shower faucet still leaks after changing bibb washer and valve seat

[cleaner]

Situation

1. have from time to time had the bibb washer and sometimes valve seat
changed on hot side due to slow drip from hot side of a standup shower (not witha tub) with separate
hot and cold sides -- and the leak had stopped. (has always been hot side)


2. cold side was changed about 6 years ago but so far it was the hot side.

3. when the stem was taken out, the hot side bibb washer (washer at the end of the stem) was either badly worn or
had disintegrated, which I realize does happen.

4. however, with recent leak, yesterday when they took out the stems on both
hot and cold side, the bibb washer was not badly damaged, though I realize it
does not have to be for leak to happen - am just pointing out difference from in the past.


5. they changed the valve seat and wrapped plumbers tape around the valve seat threads
that screw into valve body - I realize not all approve of this, but noticed that the
valve seat from the cold side still had some of that tape on it from 6 years before.

(it was the same person who did the work 6 years before as did the work yesterday,
but they have not done it in between, that was someone else who I know and trust)


6. long story short, the leak has not stopped and in fact has become worse since they
did this work. I have tried tightening the handles a lot, and then backing off some
but does not help.


7. The person who did it is not a licensed plumber but does do this work all the time
and seemed to know what they were doing. I am guessing that 6 years ago they solved the problem then but can't remember.

8. When I pointed out to them that the leak had not stopped, they became agitated and angry,
and said they thought there was a crack or problem in the valve body itself,
which I realize would mean that wall would need to be opened up and all sorts
of major work and the shower is a self enclosed one piece one.


9. the original leak was not a lot and varied based on just how we tightened and retightened
the faucet handles after each shower, and I probably should have let it be.



===> Questions

1. is this scenario possible, that this time, its not the bibb washer or valve seat
but problem with the valve body or something else ?

( I do recall long ago getting an estimate from someone else on a similar leak and they
said without looking at anything that it was valve body and big
job, but back then it turned out just to be needing to change bibb washer and valve seat.)


2. should I get someone to at least take out the stems and examine
placement of the washers and to take out valve seat and see if their
work was ok and then put back in just to see if the work yesterday
was not done correctly ?

3. for standup showers, is there a concept of grinding the valve seat area, or is that
just for sink type faucets ? I have not seen this referenced in postings or articles
about repairing shower faucet stems.


Sorry for a long post, am not able to do the work myself but on low income/unemployed
so this whole thing is stressful, especially with them getting so angry and upset,
besides the leak getting worse (I would have settled for it just being the same amount
of leak as before had I known about this outcome)

Thanks for your advice.

[jimbo]

1) Yes
2) Yes
3) I have not heard of grinding the seat area of the body. If there was a crack, I don't see how this would help. The crack should be visible under a nice bright LED torch, and the area cleaned well.
I have seen folks recommend reinstalling the seats with JB Weld, or silicone. I have never done that, as it would be a "permanent" and possibly "fatal" procedure. If the body is really cracked, you will just have to bite the bullet. But that is rare. I would definitely take it all apart ( both hot and cold) clean everything well, and use new washers and seats "just because". I do use a very narrow wrap ( 1 turn) of teflon tape. Not all agree with that. Be very careful the teflon is not wrapped over the top of the seat.

[Terry]

I would remove the seat, get rid of all the tape, and then re-install with pipe dope (sealant)
Sometimes a strand of tape with get under the washer and prevent the rubber seal from sitting down on the brass seat.
This will cost you nothing. Well, maybe the cost of some thread sealant.

I do use a very narrow wrap ( 1 turn) of teflon tape. Not all agree with that. Be very careful the teflon is not wrapped over the top of the seat.

Yeah Jimbo. Plumbers do it this way. Not handyman or homeowners.

A plumber will be very careful like Jimbo is. I've used tape when I couldn't find my dope. Tape works if it's neat.

[hj]

1. I NEVER use tape OR dope on a faucet seat.
2. IF it was the correct seat and stem, and they were properly installed, it would not still be leaking
3. IF the stem was NOT completely open, it is possible to damage the valve body when it is tightened in place. IF this happens, a new faucet is the only cure.
4. WE do NOT know why it is still leaking, therefore, anything we say is just guessing, until we can actually see and test the faucet.

[cleaner]

Thanks to all for the replies.

here are some followup comments or questions to some of your comments:

1. Terry and Jimbo, I will ask next plumber to take out and reinstall the washer and seat, without tape.
(I had new washers and seats for the plumber to use that were sent to me from Pfister, since that
is the stem that has been in both sides for a long time)

2. If that does not work, will ask them to put back the washers and seats that were taken out
(washers were not all gouged out as is usually the case in the past)
in the perhaps desperate hope that it would bring the drip back to what it was before, not much,
vs what it is now, a lot)

though I realize that if he did damage the body, as hj mentions might happen if stem not completely open,
then putting those back is not gonna help at all ?


3. hj, as to correct stem and seat - the stem is a price pfister and I showed him the
washers and seats sent to me from pfister, and he said they were the proper ones for this stem
(and am hoping and assuming the seat was proper one for the body)

In the past, a bibb washer from a new pf stem was used since the person doing it then, who
worked in industrial plumbing for the day job and a friend, did not have washers themselves
and depot did not have the right size -- and this washer worked ok to stop the leak at that time.


4 . I thought that when house water is turned back on, that some other faucets in house should be opened,
to relieve the pressure, and have always been asked by plumbers to open those faucets before
the main water was turned back on. And in past, doing that had never affected the work
they did in changing the washers/seats in this shower, or other work that was done.

But the person the other day insisted and demanded that no faucets at all be opened
before the water was turned back on, and got angry that I mentioned that in the past
all other plumbers had said some other faucets should be open before turning water back on.

I left some open in any case when water was turned back on, since was so confused by
this request and afraid some damage might occur somewhere if I did not.

===> Is it ok or even needed to not open any faucets at all in the house
before turning the house water back on ?


Thanks again to you all.

[hj]

Faucets opened or closed when the water is turned back on is completely irrelevent and makes not difference one way or the other. Saying Home Depot did not have the correct washers is also ludicrous because EVERYONE has the washers that will work. However, if I were fixing the faucet, I would NOT have replaced the washers, but would have converted it to "lifetime" units, even if it required changing the chrome trim and handles.