How To Repair Aqualine Shower Valve

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If your shower valve is damaged across repair, you may demand to replace it to prevent leaks. Removing your old valve and installing a new one tin take time, simply with patience, a novice handyman can do it without the assist of a plumber. As you supervene upon your shower valve, work carefully to make certain you lot don't forget any important details.

1
Cover the shower bleed with a washcloth. Stretch the material over the drain so it is blocked completely. This will prevent screws or other small parts from falling in while you work on the valve.
- As you lot remove screws or other parts from the shower, keep them in the same identify to avoid losing them.
ii
Accept the shower handle off. The shower handle usually adheres to the wall by screws. Remove the screws holding the handle in place and elevator it off of the handle stem. Gear up the handle and screws on a flat surface to proceed them bated until y'all're ready to screw them back in later.
- After you lot accept the screws out, y'all may need to wiggle or tap on the handle to get it to slide off the stem.
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3
Unscrew the trim plate. The trim plate should exist secured to the wall with 2 screws. Unscrew both sides and lift the trim plate from the wall. Set information technology and the screws aside, preferably most the shower handle, until you demand to screw it back in subsequently on.^[ane]
- After you accept the handle and trim plate off, you can soak it in vinegar or CLR to remove whatever congenital up grime. This will make them await new once again.
- Shower trim plates are usually known as Escutcheon trim plates, in case you need to ask a home repair professional almost your specific model.
4
Remove any caulk around the trim plate, if applicable. In some cases, at that place may be a layer of caulk surrounding the trim plate'south edges. If caulk is adhering your trim plate to the wall along with the screws, scrape it off with a utility knife and then elevator the trim plate off of the wall.^[2]
- You lot tin can purchase caulk online or from nearly home improvement stores.
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1
Close the h2o off. Earlier you lot take the valve out, you'll demand to plow off the water to forbid leaks. Locate your shower's water stops and plough them clockwise to shut them off. If your water stops are turned on and off with screws, turn the screw tightly to the left with a screwdriver.^[three] ^[4]
- The water stops are typically institute to the right and left of the valve cartridge. If there are ii stops for hot and common cold water, shut off both. Usually, the water stops will take flat head screw heads that permit you turn them on and off.
- Turn off the water supply to the unabridged house if you lot cannot find the h2o stops for your shower.
2
Cut an access pigsty to better reach the valve. After you remove the trim plate, you lot should see a small-scale opening in the wall. If the wall opening is not at to the lowest degree 12 inches (30 cm) by 12 inches (30 cm), you volition need to enlarge it. Depending on whether the wall is made of glass, drywall, tiles, or another textile, you lot will demand to cut the pigsty to size.^[v]
- If you are unsure how to cut the opening, inquire a professional repairman. You lot tin can too research how to cut a hole safely and easily into your wall's material on a verified dwelling house improvement site.
- The hole should be small enough that you tin can withal comprehend information technology with the handle and trim plate later on on. Use the trim plate as a guide for the maximum size of your trim plate.
3
Remove the valve clip with needlenose pliers. Your shower valve should accept a metal prune inserted into the top that holds information technology in place. Lift the clip up and out of place, setting it bated on a flat surface to prevent losing it.
- If your valve prune is not damaged, you should exist able to reuse it while securing the new cartridge in place. If information technology is, however, your new cartridge should come with its own valve clip.
- Some valve sets are secured with a retainer nut that holds them in place. To remove the nut, hold the valve while y'all unscrew the nut with a wrench. Yous can so continue with removing your valve.
4
Apply pliers to pull the valve out of the wall. Grip the metal end of the valve cartridge firmly and pull the valve back and out of the wall. If it gets stuck at any point, jerk information technology equally you lot go to dislodge it. Afterward you take information technology out of the wall, set it aside or discard it to keep information technology out of the way.
- While needlenose pliers can be used for this step, it may be easier with thicker pliers.
- Information technology'south also a adept thought to spray information technology with WD forty. Expect a few minutes, then it should slide out more easily. This volition reduce the risk of dissentious the valve.
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ane
Insert your new valve. Grip the end of the new valve cartridge (which should be identical to the old cartridge) with pliers and slide it dorsum into its slot in the wall. Jerk the cartridge back and along if at whatsoever point it gets stuck and won't slide any farther.
- If your valve cartridge volition not slide into the wall or seems too small for the slot, you may have bought the incorrect size. Double-check the valve size and model to make sure it matches your old cartridge.
- If y'all discover severe rust and corrosion while irresolute the shower valve, then you may demand to change out the unabridged tub and shower valve assembly.
ii

