My shower won't shut off & I am having some trouble in identifying what type fixtures as they are old as the house (50+ yrs)

I have tried to remove the handle but it seems to be stuck, slighty on about 25-30%.

From trying to loosen the handle, I can see a stem & a bolt looking thing where the handle cover screws into.

From looking at different tutorials on this site it resembles a comparison washer type, I think.

I am right now & could really use some help on this one.

Thanks,
Matt

 

It will be a compression type as a rubber washer compresses down on a metal seat to form a water tight seal.

We'll walk through a stem replacement.

Turn the water off to your house.

Remove the screw holding the handle in place.

Old handles usually look bad, you can try a fancy handle puller if you have one but people rarely have these. Use a pair of channel lock pliers and wiggle the handle off the stem.

Remove any chrome trim attached to the valve body.

Sometimes you need a "plumbers socket" to remove the stem. Sometimes just a cresant wrench. Regardless, remove the metal nut that is around the stem.

Do the same thing to the other "hot or cold" handle and stem.

You now have the stems, trim, and handles in your hand. Take them to a decent hardware store or plumbing supply house for replacement parts. Be sure to mark the "cold" and "hot" stem as there are differences in how they turn on and off unless they are Gerber.

Ask about seats at the same time. Looking at the new seat will tell you what you need to remove the old seat.

Seats can be easy to take out or very, very difficult. Look at the old seats, are they pitted, cracked, missing, etc... You make the call on how you feel about removing them.

Reassemble in opposite order of removal.

More questions, ask away and someone will answer you. Good luck...

 

Thank you.