Your water supply line may be in your basement or outside your home. If you’re unsure how to turn off your home’s water supply, contact a plumber to help you. Other fixtures inside your home won’t be able to use water while it’s shut off.
The size of your index will vary depending on the handles you have.
Keep the drain plugged so the screws can’t fall in. Set your screws aside so you can easily find them later.
You can buy a socket wrench made for pipes and valves at your local hardware store. If the nut extends out past the wall, you can just loosen it with a pair of pliers. If your bathtub has multiple handles, repeat the process for each one.
If your spout doesn’t have a screw, you can skip this step. Make sure you plug your drain so you don’t accidentally lose the screw.
You can buy stems and handles in the plumbing section of your local home improvement store. Make sure to get handles that work for your system. For example, you can’t install a single handle if your old faucet had multiple. Some stores sell kits that come with stems and handles for easy installation.
If your tub has multiple handles, then make sure to screw in a new stem for each of them.
Repeat the process for any additional handles you have in your tub. If your handles aren’t watertight, then you may need to caulk around them to prevent water from entering your walls.
Bring your old spout with you so you can choose something similar in size. Look for kits that include handles and spouts if you want all your fixtures to match.
You can purchase plumber’s tape from any home improvement store.
If your pipe is too short and the spout doesn’t screw on, then you may need to get a spout adapter for your pipe. This piece acts as an extension to your pipe so you can screw in the faucet. Screw the adapter onto the pipe, and then screw the spout onto the end of the adapter. If your spout has a screw on the bottom of it, tighten it with an Allen wrench to secure it in place.
