DIY Plumbing Fixes Stall at the Valve
Homeowners are experiencing frustration and difficulty repairing or understanding the operation of bathroom and kitchen fixtures like faucets, shower valves, and dishwashers. The issues range from simple clogs and leaks to complex cartridge replacements and unusual installation designs, often compounded by a lack of accessible documentation or qualified help.
SOURCES (60)
“What is a fix for this or what parts should I get? submitted by /u/mo891 [link] [comments]”
“Use the black one. Hand tight and ¼ turn with a wrench. See what happens. If it leaks give it another ⅛ turn. Its similar to hooking up a garden hose”
“Yeah, I’d stop taking that fitting apart until you know exactly what connection you’re dealing with. At this point the crimped joint may be the bigger issue than the missing gasket.”
“This is a moen shower cartridge. It pulls out to turn the water on and off and spins 180* to divert the water between two shower heads. There is a separate lower handle for temperature control. Can anyone confirm the correct part number? I am struggling… TYIA. submitted by /u/FATheaded [link] [comments]”
“The cartridge needs to be replace as it has a slow drip. I can't get the set screw to loosen, to get to the cartridge. First, can anyone identify this valve any what cartridge it needs? Also, any suggestions on getting the screw loose? submitted by /u/Stunning-Dealer-5141 [link] [comments]”
“I'm hoping someone can clarify this for me. I replaced the pressure balancer and mixer on my old Kohler tub faucet as the tap was leaking. Good news the leak appears to have stopped. Bad news is being a big dumb ape I managed to cross thread the top and bottom screws that hold on the faceplate. I managed to get the bottom one out but the head on the top one snapped off. Are the top/bottom screw structural in anyway to the balancer/mixer? I've tried vice grips and other methods to get the”
“My guess would be you’re getting too much pressure from your dishwasher where the clear line goes into your add-on tee that you put in”
“Going to change out a toilet and turned off the shut off valve. It's not shutting completely, so I know I need to change the valve. The house was built in 2003 and I know it has PEX at the sinks, but I did have copper at the kitchen sink. I uploaded a picture to Gemini and it says it's copper with a plastic sleeve. I don't have the tools for PEX fittings, but have done copper before. Can anyone tell if this is PEX or Copper submitted by /u/RS250_Chester [link] [comm”
“I cannot seem to figure out how to disconnect the black supply line and the other one I cannot get two arms in there in order to unscrew it. I feel like im missing something... help 🫣 submitted by /u/4littlesquishes [link] [comments]”
“Old cast iron seems to be giving up and developing small drips. Wanna replace it before it becomes a bigger problem. Am I stupid to even think to DIY replacing this stack? submitted by /u/DoubleBASED [link] [comments]”
“I am attempting to replace the bathtub spout in the picture, although the pipe going into the spout (slip-on) spins freely. Is this normal? Also, the length of the pipe is about 5.5 inches from the wall, which seems long. Can I simply purchase a 7 inch spout, slip over the pipe and caulk the spout to the wall, or should I cut the pipe to a normal 3 to 4 inch length? submitted by /u/DePaMd [link] [comments]”
“I'm replacing a kitchen drain line that started leaking a while ago. I've done some research but I can't find a clear answer on what is allowed and I want to make sure I do it right. 1st picture is the current setup that is getting replaced. It has 2 inch pvc from the sewer going down to a 1-1/2 inch galvanized/cast iron pipe that then goes to a tee. More galvanized pipe goes up into the kitchen sink cabinet which will be getting replaced with PVC as well. 2nd picture seems to be the”
“I'd try a plain rubber washer. It may look like that from use. Don't count on HD or Lowe's to have more than Ace.”
