I initially had a drip coming from the spout in the bathroom tub. I replaced the hot and cold water stems and put new seats in both. This fixed the drip. The problem I now have is when I turn on the handle I'm getting a leak from the cold water handle. Even if I just turn on the hot water handle, I'm still getting a leak from the cold water handle. I'm thinking I didn't tighten that seat enough – it was very hard to get at. Any suggestions on the problem?
Plumbing – Bathroom Tub Handle Leak
bathroombathtubplumbing
Related Solutions
Remove the seats, put pipe joint compound or Teflon tape on the threads, and reinstall. If it still leaks check threads inside the rough-in-valve (housing in wall) that the seat screws into. If those threads are bad you have 2 options: You can use 5-minute epoxy on the threads or you can replace the faucet.
The problem is that the "back pressure" at the tub spout is too high. Remove the tub spout and check/remove any debris. If there is no debris in the pipe or spout, then there are a couple solutions for this.
Adding a water flow restrictor to the pipe that runs up to the shower head might work. This would require cutting into the wall, though.
But I believe that the better solution (in my humble opinion) is to raise the height of the pipe that goes to the shower head, because it involves no painting.
Plumbing is all about gravity and pressure. If the pipe going up to the shower head is high enough, the evil back pressure from the tub spout will not be able to push the water to the top of the pipe, to overflow to the shower head. Adding a couple feet of pipe (into the attic maybe) might not require cutting dry wall, provided that you can cut through the top plate of the wall and reach and remove the FIP adapter (or drop ear fitting). You will first need to unscrew/remove the shower arm and probabaly use a stubby screw driver and small pipe cutter to detach the adapter or fitting. You will then need (in a difficult to reach area) to use a "sharkbite" coupling to add and extend the pipe. Add as much vertical pipe as necessary; generally, a few feet should do the trick. If you want to be sure it is high enough, have a helper turn on the water (after you have connected the extension). It should not overflow. Connect two elbows with a 2.5 inch nipple, to form a "U" shape. Attach the FIP or drop ear to a length of pipe- the same length as the extension pipe that is now connected to the "sharkbite" (minus the added length from the "sharkbite"). Finish connecting the pipes so that you form a "loop", up then down to the hole for the shower arm. Reattach your shower arm. Use 2x4s to build a support bracket for the loop and be sure to support the missing chunk of top plate (top of the wall).
Best Answer
So with both valves off there is no leak from the cold water "handle" nor from the spout, right? This means neither the washers (seals) nor the seats are leaking. Leave them alone.
With the cold water valve closed and the hot opened there is a leak from the "cold water handle", right? This means it is leaking around the stem of the cold valve. Most probably this is a leak around the shaft of the right valve, but could be around the threads of the packing nut. First thing to try is to tighten the packing nut to compress the packing around the shaft.
Actually the first thing is examine the right valve while it is leaking. Take the handle off and the fittings around the valve and examine it with a flashlight while it is leaking. You should be able to tell whether the leak is from the thread of the packing nut or around the shaft. First try tightening the packing nut in steps (but don't overtighten) and see if this stops the leak.
If the leak is at the threads of the packing nut and progressive tightening does not stop the leak, you might try unscrewing the packing the nut and wrapping teflon tape around it (3 turns (layers) of tape) and reinserting and retightening.
EDIT When tightening the packing nut it is important that the valve not be opened so far that the packing nut does not press against the end of the stem. The valve should be almost closed but open enough so that the mixing chamber is filled with water. And when reinserting the stem assembly after it has been removed open the valve all or most of the way so that the seal does not contact the seat while tightening the packing nut.