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Real Life Plumbing Advice for People Who Don't Want To Call A Plumber

How To Repair a Delta Single Lever Faucet

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When the Delta single lever faucet was introduced, you would think it was the birth of the i-phone.

To the best of my knowledge, this was the first company that claimed to be “the washer-less faucet.” As you can see in the video, it was nothing like the old two handled faucet I had been using up until that point and fact is they worked really well.

Delta originally introduced this as a kitchen faucet and in short time had the complete line up including bathroom faucets, shower faucets, tub and shower faucets.

The concept was very simple and the parts originally consisted of a brass ball (stainless steel today) two rubber seats, two stainless steel springs which were originally straight and are now cone shaped.

These are available in a basic repair kit but if you get the deluxe version (highly recommended) you’ll also receive the cam washer, cam cover, a spray diverter (if your faucet has a spray head), “O” ring washers and a handy allen key and cam tool.

I was then and still am a big fan of the Delta faucet company, they stand behind their products and customer service is top shelf.The new products from Delta are using ceramic disc design cartridges as are all the other major players, but these are still readily available and still in service today.

The biggest tip I want to pass on to you is that when you decide to jump in and make the repair, get the deluxe kit and replace all the parts at one time. This will ensure a trouble free repair from the start.

I also want to encourage you to check out my video titled “How to replace Delta style stems and seats-cartridge style faucet repair” which is Delta’s version of a two handle faucet.

In it you get a nice shot of how the springs and rubber seats are installed. Listen, if you experience any issues with this one, drop me an e-mail info@bobsplumbingvideos.com and I’ll walk you through it.

HAPPY PLUMBING!

How to replace washer style stems and seats

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With the new technology in faucet construction, you be might be wondering “why a video on old washer style faucets?” Because their are still millions of these in service today, not to mention these are still readily available.

In the New York City area you can walk into any local hardware store and purchase them.

By now you realize that I do a fair amount of my demonstrations on fairly new products which makes the video move along smoothly. In real life your going to be faced with handles that won’t come off, seats that refuse to come out and bib screws that are frozen in place.

Back in the day, we would go through the motions to get the job done, in todays world it’s more cost effective to replace the fitting. If you check out the video, I walk you through the motions on exactly how to replace the stems and seats in a laundry sink faucet.

In addition to the video, I want to point out some tips to be aware of:

a.when replacing the seat, some guys like to wrap a little teflon around the threads before installing it. I don’t always do this but in an older faucet, it’s good insurance.

b.before you install the new stem, make sure it’s in the fully open position, if you don’t you will damage it and render it useless.

c.Always have some waterproof silicone lubricant available (not the caulking) it’s specifically for lubricating faucet parts. It’s available at any big box store or plumbing supply house.

I fully take apart and lubricate the stems and also place a fair amount inside the handle before putting it back onto the stem. This will insure you can remove it in the future. One more important tip is to make sure you have the correct replacement stems (i.e. hot, cold ,left, right etc.).

If you’re not sure , check out my video titled “How to identify hot from cold water stems.”

If you follow the the steps I’ve laid out in the video your repair should be fairly routine, if you get stuck you can always drop me a line at info@bobsplumbingvideos.com.

HAPPY PLUMBING!

How To Install Stainless Steel Washing Machine Hoses

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Man if I had a buck for every time a rubber washing machine hose burst and flooded a home, I’d be in a pretty good spot. Ladies and Gentleman your washing machine hoses are under constant water pressure even when you’re not washing clothes. Learn how to install stainless steel washing machine hoses by watching the video below. A. you should shut off the water in between washing cycles and B. after three to five years these hoses should be upgraded to the stainless steel braided version. They usually will pop in the middle of the night when water usage is down and water pressure is at it’s highest. Don’t let it happen to you!

Faucet and Toilet Connecting Options

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Truthfully when I started working with my father as a kid in none of these options were available. We connected faucets and toilets with 1/2″ brass pipe which was reduced to 3/8″ pipe or 1/4″ threaded brass tailpieces depending on what you were hooking up. When the chrome plated basin supply tubes came onto the scene it made life so much easier and they looked pretty good too. Now we have many of options and with the exception of the p.e.x. connector (don’t like them) connecting faucets and toilets is a breeze.

How to Identify Hot From Cold Water Faucet Stems

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So you want to learn exactly how to identify hot from cold water faucet stems?

After several trips up and down to and from the van I figured out the difference between hot and cold water faucet stems. You see as a kid my dad would just tell me to get a couple of hot and cold water replacement stems without telling me how to tell the difference. Well if you look closely you’ll notice that their threads are wound in opposite directions, but guess what? Their is an easier way! Check out this video and please forgive my left from right reference, I keep forgetting I’m standing behind the camera. LOL!