In my master bathroom, the hot water faucet no longer turns off the water completely. There is a steady, slow steam all the time. My plumber said it's worn out from age and will cost about $800 to replace with a new unit.

Until I can come up with the funds, how can I turn off the hot water when I'm not using it so it doesn't run all the time? I can turn it off at the house, but the water continues to flow -- from the water stored in the hot water heater I suppose. Is it safe to turn off the water supply without also turning off the hot water heater? How should I handle this?


I should also add that this is the hot water faucet in the tub, not the sink. The sink has its own shutoff valves under the cabinet.

Get a new plumber. I have not seen a faucet yet that can't be rebuilt. New washers, seats and a little plumber grease and it will function just fine.

You should be able to turn the hot water off at the water heater. That way you will at least have cold water.

Show us a picture of your tub valve. If you are a reasonably handy person you can even rebuild your faucet yourself with a little instruction.

Post picture. We will ID the faucet and tell you how much it will cost you to fix it. Agree with above post: find yourself a new, honest, plumber: being slow doesn't justify charging you 8x more than he should. Back to you... Milo

Can you give us a brand name ? One handle or two knobs? How old? Until it's repaired follow The Widget Makers advice and shut the hot water off at the water heater. Good luck, Tom