Changing the wall-mounted bathtub faucet gives your bathtub area an updated look.
Whether you are replacing the wall-mounted bathtub faucet in your bathroom because it leaks or simply because you want to update the fixtures while remodeling or redecorating, the project should take only a few hours to complete. The biggest obstacle in this project is gaining access to the back side of the fixture; you'll need help from an assistant. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Search for the access panel to the back of the faucet and tub fixtures. Loosen the faucet from both the front and back side of the tub and wall, as the fixtures are usually held into place on both sides. Manufactured homes and most site-built homes are equipped with easy access panels for such situations; if an access panel does not exist, use a stud finder, pencil and miter saw to locate wall studs and cut an access hole into the wall behind the tub fixtures.
2. Shut off the water in the entire home or just the water to the tub. Have your assistant help you remove the faucet fixture by holding the spout from inside the tub as you work from the other side of the wall to loosen the nuts, bolts and washers with pipe wrenches or pliers. Have a towel handy to absorb any water left in the lines that spills out when your assistant pulls the old faucet out of the hole in the wall above the tub.
3. Feed the new faucet fixture through the hole in the wall over the tub, with help from your assistant. Guide the fixture into the appropriate pipe end while you sit on the other side of the wall. Apply plumber's tape to the end of the pipe or the threaded section of the faucet and tighten the pipe and faucet piece together with a nut and washers included with the new, replacement faucet.
4. Apply silicone sealant on both sides of the wall, around where the faucet fixture meets the wall and around the seal between the faucet and pipes. This will prevent leaking. To apply the sealant, simply squeeze the sealant from its container and smooth it into the cracks and crevices with your fingers.
Tags: faucet fixture, side wall, your assistant, access panel, back side, bathtub faucet, both sides
