Get Access to Plumbing
When you need to plumb, the first thing you want to find is an access panel to expose the plumbing. These are normally outside the bathroom. They're normally a square on the wall. If you don't have one, this may be a good time to cut an access panel. There are quick attractive inserts to cover the hole you created. Shut off the water at the shut offs, or if you have none, turn it off at the main.
Remove the Spout
Remove the spout, handles and other hardware. Look for a setscrew underneath the spout and loosen it. Once it's loose, pull it straight toward you to remove it. If there is no setscrew, then you need to turn the spout to loosen it. Insert a long screwdriver in the spout for leverage and turn the spout left. Sometimes there's caulk that holds the spout in place. If you find the spout difficult to remove, take off the caulk with a putty knife and try one more time. As long as you're replacing the spout, you can also use a pipe wrench and turn it if it is extremely difficult to remove.
Take off the Handles and Hardware
Lift the plastic insert in the center of the handles if you have them. You'll see a screw, normally a Phillips. Remove that and pull the handles off. Sometimes the handles have a setscrew to the side. Use an Allen wrench to loosen it and pull it toward you. The escutcheon, the decorative cover over the stem, screws off. Twist them to remove them.
Remove the Supply
Look for nuts that connect the bathtub faucet to the water supply pipes. Loosen these nuts with a wrench and disconnect the supply pipes. Simply pull the faucet toward you. The stems remain attached to the old faucet and slide out of the opening on the tub.
Attached Shower?
If you have a shower in your tub, you have one more thing to do. That is disconnecting the pipe that runs to the showerhead. It also attaches with a fitting. Loosen the fitting that connects the two and lift the pipe from the faucet. Remove the bathtub faucet but leave the pipe in place to attach to the new faucet. After you reassemble the faucet, if you have a new showerhead, simply unscrew the old one and put on the new one. As with any fittings, it's always a good idea to use Teflon tape on the threads before you connect them.
Tags: access panel, bathtub faucet, difficult remove, handles have, spout loosen, supply pipes, turn spout
