Sunday Project:
Jun. 29th, 2008 01:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fancycwabsName: Fix the leaky showerhead
Status: Work done, but showerhead still leaks. Phase II will be easier.
Symptoms of problem: Drip, drip, drip, drip, drip, drip...
Cause: I thought it was because the shower control valve needed a new cartridge. "No," the guy at Lowe's told me, "You just need new springs and seats. Besides, a new cartridge is $40 and new springs are $4. Also, we're out of cartridges."
Man at Lowe's is: At the very least, wrong, at the very most, a lying bastard who makes huge commissions on spring and seat repair kits.
Time to complete: 1 hour
Time it will take to do Phase II, which hopefully will actually fix the problem: Ten minutes.
Are you counting the trip back to Lowe's?: No--that will be another hour, probably.
Number of times comedically sprayed in the face by a geyser of scalding water: 0. Sorry to disappoint you.
Big surprise when shutting off the main water supply to the house: What appears to be a glass of urine hidden in under the kids' sink, where the main water shut-off is also located.
Wait, did you say a glass of urine?: It was yellow, it was liquid, it was hidden, it was very very disturbing, I don't want to ask too many questions. Some sort of voodoo ritual? Squirreling something away for an upcoming drug test? THERE ARE NO GOOD ANSWERS.
Photos taken of urine: 0. That's disgusting.
Photos taken of other stuff: Four. Here they are in their step-by-step glory:
Tools:
Disassembled valve assembly:
Cartridge (half of one, anyway):
Seats and springs:
So, how's it done?: Turn off the water (at the main house cut-off valve); pry off the cap on the shower knob with a tiny screwdriver; remove the screw holding the knob in place, remove cowl (really, that's what it's called--it's a chrome covering); unscrew brass cover, remove cartridge, which is made in two pieces; replace springs and seats; put the whole thing back together and try to figure out how to set the limiters so that you don't burn your junk the next time you turn on the shower. Each of those steps takes ten minutes as you try to figure out how the thing comes apart, but ten seconds if you've done it before.
The next step: Back to Lowe's to get a replacement cartridge. At least they're cheaper there than they are online.
UPDATE: Changing the whole cartridge took ten minutes, as predicted (even putting it in backwards the first time, which results in hot water where you expect cold water), and seems to have stopped the leak, as predicted.
Status: Work done, but showerhead still leaks. Phase II will be easier.
Symptoms of problem: Drip, drip, drip, drip, drip, drip...
Cause: I thought it was because the shower control valve needed a new cartridge. "No," the guy at Lowe's told me, "You just need new springs and seats. Besides, a new cartridge is $40 and new springs are $4. Also, we're out of cartridges."
Man at Lowe's is: At the very least, wrong, at the very most, a lying bastard who makes huge commissions on spring and seat repair kits.
Time to complete: 1 hour
Time it will take to do Phase II, which hopefully will actually fix the problem: Ten minutes.
Are you counting the trip back to Lowe's?: No--that will be another hour, probably.
Number of times comedically sprayed in the face by a geyser of scalding water: 0. Sorry to disappoint you.
Big surprise when shutting off the main water supply to the house: What appears to be a glass of urine hidden in under the kids' sink, where the main water shut-off is also located.
Wait, did you say a glass of urine?: It was yellow, it was liquid, it was hidden, it was very very disturbing, I don't want to ask too many questions. Some sort of voodoo ritual? Squirreling something away for an upcoming drug test? THERE ARE NO GOOD ANSWERS.
Photos taken of urine: 0. That's disgusting.
Photos taken of other stuff: Four. Here they are in their step-by-step glory:
Tools:
Disassembled valve assembly:
Cartridge (half of one, anyway):
Seats and springs:
So, how's it done?: Turn off the water (at the main house cut-off valve); pry off the cap on the shower knob with a tiny screwdriver; remove the screw holding the knob in place, remove cowl (really, that's what it's called--it's a chrome covering); unscrew brass cover, remove cartridge, which is made in two pieces; replace springs and seats; put the whole thing back together and try to figure out how to set the limiters so that you don't burn your junk the next time you turn on the shower. Each of those steps takes ten minutes as you try to figure out how the thing comes apart, but ten seconds if you've done it before.
The next step: Back to Lowe's to get a replacement cartridge. At least they're cheaper there than they are online.
UPDATE: Changing the whole cartridge took ten minutes, as predicted (even putting it in backwards the first time, which results in hot water where you expect cold water), and seems to have stopped the leak, as predicted.
