Do-It-Yourself Shower Repair

Leaking Faucet

1). Shut off the water in your house by turning the main water valve to the closed position. Test that the water flow has been cut off by turning the shower’s faucet on all the way.
2). Find the screw that holds the shower’s knob in place, which may be located in a small hole on the side of the knob or under a cover in the middle of the knob. Pull the knob toward you to slide it off the faucet.
3). Remove the retaining nut from the valve assembly, if one is present, using an adjustable wrench. Unscrew the metal sleeve from the faucet and pull out any metal pins or clips with needle-nose pliers.
4). Turn the valve assembly counterclockwise with the adjustable wrench to remove it from the water pipe. Insert a batch socket wrench, which is a socket wrench designed specifically for removing valve stems from faucets, over the valve stem if it is stuck, and turn the valve stem out of the water pipe.
5). Coat a replacement valve assembly with plumber’s grease before putting the faucet back together by reversing the order you took it apart. Turn the house’s main water valve to the open position.

1). Remove the screw holding the drain cover in place, and then lift off the drain cover. Reach into the drain opening with a pair of needle-nose pliers to pull out any of the clog’s debris in reach.
2). Pour water from a bucket into the shower drain until you have at least 2 inches of standing water around the drain opening. Coat a plunger cup’s lip with petroleum jelly and place the cup over the drain opening. Pump the plunger’s handle up and down at least 20 times to dislodge the clog.
3). Feed a drain auger down the shower drain opening. Spin the crank on the auger clockwise as you feed it down the drainpipe, pushing the auger through any clogs it encounters. Spin the auger’s crank counterclockwise as you retract the flexible line back into its housing.
4). Flush the shower’s drain with hot water for two minutes to break apart any leftover clog debris in the drainpipe. Replace the drain cover and tighten the screw in place.

1). Remove the screw holding the drain cover in place, and then lift the cover out of the drain opening. Inspect the inside of the drain body for damage to see if you need to replace it with a new drain body.
2). Insert a drain key into the drain body and turn the key’s dial so the key expands and presses on the sides of the drain body. Clamp the jaws of an adjustable wrench to the textured top of the drain key, and then turn the drain key and drain body counterclockwise to remove it from the floor.
3). Insert your fingers into the drain opening in the shower pan and push the drainpipe below the pan to the side slightly. With some free fingers, pull out the rubber flange and washer piece, if one is present, from the space between the drainpipe and the underside of the shower pan.
4). Place a new flange and washer in the space between the drainpipe and the shower pan, and then let go of the drainpipe so it returns to its normal position. Spread silicone caulk over the bottom edge of the drain body and thread it back into the drainpipe, tightening it with the drain key. Replace the drain cover and drive the screw back into place.