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Tubs & Showers
Herein Lies the Rub
Like to soak or shower off the stress of the day? Then you know how frustrating
it can be to wrestle with a leaky faucet or showerhead. And it's no fun
to find yourself standing in a pool of soapy water that refuses to go
down the drain.
Fact is, the bathroom has evolved to the status of "personal refuge" and "private sanctuary." To help you keep it that way, plumbing and drain experts offer these helpful hints for keeping your bathroom's tub, shower, and sink in shipshape condition.
Fun With Fixtures
Let's begin with a few words to the wise about the actual fixtures that
deliver the water we use for bathing – tub faucets and showerheads.
Tub faucets
- Like sink faucets, tub faucets can be compression style or washerless.
To take apart any style tub faucet, pry off the cap, unscrew the handle,
and remove the escutcheon.
- In a compression faucet, you'll see the stem and packing nut. You
may need to use a deep-socket wrench to grip and loosen a recessed packing nut.
- To repair a washerless tub faucet, remove the stop tube and draw out
the retainer clip to get at the cartridge.
Shower heads
- If your shower head leaks where it meets the arm, you probably need
to replace the washer. To reach it, loosen the collar, using tape-wrapped
rib-joint pliers. Unscrew the head from the adjusting ring.
- Erratic or weak water pressure usually indicates mineral buildup.
To restore proper flow, clean outlet holes with a pin or unscrew a perforated
faceplate and soak it overnight in vinegar, then scrub it clean.
- If the shower head pivots stiffly, check the washer for wear and coat
the swivel ball with petroleum jelly before reassembling.
Sink faucets
Hey, it's such a big category, we've given "sink faucets" its own story.
Click here for detailed information
on sink-related faucet problems.
Clog Clean-Up Duty
Check out these tips on troubleshooting those pesky clogs that can jam
up the works in your bathtub drain and shower.
Clogged tub drains
Before trying any drain-clearing methods on a plugged drain, check that
the tub's pop-up stopper is opening fully and is free of hair and debris.
If the stopper isn't the problem, then the drain pipe is probably clogged.
First, try a plunger or chemical drain cleaner.
If these fail to do the job, you'll have to clear the trap with a plumber's
snake, which is a long flexible rod or cable usually made of steel and
used to free clogged pipes.
- Most tubs have what's called a "P" trap in the drain. In some homes,
the tub may have a drum trap in the floor near the tub instead (it will
have a removable metal cover and a rubber gasket).
- Using a plumber's snake in a tub P trap is much like snaking out a
sink trap. If you have a drum trap, first try snaking it clear through
the tub overflow.
- If that doesn't work, bail out all the standing water from the tub.
- Then, using an adjustable-end wrench, unscrew the trap cover slowly.
- Have rags ready for any water that wells up.
- Remove the cover, bail out and clean the trap.
- If, after this, water does not well up, snake toward the tub. If water
does well up, snake toward the main drain.
- If you can't reach the clog from the trap, it's probably deeper in the main drain.
Clogged showers
Though it may be difficult to unclog a shower drain with a plunger, it's
worth a try. If that doesn't work, maneuver a plumber's snake down the
drain opening into the trap. As a last resort, you can use a garden hose.
- Attach the hose to an outdoor faucet or to an indoor faucet with a threaded adapter.
- Push the hose into the drain until resistance is felt. Pack rags into the opening.
- Turn the water on in short, hard bursts to open the drain.
CAUTION: Never leave a hose in any drain: a sudden drop in water pressure
could siphon sewage back into the fresh water supply.
Clogs: Common Causes, Solutions & Prevention
Standing water in the bathroom tub, shower, or sink is a sure sign of
a partial blockage. Once a slow drain begins to happen it is only a matter
of time before a complete blockage occurs.
Tub and shower clogs
Common causes:
- Hair
- Soap build-up
- Bath and body oils
- Foreign objects
- Stopper assembly
Recommended solutions:
- Clean with a cable or jetting device.
Recommended prevention:
- Install a strainer to catch hair and foreign objects.
Bathroom sink clogs
Common causes:
- Hair
- Soap build-up
- Toothpaste
- Shaving cream
- Foreign objects
- Pop-up assembly
Recommended solutions:
- Clean with a cable or jetting device.
Recommended prevention:
- Run ample water when washing soap, shaving cream, and toothpaste down the drain.
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