Slide the metal clip dorsum into place. Using your needlenose pliers, pick up the new valve'due south metallic clip and insert information technology into place. It should fit in the same spot as the one-time valve'southward metal clip and be inserted from the tiptop.
3
Plough on the water supply. If you lot tightened the water stops, loosen them by turning or screwing them to the correct. Plough on the water supply to the entire business firm if you turned off the entire water supply because you couldn't locate the stops.^[half-dozen]
- Practise this slowly. If something wasn't installed correctly, yous won't want the leak to burst with water.^[7]
iv
Put the trim plate and handle back in place. Set the trim plate back over the admission hole and screw it in place on both sides. If information technology had a layer of calk securing it around the sides, apply a new layer. Screw the shower handle dorsum in place, turn information technology on to make sure it works, and remove the textile from the drain.
- If you enlarged the wall opening earlier, y'all should be able to put everything back in identify and then long as the pigsty is not larger than the trim plate. Fill the hole back in if you accidentally made information technology too large.
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Add New Question

Question

Can I replace a shower valve on my own?

Dave Jones
Master Plumber, Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup

Dave Jones is a Professional Plumber and the Midwest Regional Vice President at Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup. In 1992, Jones joined Roto-Rooter as a drain service technician at the age of xviii. Since then, he has risen through the ranks into positions of increasing authorisation. Dave served as general manager of Roto-Rooter's Charlotte, N Carolina, and Atlanta, Georgia branches earlier being promoted to Contractor Area Manager and later to Regional Vice President. Dave holds Master Plumber Licenses in Pennsylvania, Northward Carolina, and Georgia.

Primary Plumber, Roto-Rooter Plumbing & H2o Cleanup

Expert Answer

If you've got some handyman experience, sure. It's going to exist a tall society for a lot of folks who don't work with their easily very oft.
Question

How practice I get into the wall to access the valve?

Dave Jones
Master Plumber, Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup

Dave Jones is a Professional person Plumber and the Midwest Regional Vice President at Roto-Rooter Plumbing & H2o Cleanup. In 1992, Jones joined Roto-Rooter as a bleed service technician at the historic period of 18. Since and then, he has risen through the ranks into positions of increasing authorisation. Dave served as general manager of Roto-Rooter's Charlotte, North Carolina, and Atlanta, Georgia branches earlier existence promoted to Contractor Surface area Manager and later to Regional Vice President. Dave holds Principal Plumber Licenses in Pennsylvania, Due north Carolina, and Georgia.

Principal Plumber, Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup

Expert Reply

Look on the opposite side of the wall where the shower is located. There are frequently access panels for this. If y'all don't accept an access panel, y'all're going to have to remove that drywall, though. If your home is super one-time, y'all may want to get an asbestos inspection done first earlier you do anything.
Question

Why are there ii valves to shut off if at that place'due south only one water line?

Dave Jones
Master Plumber, Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup

Dave Jones is a Professional Plumber and the Midwest Regional Vice President at Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup. In 1992, Jones joined Roto-Rooter as a bleed service technician at the age of 18. Since and so, he has risen through the ranks into positions of increasing authority. Dave served as general manager of Roto-Rooter's Charlotte, North Carolina, and Atlanta, Georgia branches before being promoted to Contractor Area Manager and later on to Regional Vice President. Dave holds Master Plumber Licenses in Pennsylvania, Northward Carolina, and Georgia.

Master Plumber, Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup

Expert Reply

One is for hot h2o and the other is for cold water. If in that location are no shutoff valves behind the wall, you lot will need to locate and plough off h2o to the entire dwelling and then open up a fixture to relieve the pressure and bleed the h2o.

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Check what kind of valve your shower takes before removing the old ane or purchasing a new ane. If you're unsure or take questions well-nigh the specific type, contact a plumber or dwelling house repairman.
Information technology's a good idea to do an cyberspace search on the information printed on your trim plate. Yous'll be able to find the manufacturer and model of the set yous currently have, besides as tips for replacing it.

Things You lot'll Need

Material
Screwdriver
Pliers
Needlenose pliers
Shower valve
Metal valve prune
Caulk (optional)

Well-nigh This Article

Article Summary X

To replace a shower valve, commencement by unscrewing the shower handle and trim plate, so yous tin can remove them. Then, shut the water off and cut a hole in the small opening behind the trim plate, so y'all can reach the valve. Using needlenose pliers, remove the valve clip and pull the valve out of the wall. From hither, yous can insert your new valve cartridge, which should exist exactly the same as the previous 1. After yous've slid the new valve into its slot in the wall, put the metallic clip dorsum in place with your pliers and turn on the water supply. End past screwing the trim plate and shower handle dorsum in place. For more tips, including how to go on small-scale parts from falling own the drain, keep reading!

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