“The people who owned my home before me installed this brass faucet, but I can’t find the brand anywhere. The faucet is dripping because the gasket/washer thing in the left handle is corroded. This handles don’t use cartridges, and this is the only piece that was inside. You’ll see the raised lip on the inner ring, and I couldn’t find one of my local ace. I’ll head to Home Depot or Lowe’s later today, but was wondering if anyone could point me in the right direction as to what this type is called”
“We have occasionally had some suds coming out of the standpipe, usually when running partial loads. The house is relatively new to us so I opened up the wall to check the plumbing and vent situation. I suspect the problems are twofold: undersized standpipe at 1 1/2 inch and the S-trap leading to a high waterline after the trap (as shown in images and my poorly drawn schematic). The main is about 40" up from the basement floor at that point. Before I try to fix this, I was hoping for a sanit”
“Hey everyone. Not knowledgeable with plumbing but want to fix this myself. Just a leaky hot water faucet. When I turn the hot water valve off the leak stops. I’m just wanting to make sure this handle must be pried off (to fix anything within the handle) and that I’m not missing anything because I don’t want to break it. I’m not seeing any screws anywhere for it. Thank you! submitted by /u/j__todd [link] [comments]”
“Had a plumber come out and this is what he left me with. I wanted a bathroom and a kitchen sink rough in. How do I fix this? submitted by /u/Mobile-Parfait9546 [link] [comments]”
“Bought a new shower head for the bathroom in our new house and it doesn't fit properly, it bottoms out about 5mm off the wall and is up the wrong way. Am I missing something or do I need to cut the pipe down? I have no clue... submitted by /u/SenorMonche [link] [comments]”
“Take it apart and make sure that all the washers are seated correctly.. with the taper facing down , and all the pipes are inserted enough.. i have a filling your drain is getting clogged as its odd for all these joints to start leaking at rhe same time unless somebody messed with them recently”
“My overflow preventer / drain open / closer had lots of mineral deposit in it. Plumber took it out when he came to do other work. He’s probably coming back in a month or two to do bigger work but I’m trying to fix this on my own if I can. (I’m not the most handy) Anyways, I bought the new kohler overflow preventer and bought the hold down plate that wasn’t included the kit. Bought through kohler too. So I have everything to go from pdf down below. Questions 1) do I need to have the rim around th”
“I have a K1 SE that has a bunch of weird little issues, but I've had a clog that I can't resolve. I just pulled the nozzle off and tried shining a light through and I get nothing, I think there may be a clog above where the nozzle is. Is that even possible/has anyone seen that before? submitted by /u/ConferenceIcy7138 [link] [comments]”
“Thanks for the help on the last post (link) . I removed the flange and found it had the flange inside a 3" PVC inside the hub (picture is after the flange was removed). I am wondering if it makes sense to remove that other piece and go to a bigger flange? submitted by /u/itguy2 [link] [comments]”
“The silver nut pulls straight down and has threads but not sure if it’ll thread on my shut off valve.. it’s 3/8, 3/8 and 1/4 submitted by /u/VanquishAudio [link] [comments]”
“With a pipe cutter. Right in the middle of the horizontal pipe. Loosen the mount leading outside to get clearance. Throw a shark bite on and call it a day. Its easily accessible and a leak is easily noticed. If it leaks in 10 years replace it again.”
“Get a GOOD valve - not a Sharkbite, or a cheap economy valve - a Mueller, Nibco, Watts, FNW, or even Viega if you have a propress gun. Stick a pipe in the socket and mark the outside edge, measure that, measure the full length of the valve, subtract that insertion depth TWICE, find a good spot on that short horizontal pipe in the middle, and cut the measurement length out. Clean it, deburr it, and do whatever install method youre doing's pre-workout and install the valve. Now, if you're”
“They make metal repair rings that you can screw on top of the existing flange. That would be the most straight foward approach”
“Hi all! New home owner here, and I'm looking for some guidance. I'm trying to replace my kitchen faucet, and the water isn't turning off when I turn the 2 knobs at the bottom (yellow and blue). I realized afterward that the yellow one on the left is for my dishwasher, but I have no idea what the 2 blue ones on the right are for (turned both top and bottom, but the water is still on). I'm assuming something for a fridge connection? So my questions are: Does this mean I don't h”
“It’s approximately 1 11/16” tall and 1 inch in diameter. 17 spline broach. I keep finding a bunch that look almost correct but they aren’t it. submitted by /u/Aech40 [link] [comments]”
“All but wrapped on the fire drill. It’s far from perfect. It’s what I could find locally, with a half day of PTO. Despite the AAV, now I’m getting a vent clunk. Is it from the trap setup? Or 50 years of grease down the line? Either way rip me apart or give me kudos. It’s my first full sink build, appreciate the pointers and any insight on the vent clunk. submitted by /u/dremseries [link] [comments]”
“That’s a mess even the cold water side could have been done much cleaner where the whit pipe is and that cpvc gets brittle”
“Had a bathroom redone about 10 years ago. Not exactly sure of the terminology, but I'm missing the threaded connection to the stubout. Is that normal? Also, I chewed up some teeth on the coupling nut while taking off the p-trap. I figure while I have it apart I might as well fix it now. What's the best approach? Saw it off just after the elbow and then add a threaded connection? Or something else? submitted by /u/BeantownPlasticPaddy [link] [comments]”
“I tried to remove the cartridge from a Roman tub faucet due to leaky faucet and it won't budge. I could turn the entire valve body but unable to remove the actual cartridge. I assume the smaller hex nut at the top is the cartridge and the bottom larger diameter threads is the body. When I turned the hex nut count clockwise, it turned the entire valve with it. I only turned the valve body slightly and turned it back as I figured this is not right. I put everything back together and now no wat”
“Just unscrew it from the brass piece. The brass piece is call a fiberlock 90. It was a common way to mount shower heads in fiberglass units. It's like a long coupling. The chrome piece is threaded into it.”
