Broken Bathtub Faucet Stem

A shows the bathtub plumbing faucet stem replacement parts and how to prepare the stem for reinstallation.

Broken bathtub faucet stem.

Place a socket wrench over the bathtub faucet stem until it covers the hex nut. Turn the wrench counterclockwise to loosen the nut until you can pull the stem free. Check the faucet stem parts. This prompts the water flow.

If the stem is failing it may not be fully blocking the stream of water. A loose bathtub knob can make it difficult to turn the faucet on to fill the tub and difficult to turn off to avoid a dripping spout. Reinsert the valve stem and tighten the stem in its socket using a wrench. Repeat the steps if you have a two handle system.

How to replace a single hot cold bathtub knob. So i wasn t able to use the moen valve cartridge puller. You have now learned how to fix a broken bathtub faucet handle. Look at each piece and if necessary replace all of them otherwise just replace the faulty ones.

Fix a broken ball handle on a bathtub faucet with help from a longtime plumber in. Replace the faucet knob over the stem secure with the handle screw and replace the protective cap. The broken cartridge is not easy to get out and moen makes a moen cartridge puller that you can use to pull the valve out. To replace the stem clear any rust wax or caulk from around the base then loosen the bolts that hold it together with an adjustable wrench if the bolts are located in the wall use a socket wrench to remove them.

Restore the water supply. Insert the packing nut into the stem and tighten it. Faucet stems are raised and lowered when you turn the handle. You may need a faucet handle puller if the handle will not come off by hand.

A broken ball handle will require a few specific tools to properly repair. However the valve puller screws into the shaft of the valve stem which in our case broke off pic below. After this the next step is to identify the faulty parts of a faucet stem. So check if the washer is broken or not.

Lubricate the parts with special plumber s grease. If you re working on a two handled faucet we recommend replacing the washers and seats in both the hot and cold valves.