Bath tub hot water dripping

My hot water in the bath tub will not turn off. It is constantly dripping (will fill up a small cup in about a minute). I took the screw out and tried to take the hot water handle off to put a new washer, but the handle will not come off. It gets to a certain point and gets stuck. I have been told I need to “break the gasket,†is this true? Also, when the water to the house is off the hot water still drips, at a slower rate.

Please help!!! Thank you

Once you turn the water to the house off, you need to fully open a valve or two to relieve the pressure. Once you do that, things should stop dripping. Now, if this faucet is on the first floor and you have a second, then all of the water in the pipes upstairs is pushing down and needs to be drained as well.

If you can post a picture or supply a brand and model, then the people here can help you more. Depending on the faucet, you may or may not need to pull the handle.

The bathtub is on the top floor. There is no brand name on the faucet, but I'll try and get a picture for all...a little description....it is a three handle faucet...hot, cold, and shower on/off.

A simple handle puller is available for about $10 at any hardware store. You can try spraying some white vinegar into the hole where the screw is , to try to loosen things up.


While you are shopping for tools, you will probably need a set of shower stem sockets and a seat wrench. These are also inexpensive, and available at the local hardware store.


Once we see a picture, we can probably tell you what parts you will need. If the brass is OK, you can just replace a flat washer, on most models, but will likely also need seats.

Looks like may be Sterling. If you remove a stem ( you can remove the center diverter without removing the water) you could look at this catalog: there are about 10 pages of Sterling beginning at page 94>>http://www.alfanoplumbingparts.com/pdf/StemCatalog_M-Z.pdf

In any event, the handle will come off as described, and the washer and seat will be available..