“Gotcha, my best guess is debris broke loose from the old pipe walls when the valve was adjusted and you have more unobstructed flow now. I don't see any other option then at some point to put in a dedicated pressure reducing valve to regulate and lower the water pressure or it will just be quickly wearing out your valves.”
“Forgive me don’t know technical terms too well. But the white part on the adapter was as far as it went. Yes there is water under the tank not sure why it was there before I installed the bidet as well. It’s definitely leaking from the t valve not certain which part could be from the top or bottom”
“U need a 2" fitting saver(pipe reamer) and cut it at the fitting at the wall or above the 90 Edit: above the 90, not 45”
“Hi I don’t have any plumbing experience. This keeps leaking could you tell me what I might be doing wrong? Thank you. submitted by /u/shotoyeezy [link] [comments]”
“I am having hot water cross over to the cold side of this faucet. Recommendation here was to replace the cartridge. I got to the cartridge but now have questions: 1) How do I remove it? 2) Any idea what brand/model it is? 3) Is it supposed to come apart? submitted by /u/ColoradoAztec [link] [comments]”
“The important part isn't just disconnecting the hose. You want the sillcock set up so water isn't sitting where freezing temps can turn a small plumbing problem into an indoor swimming feature. Fall is much nicer for checking this than January.”
“That blue washer should sit flat between the two fittings, not be forced deep into the bend. Clean both faces, make sure the nut is square, and hand-tighten before a small snug turn—those little seals are fussy, but they usually just want to lie flat.”
“I’ve took the u bend off to get a screw out that I’ve lost now it is leaking from the joint but I can’t physically push the blue seal inside! Thank you submitted by /u/Lfcbill [link] [comments]”
“This isn’t leaking and seems to be working fine. But should I be worried about the top part not being connected to the 1 1/2. And if yes then what do I need? submitted by /u/Bagoffun859 [link] [comments]”
“Can’t seem to remove faucet handle, I’ve removed the set screw inside handle, tried CLR, heat, faucet puller tool.. worried I’m going to break something. How can I access the cartridge without having to shut off the water main? Wanting to order a replacement cartridge. Model T14078-SSLHP--H778SS Parts Diagram https://media.deltafaucet.com/PartsDiagram/T14078\_T14178\_T14278\_T14278-H2O\_T14478\_T14478-H2O\_51975\_Rev\_I.pdf submitted by /u/Ok-Upstairs4985 [link] [comments]”
“bf and I are trying to change shower heads and noticed this. we can’t find any info on google and how to remove it. we are not plumbers and don’t want to f it up. any help/advise would be appreciated :) submitted by /u/Downtown-Many-8927 [link] [comments]”
“My shower handle keeps spinning and the water won’t shut off at the handle. I turned the main water off and in disassembling the handle to inspect things I found that the handle has a stem driver installed that is cracked. I suspect this is making it difficult for the handle to grip the square cartridge stem. Trouble is the stem driver is really stuck in there. Google says I should be a be able to remove it but it’s not budging. Does this sound right? If so, what tips do you guys have on how I c”
“You can buy a brass direct connect dishwasher tailpiece that will connect to the basket strainer with a brass nut. That would fix that problem.”
“I cannot for the life of me figure out how this is able to be tightened. Google image search identified it as a Moen tool free faucet mount. Apparently the yellow nut is supposed to be pressed and then spun, but it doesn’t budge, by band or by wrench. I also can’t imagine how it could spin like a typical nut because the entire this is connected to three bars, one in the center threaded, and two on the outside no threads. I’m obviously an idiot in this arena, but any help is greatly appreciated.”
“It looks like an o ring there, but feels like it’s nothing but metal. When the faucet is in use it drips a good bit. Delta chat support was worthless but I don’t know if the customer needs to get a new hose that goes to the sprayer, or if that very hard o ring actually needs replaced. Haven’t dealt with a sprayer style this damn old tbh it was a nightmare to get loose the first time. submitted by /u/The_OtherDouche [link] [comments]”
“I'll try to explain the best way I can based on some research. I have 0 experience and this is the first time attempting to trouble shoot and hopefully fix. Sink Type: Pedestal Sink Faucet Type: Wide Spread Faucet It looks very similar to this: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Moen-Moen-TV6620-Brantford-Chrome-Traditional-Two-Handle-High-Arc-Widespread-Bathroom-Faucet-with-Drain-Assembly-Valve-Included/5015605753 Issue: On the back bottom side of the center spout. There is a thin vertical metal stic”
“Hello all, Seeking help. The pipe underneath my kitchen sink has now come undone twice causing big leaks. When i put it back on and tightened it, it seemed like it would last, then it slid off again. I can basically just pull it right off it’s not super tight and just slides down. Almost seems like the red washer is too big. Can anyone help? I’ve attached photos Basically what i have is a small pipe from the sink drain, to a straight pipe, to a p trap, to a curved piece, to the wall submit”