The bathtub faucet fell off the other day, and I have no clue how to fix it correctly. The faucet is a slipfit spout with a shower diverger, and the screw is completely absent from the faucet or the pipe, whoever put it on originally just used silicone caulking to hold the faucet onto the wall rather than putting on correctly. So could I just buy a universal spout and install it according to the directions or do I have to do something special, especially since the pipe sticking out from the wall is pvc as opposed to a copper pipe

Hi Jamieh

Are you sure you don't have CPVC there? Here, CPVC has the same outside diameter as copper tubing so either one would work just fine with any universal (fit all) slip on tub spout with diverter. PVC would require a male (threaded) adapter to be cemented onto the PVC pipe before it could be installed on a universal spout...;)

Purchase a new universal tub spout with diverter, get a little silicone grease and debur the edge of the CPVC (if that is what is there) and then grease the end of the pipe a bit and slip the tub spout on tight to the wall (caulk the hole in wall first if this hasn't already been done)...tighten the allen screw on the bottom and you should be good to go!

If you have PVC then purchase a small can of PVC all purpose cement, some cleaner and a 1/2" PVC male threaded adapter. Read the instructions on the universal spout instructions to determine how far off the wall to cement the male adapter into place and then clean/cement the male adapter into place. Let that dry for a little while and then put some pipe dope on the threads and install the tub spout per instructions.

One of these should fix the problem, permanently!

Good luck!

Mark