Toilets, Sinks, Showers, Tubs and Disposals - Moen shower handle screw removal problem
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rentagoodbook
11-05-05, 06:50 PM
Hi-I'm a newbie at home repair...I have a single moen faucet handle in my tub/shower and it seems like the threads broke earlier this week--the faucet handle would still turn but have no effect on the flow of water. Well, I pried off the middle index button, under which was a phillips-head screw, and was able to shut off the water via screwdriver. Went to the store and bought a replacement handle.
Am now trying to remove the broken one. Directions say "Remove handle screw". (already shut off the water). Well, I've been trying to unscrew this screw for a while now--it doesn't want to come out!
Any suggestions?
Thanks!
Am now trying to remove the broken one. Directions say "Remove handle screw". (already shut off the water). Well, I've been trying to unscrew this screw for a while now--it doesn't want to come out!
Any suggestions?
Thanks!
DUNBAR PLUMBER
11-05-05, 09:14 PM
You will have to hold the stem in place and drill out the screw. This might be quite difficult so be careful in doing so.
rentagoodbook
11-05-05, 10:08 PM
Is that the case even though the screw turns? There's resistance, but it will turn, the only thing is, no matter how much I turn it, it doesn't extract at all...
Thanks!
Thanks!
rentagoodbook
11-06-05, 01:12 PM
Okay, for anybody who runs into this same problem: here's what I did:
I drilled out the screw--actually, drilled off the screw head (or at least enough so that I was able to chip the rest off via hammer), then was able to slide the old handle off. Then I held the faucet stem w/one pliers and started unscrewing the screw with the other pliers. Once I got it started, the screw even unscrewed by hand.
I think the problem wasn't that the screw was really frozen, it's just that it had nothing to brace against when I was trying to unscrew it with the old handle still on--the inside (back) of the old handle had broken such that it was no longer holding onto the bolt pattern of the faucet stem--once the handle was removed, I could hold the faucet stem myself.
I would have expected the faucet stem to have some kind of "stop" so I wouldn't have been able to keep turning it via the screw ad nauseum, but evidently not...
My place is 10 years old, but only 5 months "new" to me--so it's very possible this is the same handle that was put in when the place was built. Hope this helps somebody else, thanks for the suggestion!
I drilled out the screw--actually, drilled off the screw head (or at least enough so that I was able to chip the rest off via hammer), then was able to slide the old handle off. Then I held the faucet stem w/one pliers and started unscrewing the screw with the other pliers. Once I got it started, the screw even unscrewed by hand.
I think the problem wasn't that the screw was really frozen, it's just that it had nothing to brace against when I was trying to unscrew it with the old handle still on--the inside (back) of the old handle had broken such that it was no longer holding onto the bolt pattern of the faucet stem--once the handle was removed, I could hold the faucet stem myself.
I would have expected the faucet stem to have some kind of "stop" so I wouldn't have been able to keep turning it via the screw ad nauseum, but evidently not...
My place is 10 years old, but only 5 months "new" to me--so it's very possible this is the same handle that was put in when the place was built. Hope this helps somebody else, thanks for the suggestion!