I've got a three-handle shower with a hot-water tap that's been leaking for quite awhile now. The stem and seat look old and are pretty corroded, but I've been able to control it by simply replacing the washer every month or so. But the corrosion is getting worse, I guess, because a new washer doesn't do the trick anymore.
The problem seems to be the seat (if I've got my parts all straight). When I look inside, I can see that there's a gap corroded in the lip, if that makes sense. So the washer presses against this lip, but water still flows out around it. It looks a little like this, with the stem out, staring into the hole at the seat:
x x x x x x x
If I put packing around it it's a temporary fix, but after turning the hot water on and off a few times the packing comes loose and the leak is back. From what I can tell looking in there, it doesn't look like the seat is intended to screw out -- although I've never done this sort of work, so what do I know?
What I'm wondering is whether plumber's epoxy putty might be worth a try? I thought I might mold it around that gap and let it dry, so that the washer has something to seal against.
Of course, I could just call a plumber, and that's probably what I'll end up doing. But I thought a $2 putty solution might be worth a try, unless there's a serious risk of screwing things up worse.
Thoughts?