So, you’ve just turned the shower on, ready for an evening bath, but alas! The faucet is pulling away from the wall! While it’s easy to panic, you don’t have to, especially when you know how to diagnose and fix shower faucet loose from wall.
Ordinarily, shower faucets become loose from the wall because of a dislodged caulk, excess water pressure, or corrosion. So, you must look at all these three possibilities when facing a loose shower faucet.
Once you identify the actual cause, you can go ahead and fix it, as I’ll share later. Remember, you are not just fixing the faucet to have a good shower, but you are also doing it to save on water wastage and unnecessary bills.
Let’s get straight into the causes of a loose shower faucet and later discuss the fixes.
Why Your Shower Faucet Is Loose from The Wall
Is the shower faucet pulling away from wall? Here are three possible reasons why:
1. Loose or Dislodged Filler/Caulk
Usually, the shower faucet is held to the wall by a filler material, famously known as caulk. The shower faucet won’t hold steadily if the caulk is loose or somehow dislodged.
The good thing about this issue is that you don’t have to do anything with your faucet but replace the caulk. With an option like Flex Shot Rubber Adhesive Sealant Caulk, you can fix your faucet into the wall.
You can also use the caulk to seal any crack or hole on your bathroom wall.
2. Pipe Corrosion
If the faucet stem is exposed to rain and air, it may rust, and the rust may spread and affect the whole faucet. The problem with rust is that it can weaken and loosen the faucet.
Luckily, the issue is fixable by covering the faucet stem and removing the rust.
3. Excess Water Pressure
Your shower system is made to open with much pressure as water comes out. And though you can adjust the faucet’s water pressure, sometimes it’s too much to vibrate the pipes, loosening the shower faucet.
Besides, extra water pressure means excess water, which could corrode the pipes.
How to Fix a Shower Faucet Loose from Wall
Here’s how to fix your loose shower faucet:
1. Fixing Dislodged or Loose Caulk
Since you deal with the filler, you need to remove the old and apply fresh caulk. But before anything, here are the supplies that you need:
- Caulk
- Utility knife
- Screwdriver
- Plumbers tape
Once you have the supplies, follow these steps for replacing the caulk and fixing loose shower faucet:
Step 1 – Test for a dislodged caulk
Before removing caulk, you should be sure that it’s loose. You can do that by first shaking the faucet plate. If the caulk is dislodged, the faucet plate will produce a vibrating sound.
Step 2 – Remove the old caulk
Using the utility knife, gently cut the old caulk around the loose faucet plate, about a 3-inch radius, and pull it out.
You can use the Stanley Screwdriver to properly remove it from your bathroom wall. The screwdriver has 4-in-1 capability, offering you four drivers, which include 2 Philips and two standards.
Step 3 – Remove the faucet plate
With the faucet plate exposed, use your hand to pull it out. However, ensure you don’t pull it off completely from your wall. While at it, scrape off any remaining caulk from the bottom of the faucet plate.
Step 4 – Insert fresh caulk
Now add a new line of caulk along the faucet plate’s edges and then place the faucet plate against the bathroom wall to properly fix it in place.
Step 5 – Screw it back
Now that the faucet plate is attached to the bathroom with the caulk, you should go ahead and screw it in place.
Step 6 – Tape up
The chances are that there is an old plumber’s tape on the faucet handle. You need to remove it and apply a new tape. Consider wrapping about 3-4 bands of plumber’s or Teflon tape around the faucet handle to seal it and prevent leakage before remounting the handle properly.
Step 7 – Test the faucet
Shake off the shower faucet to see if it’s firm. If it is, then congratulations! You just fixed your loose shower faucet. If it’s not, then you should try out option two below.
Option 2 (Using Expansion Foam to Fix Shower Faucet Loose from the Wall)
This method, which entails using expansion foam is generally best for those who are not good with using hand tools.
Here’s how to go about it when the shower faucet is loose:
- Scrape off caulk from around the showerhead to create enough space to apply expansion foam.
- Now insert the expansion fork into the opening you created and allow it to stick and bound the shower plate to the wall.
- Tape around the form and allow it some time to cure, swell, and harden. Once it does, remove the excess form, and that’s it.
