Toilets, Sinks, Showers, Tubs and Disposals - Two Questions From a Newbie
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aballard
02-15-06, 02:15 PM
This is an excellent site for the do-it-yourselfer...great job guys.
I have two questions for the resident experts.
First: I have replaced the Sterling faucet stems in both bath/showers in my house (which was built in '89), due to leaks. One shower went without a hitch, but the other shower is posing sort of a problem. I don't know the technical terms for the stem components, but I will try to give an accurate description. What I have are two stems on each shower, with plastic bonnets (?) on the end that hold a rubber bib (?) and rest against a plastic insert (is that the seat?) inside the actual metal faucet assembly that is inside the wall. The faucet repair kit came with new stems, o-rings and the plastic inserts.
Now for my issue...there is very small o-ring that goes onto the back of the plastic seat which I assume is used to hold the plastic piece flush against the back of the faucet assembly, but I can't keep the darn think in place. I have used some sort of plumber's grease to try and slide the plastic insert into the faucet assembly, but the thing will not stay flush. Any suggestions on how to get the plastic piece in there the right way. Another intersting point about my shower drip is that you can hear the drip inside the pipe behind the wall, then a second later, a drop of water will emerge from the spout. But if you pull up on the diverter at the end of the spout, you can no longer hear the drip inside the wall. Any advice will be appreciated.
Second: This issue is simpler. I had a hot water supply line burst under kitched sink on Monday. It was a PVC braided line and I replaced it with a steel braided line. Is this a freak occurrence, or a sign of another problem such as high water pressure or excessive heat from the hot water heater? Any way to tell?
I thank you all and look forward to your responses. Also, if you need more clarification on anything, I'll do my best.
I have two questions for the resident experts.
First: I have replaced the Sterling faucet stems in both bath/showers in my house (which was built in '89), due to leaks. One shower went without a hitch, but the other shower is posing sort of a problem. I don't know the technical terms for the stem components, but I will try to give an accurate description. What I have are two stems on each shower, with plastic bonnets (?) on the end that hold a rubber bib (?) and rest against a plastic insert (is that the seat?) inside the actual metal faucet assembly that is inside the wall. The faucet repair kit came with new stems, o-rings and the plastic inserts.
Now for my issue...there is very small o-ring that goes onto the back of the plastic seat which I assume is used to hold the plastic piece flush against the back of the faucet assembly, but I can't keep the darn think in place. I have used some sort of plumber's grease to try and slide the plastic insert into the faucet assembly, but the thing will not stay flush. Any suggestions on how to get the plastic piece in there the right way. Another intersting point about my shower drip is that you can hear the drip inside the pipe behind the wall, then a second later, a drop of water will emerge from the spout. But if you pull up on the diverter at the end of the spout, you can no longer hear the drip inside the wall. Any advice will be appreciated.
Second: This issue is simpler. I had a hot water supply line burst under kitched sink on Monday. It was a PVC braided line and I replaced it with a steel braided line. Is this a freak occurrence, or a sign of another problem such as high water pressure or excessive heat from the hot water heater? Any way to tell?
I thank you all and look forward to your responses. Also, if you need more clarification on anything, I'll do my best.
aballard
02-21-06, 12:00 PM
Thinking that the terrible description of my bathtub faucet's component parts may be the reason that no one has replied, I went and found this illustration on doityourself's site. http://doityourself.com/store/u135282.htm# I hope the link works. The little white plastic piece above the stem in the picture with the black o ring on the back is the part that I can't get in just right. Like I said, I put a little plumber's grease on the o ring and it seemed to slide into the back of the faucet, but once pressure was removed, it wanted to pop back out. Any advice on how to get the thing to stay put? And also...what is the technical term for this piece which I called a "seat" in my initial post.
Thanks again,
Thanks again,