes this though?Ī stuck shower diverter is caused by debris, pipe corrosions and accumulation of mineral deposits in the bathtub spout. This means that you no longer have the option to either user the showerhead or the bathtub. If you want water to flow out from the bathtub spout simply push the diverter knob down.Īfter years of usage, your shower diverter may get stuck in one position. When the knob is pulled up, water flows out from the showerhead.

Soak the Whole Bathtub Spout in VinegarĪ shower diverter is a small knob on top of the bathtub spout that regulates the flow of water.