2. Stopping Pipe Corrosion
If rust is the cause of the loose faucet, you should work fast towards removing it and, secondly, preventing it. Note, however, that sometimes your faucet stem may be too rusty, forcing you to replace it. That means you’ll skip the removal step and go straight to prevention.
3. Removing the Rust
While there are many approaches for removing rust from your faucet head and shower drains, nothing beats an industrial rust remover spray. These chemicals are fast and effective, and a perfect example is the Flitz Industrial Strength Metal Pre-Clean (View on Amazon).
This anti-rust spray not only removes rush from metallic faucets but also gets rid of the calcium, lime, and soap scum.
a) Covering the Faucet Stem
This tip is essential to prevent rust from weakening your faucet stem. You need to tape up the faucet stem to stop shower water from leaking outside.
This prevents corrosion, but it also protects the showerhead from anything that could damage it. The approach enables you to create a studier and more durable showerhead.
b) Adjusting Water Pressure
Another approach for preventing a loose faucet is to adjust the shower’s water pressure. Doing so minimizes the possible impact of high-pressure water whenever you turn the shower valve on.
To adjust the water pressure and reduce possible impact, turn the water valve clockwise. That saves your faucet from pulling away from your bathroom wall in the long run.
How to Fix a Loose Faucet Handle
Faucet handles become chiefly loose due to sloppy faucet replacement, or it just happens over time. A loose faucet handle is a common cause of a faucet leak, which you can fix if you recognize how.
Here are the steps to follow to fix a shower faucet loose handle:
Step 1 – Water shut-off
Start by shutting the shower’s water supply. You can do that by shutting the valve off. Alternatively, turn off the primary house water supply if you cannot find the shower valve.
Step 2 – Drain out
To ensure that the pipes are dry, consider draining out the existing water in the pipes and showerhead. You can do that by slightly opening the faucet.
Step 3 – Faucet handle detachment
Now go ahead to detach the loose. This is where you need a wrench set or screwdriver. They are essential for tightening the faucet handle.
Step 4 – Inspect the handles
Look at the faucet handle carefully to see if it needs cleaning or replacing and do it.
Step 5 – Tighten up
Check the diverter valve for loose connection or broken parts. If its teeth are broken, you should replace it but if its shaft is loose, tighten it using a wrench.
Step 6 – Handle reattachment
Turn the shower water on to confirm that the handle is working.
How to Fix a Leaky Faucet Stem
In the case of a leaky faucet stem, these steps can help you a great deal:
- Unscrew the screw on the faucet handle before pulling it off.
- Loosen the valve-retaining nut to remove it quickly.
- Pull out the faucet valve, but use pliers if it doesn’t come out naturally.
- Unscrew the screw on the washer and remove it.
- Replace the washer and then put everything back as it was
People Also Ask
1. How Do You Fix a Loose Shower Faucet?
You can fix a loose shower faucet by tightening it in place. That may require you to remove the handle and re-fix it if it is loose. You may also need to replace the caulk if it’s loose.
2. How Do You Tighten a Wall Faucet?
You can tighten a wall faucet by first cutting out the loose caulk and then adding a fresh layer. That allows you to attach the faucet to your bathroom wall firmly.
3. Why Is My Shower Faucet Loose?
The shower faucet can be loose because of rust, excessive water pressure, or dislodged caulk. Once you identify the reasons behind your loose faucet head, you can go ahead to fix it.
4. Is My Shower Leaking Behind the Wall?
Your shower could be leaking behind the wall if the faucet pulls away from the wall. That could also be the case if there are signs of water leakage. So, scrutinize the wall faucet to identify the source of the leakage.
5. Why Is My Faucet Handle Loose?
Your faucet handle could be loose because it’s too old. At times, it could be due to a sloppy faucet installation or a stripped stem. The good thing is that it’s fixable either by retightening it or replacing it.
6. How Do You Tighten a Loose Faucet Handle?
You need a screwdriver or a wrench to tighten a loose faucet handle. Ensure, however, that you replace the caulk to prevent recurrence of the problem, especially after a short period.
Closing Thought On Shower Faucet Loose from Wall:
Generally, you should check for wobbly caulk, excessive water pressure, and corrosion when dealing with a shower faucet that’s loose from the bathroom wall.
The chances are that one of those three reasons is the problem, which means you can fix it using the ideas shared above. But if you can’t, consider talking to an expert plumber near you.
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