Fixing leaky tub faucet

[Greg]

About 1 1/2 years old. The faucet in our bathtub. It is leaking slightly. The faucet is a pull-out type with a rotating handle for hot and cold. What do I need to do to fix this?

[Doug Kanter]

Brand name?

[Greg]

I would have to look. I'm at the office now. I know it is the kind that has the pull down function around the end of the faucet to enable the shower.

[Doug Kanter]

That could be any number of brands, but based on popularity, I'd guess either Delta or Moen. Both companies offer repair kits at hardware stores & home centers. Hold a small mirror beneath the spout and you may see the brand imprinted. You need to identify it. Try visiting

Look at the top left of the page and see if the trademark symbol looks like what you see on the faucet knob. Good luck with Delta - they don't seem to have a web site.

It's odd that your faucet is leaking this quickly. There are a number of possibilities:

1) Abrasive debris in your pipes. Unscrew the aerator from one of your sink faucets and see if you notice anything unusual, especially little bits of white plastic. A couple of water heater makers have had problems over the past 6-7 years with their plastic dip tubes crumbling. This happened to mine, and it ruined the cartridge in my Moen tub faucet. ( By the way, Moen sent new parts, even though the problem was in no way connected with their product. That's a hint, in case you replace another faucet in your house).

2) Cheap piece of crap faucet. :-) The Chinese have arrived in the plumbing business. Find out what brand you've got.

[xrongor]

ive heard that a good rule of thumb is that the better the name of the maker is relieved/imbossed into the fixture, the better the fixture. ones with no identifying marks on them are usually crap. even the big names make crappy cheap fixtures with no logo embossed in the metal.

of course there are exceptions.

randy

[Speedy Jim]

If it is Moen, call their 800 #. They tend to be *very* helpful.

Jim