Tub Faucet and Drain

[mountainmama]

We are in process of putting wall surrounds around bath tub and thought we'd try to fix the faucet problem while everything was undone. Right now there is greenboard around all the tub walls except the faucet side -- it's open to see the studs behind it.

1. The faucet problem: the left (hot) faucet has to be turned half a turn before it will turn on. We tried to take the faucet apart (to cut the greenboard to go behind it) but couldn't even get the handle off the faucet because the screw won't budge and is starting to strip. Any suggestions on how to get the screw out?

2. Also - the old sock I stuffed down the drain when we were knocking out the old rotted drywall somehow came out and there's drywall crud down the drain. I can vacuum some of it, but beyond that - any ideas??

many thanks!

[Mike Swearingen]

Stripped Handle Screw - If you have plastic handles, cover the drain again, and just crush them off with a pair of channel-locks, grip the screw with the channel-locks or needle-nose pliers and unscrew it. Replace the inexpensive handles.
Repair or replace the valves, as necessary.
Drywall Debris - Tape off the overflow plate opening and use a more powerful wet-dry shop vac to dry to vacuum out all of the drywall bits that you can. You also may need to connect a water hose to the bottom drain spigot of your water heater and flush the rest down good with that.
I have two large, washable upstairs and downstairs return air filters. I backwash them in the yard in the warm months, and in the downstairs tub/shower with a water heater hose connection in freezing weather. It kills two birds with one stone...flushes the water heater, and then washes the filters out.
Good luck!
Mike

[mountainmama]

Can you describe the process of flushing out the water heater more? You attach a hose to the water heater spigot and then what? (Where does the other end of the hose go? Do you just turn hot water on? And how does that help get debris out of the drain?) I'm just a beginning DIYer. Thanks for the faucet advice!

[majakdragon]

Below is a link with all the info on draining and flushing a water heater. Just click on it. Good luck.

http://forum.doityourself.com/showthread.php?t=134483