Ask Me Help Desk - Can you explain to me the way a faucet works?

Well they sell lots of different needle nose pliers, different sizes and lengths. If the screw is wedged in pliers are probably the only way. If the screw is laying loose you could try vacuuming it out. Of course if it were loose the water would have blown it out. Magnets won't work because the screw is brass and not magnetic.

Try to grip the screw with long, needle nose pliers.

[suziq11[/QUOTE]I have tried every thing I could find (including yard tools)... It was actually a long BBQ spatula that the end broke off that made it possible to get the last washer and let water through on the "H" stem. Oh yeah, desperate situations you know
Let me know if I get the effect I was asking you about?

Well, looks like it's right (my message), but yours had a box around it clerifying that it was plucked from my message and that you are replying directly to that. Oh well, I wish you'd have replied about the buying pliers, BEFORE I just went to the store... I'll be out again Thursday... so maybe then... I'm sure you are aware that I probably?? Could have paid a plumber by now?? Thanks for not rubbing it in... also they probably charge 200 bucks an hr by now, so I'm still ahead...

Words cannot possibly express how much I have enjoyed reading this thread! Suzi, you are one very determined person.

To quote a specific part of a post, copy and past what you want to quote into your post, then high light it and click the "Quote " icon. Quote icon is last thing in the tool bar above where you are typing. To me it looks like a little sheet of yellow paper with an arrow pointing down.

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To quote a specific part of a post

Is this correct? Testing...

Wow! It works!! Thanks again Harold! Suzi

To jlisenbe... thank you for the kind words... you must have had some extra time to keep up with (now) 5 pages, I know I feel like I just gave birth, haha. Anyway, I appreciate your vote of confidence.

Well... I bought (yet another) pair of needle nose... that I have re-packaged up to take back for a refund, due to it being to wide topen and grab that Stinkin' screw!! It was an 11" w/ a 45 Degree turn at the end... What I need to have is a longer pair of those "surgeon type" or Dentist' kind. (you know what I mean?) I do have a pair that have helped me retrieve the other washers, but this screw's head is lying inside the seat, and the treaded part is caught on the inner/ top thread of the valve seat!!!! I can see it perfectly... I'm hesitant, but I really think the only way to get it out is to "get used to the idea of Possible Valve seat replacement." and that worries me, and I don't want to search anymore for special tools! Of course shopping at the local Autozone wasn't the best choice for"plier shopping". It's just that I can't get out of the Home Depot w/o spending money I don't have! anyway, I'm thinking a flat head (held tightly, wedged in good) to try to turn the valve - seat counter clockwise??? hopefully just enought to enable me to get the "Screw from He--" out, or loose??

Show a picture looking down into the valve. Get if focused so I can see the screw.

Sorry harold, but I did take photos before working on it, and after just checking my email, (only a few moments ago), I attempted to download them, and not one of them shows the screw, although it was totally visually clear the whole time I worked on it. Here's what happened. That screw was totally wedged fom the head to the end of it's thread (which was being caught by the lip of the valve seat.) I used every screw driver or tools that I thought could get under that lip or knock the screw out of it's trap. I even used a drill with different tools in the chuck that I thought could rattle it enough... 6 hrs later... I began (in desperation) to give my own personal "Dental Hook"... I looked away for a minute after turning it a few times... and when I next checked... the screw had disappeared!! I don't know where it went! I assumed that it must have gone into the area under the valve seat?? I can't see it. Soooo, I figured I'd better try to blow it out, so, (after drop- clothing, and covering my faucets w/ the bucket & closing the drain, so I could see what blew), I went outside and turned the wate mai back on for a few seconds. When I came back in, I had to (of course clean up & drystuff) then beganto hunt for the screw. I don't know?? It's not anywhere that I can see. I can only guess that it must have flown out when I was looking away, and using that Dental Hook! I will attach the pic, (if you want), but it just gets too dark before the area where the screw should show. I'm getting ready to hook things back up for the night and just hope the faucet works...

Well I guess it dropped down the pipe. The odds are that it will stay there and shouldn't hurt any thing. Put things pack together.

Thanks again, harold. I put it all away now. I'm still going to have to replace the handles, or maybe just a part of them, because they are still very difficult to turn them off without them wanting to leak, or drizzle. At least I can now go and use my bathroom without all of my tools and drop-cloths, (you know, the "Gear")... You're a Sweety!

I don't think you are through yet.

My summary of the life of your bath tub faucet after 6 pages.

The poor thing has been used and abused all it life. It was not born of a high station to begin with. Manufactures of mobile homes buy material in bulk and use the minimum quality they can find.

Some time in the past someone had a problem, probably a dripping or leaking faucet. They attempted repairs, but not did not know what they were doing. Probably after several failed attempts they came up with the idea of multiple washers and washers of a different shape. Now that wouldn't have been too bad except the screw wasn't long enough. So the screws come out, the washers and the screw fall down into the valve and cause you all these problems. The multiple washers probably didn't fix the leak so they just learned to crank the handle down harder.
Now you come along and want to change the handles. That's OK, except you probably didn't get handles that fit properly. Not knowing that the size and splines must match. Having to crank the handles down hard, they didn't last long. Not an experienced plumber, this has turned into a nightmare for you. Had someone not mucked up before you, changing the handles would have probably been fairly simple.

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because they are still very difficult to turn them off without them wanting to leak,

That is why I say you are not finished. That was the original problem that goes back, apparently before your time.

If you look back to my little drawing of a faucet (sorry but it was the best I could do), I made the suggestion to think of a faucet as just funny shaped pipes. That is exactly what the body of a faucet is, just pipes. It doesn't wear out. All the parts that wear out can be replaced (if you can find them).

Unless in making you repairs you have messed up the splines of the stems or you have scared up the shank of the stem where it passes through the bonnet nut, all you need to completely rebuild the faucet is the proper washers and screws and a set of valve seats. And some plumbers grease.

My suggestion to you, is to purchase a seat wrench, previously shown. Turn off the water, remove a valve stem. You can certainly do that, you have done it before. Then remove a seat. You were give in instruction previously on how to do that. The only problem you should have is, that you will find that you put the wrench in and turn it about a half a turn, the wrench will hit the wall. You then take the wrench out, put it back in and do another half turn.
After you know which end of the wrench you will be using, you can cut off the other end with a hack saw, so you don't have that problem.

Take you valve stem and seat to Home Depot, Lowe's or a hardware store and hope that you get some reasonable assistance. Tell them you want to rebuild the stems completely and replace the seats. If there is a plumbing supply with in reasonable distance go there. Things may be a few cents high but well worth it.
Then you can start shopping for replacement handles (with stem in hand).

If you don't replace the seats the dripping will only get worse as the seats damage the washers.

Hello again, my friend. I definitely get what you're saying, and I'm prepared to take the valve seat replacement, and new handle replacement on. It's just that in the last couple of weeks I've had to replace my car's battery and had a tooth break. So, I am in this "waiting game" until I can afford to even step into a hardware store. You said to use plumbers grease(when I do replace the stem and all. Are you saying I need to use it on the shaft of the stem? Or is there another area I should grease? Also, I've read other questions about using the seat wrench... and it not even working, is there a back up tool I may need to have handy? I'm worried due to all of the knocking around it's been put through w/ all the installing the stem, and removing... etc.? I read that one guy had to use a huge screw driver and a hammer?? You know I'm not that strong and have only succeeded this far out of sheer stubbornness. Anyway, just trying to be prepared for when I get some cash. I have read your instuctions thoroughly, and will follow it to the letter when I can.