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Author:
doru (NY)
I have a very old Gerber 3 Stem bath faucet and I tried replacing the brass valve seat using a seat wrench. This didn't work too well since the valve seat is stuck. I resurfaced the seat and put a new 1/4L flat washer, but this only lasted for 2 months before the hot water started leaking again. Can you suggest another way of removing the valve seat and using which tools? Thanks.
Doru
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Author:
redwood (CT)
It depends on which type tool is required for that seat. You have to look inside the seat to see which is required. Sometimes due to water conditions the seat cannot be removed or the threads strip out. In this case the seats can usually be removed using a pipe cutter.
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Author:
e-plumber (NY)
Bring the seat to a Plumbing supply house and buy the exact wrench, I believe the tampered square one will work. Once you insert the wrench, a slight tap to bite the seat and then steady pressure turning the wrench CCW, it'll come out.
OR if you think that you chewed it up already, hire a Plumber to do it because it can to the point of no return fast if the body gets damaged.
[www.idealtruevalue.com]
e-plumber
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"The society which scorns excellence in Plumbing as a humble activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an
exalted activity will have neither good Plumbing nor good philosophy: neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water." -
John William Gardner 10/8/1912 - 2/16/2002
Repair your leaking Plumbing fixtures ASAP [www.theplumber.com]
This slow drip will waste 7+ gallons of water per day.
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Author:
hj (AZ)
If you have damaged the seat's broach, then removing it is a trial and error proposition, using any tools you can get to fit it.
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Author:
hj (AZ)
In this case the seats can usually be removed using a pipe cutter.
HOW?
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Author:
hj (AZ)
He cannot get it out so he can't take it to a hardware store. And if he could get it out, he would not need a different wrench. Stepped wrenches are usually better than tapered oncs because they usually fit the broach better and grab more of the metal. Using the correct wrench, I have never stripped a seat or been unable to remove one.
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Author:
e-plumber (NY)
I took for granted that he had the replacement parts in hand when he started the faucet rebuild. Gerber three valves are so popular here that a local hardware store or any Plumbing supply house would know exactly what he needs once he mentioned the words, "Gerber three valve".
e-plumber
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The society which scorns excellence in Plumbing as a humble activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an
exalted activity will have neither good Plumbing nor good philosophy: neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water." -
John William Gardner 10/8/1912 - 2/16/2002
Repair your leaking Plumbing fixtures ASAP [www.theplumber.com]
This slow drip will waste 7+ gallons of water per day.
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Author:
redwood (CT)
HJ, RE. pipe cutter for removing seats with stripped threads... 4 Cuts they're out everytime. (hot supply, cold supply, shower riser, & spout)
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Since 1995 (3 years before Google started) PlumbingSupply.com has been THE best plumbing supplier on the web. Please visit our sponsor [www.PlumbingSupply.com]
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Author:
hj (AZ)
Ah so, favorite son. In that case, maybe two cuts if the valve has union inlets.
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Author:
doru (NY)
Thanks for the advice. I will try to cut the seat using a pipe cutter, but will have to find a small one to fit inside the pipe. Do you have a picture of one? When I tried removing the seat using the seat wrench, I chewed it up a bit and the wrench can't grab onto the seat to unscrew it. think that cutting it might be the only option. The picture posted looks exactly like the valve seat I bought to replace the stuck one.
Edited 1 times.
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Author:
hj (AZ)
It was a facetious remark meaning that you would have to cut the valve out and install a new one. A plumber might have a tool to remove it.
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Author:
doru (NY)
Can anyone suggest an alternate tool that would remove a valve seat? Thanks.
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Author:
e-plumber (NY)
Usually the right seat wrench will do it, sometimes you need to resort to tapping a tapered square one a bit harder than usual so it digs into the seat and grabs it so it can be taken out. The absolute last resort would be to slice/cut through the seat with a thin saw blade and remove it which is probably not a DIY'r type of repair.
My suggestion, hire a Plumber unless you're prepared to possibly open the wall, rearrange the water lines and install a new up to date shower/bathtub faucet...
e-plumber
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The society which scorns excellence in Plumbing as a humble activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an
exalted activity will have neither good Plumbing nor good philosophy: neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water." -
John William Gardner 10/8/1912 - 2/16/2002
Repair your leaking Plumbing fixtures ASAP [www.theplumber.com]
This slow drip will waste 7+ gallons of water per day.
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Author:
redwood (CT)
Thats what I was implying with the pipe cutter comment. Botch this job and you may be cutting the old one out and installing a new valve before you can turn the water back on.
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Since 1995 (3 years before Google started) PlumbingSupply.com has been THE best plumbing supplier on the web. Please visit our sponsor [www.PlumbingSupply.com]
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Author:
CDS_123 (CA)
If you have tried to use a seat removal tool and stripped out the valve seat, it is possible to extract the stripped-out seat using a 'screw extractor' tool, which are available at most auto parts stores. The screw extractors come in different sizes, to fit different sized screws. If you've stripped the head of a screw or bolt, you drill a hole in that bolt and tap in a screw extractor, which has tapered shape and reverse direction aggressive threading. As you turn the extractor it gets tighter and tighter, until the treads move.
I was able to buy a #5 size screw extractor for about $6 at the auto store (for a smaller faucet seat). Lowered it into the stuck valve seat, gave it a LIGHT tap to start, and used a socket set to turn it. Worked like a charm!
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Author:
Harry G (LA)
Best answer yet ! I just tried this method and it works like a champ ! Thanks for the tip. You saved me the cost of hiring a plumber.
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Author:
Galaxy1 (DC)
I have a large metal file. The squared end is just the right shape to lodge itself into the seat. I actually broke a file one time because it was so seized. But my file didn’t slip.
Lol.
Glad for the idea of the screw extractor. I think I may have an extractor set within arms reach.
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