Fuquay Varina Faucets Replacement

When a conventional washer-type faucet has to be excessively tightened down each time you shut it off in order to keep it from dripping, or when the faucet develops a drip that won’t stop no matter how hard you tighten it, then prompt repairs are advisable to keep things from getting worse – for example, to keep from damaging the faucet seat and possibly causing extensive damage to the faucet stem itself.

Most leaks can be repaired by taking the faucet apart and then installing a new washer at the end of the spindle, as well as replacing the packing or O-ring that goes around the outside of the stem in some cases. However, if you wait too long and keep trying to tighten the faucet down harder in order to stop the drip, then chances are that the valve seat will be damaged. The reason is that when you turn the handle on a washer-type faucet to shut off the flow of water the threaded spindle or stem screws its way down into the faucet body and presses the rubber washer on the end of the stem down against the metal valve seat inside the faucet body, thus closing the opening and shutting off the flow of water.

Unfortunately, the continual twisting of this washer as it presses down against the metal seat, coupled with the pressure exerted on it when the stem forces it into place, all contribute to comparatively rapid wearing of the washer. If this wear continues long enough, the metal end of the stem, and sometimes the metal screw that holds the washer in place, will start to grate against the metal valve seat, scratching and defacing it so that even a brand new rubber washer will no longer form a watertight seal when fully closed. In addition, these faucet seats can also be damaged by wear that results from abrasive particles in the water, or even mineral buildups that accumulate between the washer and the metal seat.

Fortunately, on most faucets the metal valve seats are replaceable – the old one can be unscrewed and a new one installed in its place. Valve seats that are not replaceable can usually be dressed or refaced with a special seat dressing tool that is sold for just this purpose in most hardware stores and plumbing supply outlets.

In order to remove the old valve seat you will first have to take the faucet apart, the same as you would for replacing the washer at the end of the stem. Shut off the water supply to that faucet by closing the valve under the sink, or by shutting off the main water supply valve next to the meter. Remove the handle from the faucet, then unscrew the packing nut or bonnet that holds the stem in place. (On some models there will be a large bonnet, held in place by a large flat nut on top, that fits over the stem and covers the packing nut. With these you will have to remove the flat nut then slide the bonnet up over the stem, after which you can get at the packing nut.) After the packing nut has been removed you can unscrew the entire spindle and remove it from the faucet body by turning it in the same direction as you normally do when turning the faucet on. The easiest way to do this is to temporarily replace the handle on top of the stem and then use this to turn the entire spindle assembly.

After the stem has been removed replace the rubber washer on the end with a new one of the proper size and shape (if the old washer is so deformed that you cannot tell the original shape take apart another faucet that doesn’t leak so you can examine that washer to see what the original one looked like). If the brass screw that holds the washer in place is corroded or worn, replace this with a new screw at the same time.

Now shine a bright light down into the faucet body to check the metal valve seat at the bottom. See if the hole in the center of the valve seat is round, square, or hexagonal in shape. If the hole is square or hexagon in shape, then the faucet seat is removable and can be replaced with a new one. However, if the valve seat is round, then it is a permanent one that cannot be removed. Carefully inspect the surface of the valve seat to see if it is scratched, gouged or pitted, or if it is badly corroded and coated with a layer of sediment. If it is, and if the valve seat is the replaceable kind, then it should be taken out and replaced.

Most hardware stores and all plumbing supply outlets sell special tools or wrenches for just this purpose. Looking very much like an oversized Allen wrench or hex wrench (in fact, for many of the older faucets you can use a large Allen wrench to remove the valve seat), some versions of this tool have both a square and a hex-shaped section at one end (as shown here). Others have a square shank at the end of one arm and a hex-shaped shank at the end of the other arm.

To remove the old seat you insert the appropriate end of this tool into the square or hex-shaped hole at the bottom of the faucet body, then turn the handle end of the tool counterclockwise to unscrew the seat. Lift the old valve seat out and take it with you to the hardware store when you go shopping for a new one to make certain you get one of exactly the same size. You can then install the new one by slipping it onto the end of the wrench after coating the threads on the new seat with a small amount of pipe compound. Fit this into the threaded hole at the bottom of the faucet body, then turn the handle of the tool clockwise to tighten the valve seat firmly into place.

If the valve seat is not the replaceable kind but is obviously gouged or pitted, then there is an inexpensive seat dressing tool that you can use for smoothing it down by removing burrs and rough spots. Sold in most hardware stores and in all plumbing supply outlets, this tool fits into the body of the faucet in place of the regular spindle after you have taken the faucet apart as described above. Some models have threads to match those on the spindle so that they can be screwed into the faucet body in place of the spindle, while others have a tapered guide that just fits into the opening in the faucet body.

Either way, insert the tool and turn the handle gently until the cutter end is resting against the valve seat at the bottom, then give it one or two turns in a clockwise direction while pressing down firmly. Then turn once or twice in the opposite direction. Remove the seat dressing tool from the faucet, then use a small piece of wet cloth to wipe out any chips or filings that are left on the inside. Better yet, turn the water on momentarily to flush this debris out, but be careful to put something over the top of the faucet to catch the spurt of water that will shoot up out of the faucet body.

After cleaning out the inside and installing a new washer on the end of the spindle you can reassemble the faucet. However, before doing so it is usually a good idea to replace the packing material under the packing nut just to make sure there will be no leaks around the stem when the water is turned back on. Some of the newer faucets have a rubber O-ring around the stem instead of packing; replacements for these are readily available in all hardware stores.