Fixing That Leaking Tub Faucet

The other day I had a leaky faucet on the tub in the master bath. My wife would complain everyday that it dripped on her as she was filling the bath. Please keep in mind that in a former life, long before I started photographing products for a living, I worked as a handyman in an apartment complex. Confident in the knowledge that I had learned many years before, I decided to teach my wife how to fix a faucet with only about 6 bucks. No plumber and no new faucet.

In the beginning, I warned her that if you try to take the faucet apart with the water on, you will have troubles.

So step one, turn the water off!!!!
Step Two: remove the cap in the center of the pretty plastic knob.
Step Three: Use a Phillips screw driver to remove the screw that holds on the knob.
Step Four: Remove the Knob
Now what do you do, there is a funny looking crown nut and a great big, in my case, shinny chrome ring.
Step Five: Run to the hardware store and get a Delta repair kit.(a couple rubber washers, some springs and a funky wrench)
Step Six: Use the funky wrench to loosen the crown nut
Step Seven: THIS IS THE TRICK. Use a hammer to back up the opposite side of the shinny nut and then lightly whack the nut with a rubber mallet. This is difficult the first time you do it. In my case, I hold the stationary hammer in my left hand and the RUBBER Mallet in the right. you want to hit the side of the nut/ring with the mallet. This helps to loosen the nut/ring.
Step Eight: Use your hands to remove the nut.
Step Nine: Pull the ball out
Step Ten: Grunt because the old rubber washers and springs just went down the drain.
Step Eleven: Put the new parts back in the faucet:
Step Twelve: Re-assemble

Hope it works for you. If you try a set of slip joints or a pipe wrench, you will only make a mess.