Winter Diversions

(Warning: boring)

Some people watch football playoffs. I fix things.

The faucets on the clawfoot tub upstairs (dropping some adjectives there, ain't I?) have been dripping since we bought the house. I always took care of it by tightening the packing nut or wrenching the stem in as hard as I could.

They also squeaked madly, and the bird has mastered this noise to the point where she can break glass with it.


I removed both stems and handles.


I know it looks like an obscene elephant, but I put the short hose on the spout so we could direct the water a little when we draw it for a bath.

Recently having become a bright boy, I decided that photographing washers and rings on the stem in the order in which they ought be assembled was a good idea.


Stem detail showing order of beveled washers, washers, rubber seat. This shit is old. I ain't gonna write down a part number and order it.



Fully exploded from seat to handle.

So I take the whole mess to Home Depot to get new washers & seats. Like I said, I can't just look up the part numbers, so I do my best to select from the generic washers and seals and go from there. I bought some new seals and new beveled washers, and reused some of the metal washers.

The seats fit fine, and I put new screws in to hold them because the old ones were rusted badly. I had to drill larger holes in the beveled washers to make them fit round the stem.

I also greased up the threads on the stem to stop the squeak. If I could only do the same with the bird.

So for about $10 and an hour of work I fixed an annoying drip & a horrible noise. I banged up the faucet a little by using slip-joint pliers on the brass packing nuts, but hey - we're gonna replace it all some day anyway.