Fixing a cold water leak from bathtub spout

**RUNEMASTER** · 03-13-2006, 03:27 PM

I took off the cold water knob and the chrom stem to expose the cylinder.

After removing the cylinder and replacing the washer at its end i re-assembled everything and turned on the main cold water. The leak persists.

Seems I cannot stop this leak.

Any help appreciated.

**jimbo** · 03-13-2006, 07:22 PM

We don't know what brand or model you have, but if it is a typical old stem with a flat rubber washer which you replaced, then you also usually need to replace a metal piece inside called the seat. It is the piece the rubber seals against. The seat unscrews. You need a special tool called a seat wrench; and you will need to take the old one with you to the store for a proper replacement.

**RUNEMASTER** · 03-13-2006, 07:59 PM

No kidding? Wow! Very nice tip. Yes I think it is what you say. I hope the seat will come out with the tool you mentioned, but i cannot see that deep since it is behind the plane of the tiled wall.

Do i need to see the seat to remove it or can I just use the tool by feel?

O I have a seat wrench. Hope It is just a matter of sticking the seat wrench in there and turning. Does the seat just kind of fall out when unscrewed?

.By the way I am a portrait artist always for hire.

Thanks alot .There is hope.

**jadnashua** · 03-13-2006, 08:15 PM

A seat wrench is sort of a weird Allen screw. Instead of being parallel sides, it is tapered. With the stem out, you should be able to see it with a flashlight.

**plumber1** · 03-13-2006, 09:20 PM

The inside of the seat will take a square, tapered wrench that you set with a slight tapping action or it will take an Allen wrench.

**RUNEMASTER** · 03-14-2006, 10:08 AM

tried to remove the seat, but it was rusted and now I made it worse ( ate it away with seat wrench). What now?

**plumber1** · 03-14-2006, 12:50 PM

Never heard of a thing like that........
Wrong seat wrench...
Seat should be made of brass and the wrench should be hardened steel.
If that's what you have, and you used an Allen and it wore off the inside of the seat, get a square, tapered wrench and set it by tapping into the seat.

hj · 03-15-2006, 05:06 AM

Seats don't rust, but they have either a square or hexagonal opening in them. If you use the correct wrench it seldom slips. If you use the wrong one it will always slip, and when that happens you could damage the interior broach and make removal difficult. At this stage, your safest course is to call a plumber, because if you do too much damage, you will have to open the wall and replace the entire valve.