Discount faucet repair parts for the serious plumbing
do--it-yourselfer!

All faucet brand names are trademarks of the individual manufacturers.

By using 4 different handle options on the same valve body, Price Pfister was able to offer a variety of different looks with great economy. These valves are so common, the odds are pretty good that you’ve used or owned one at some time.

NOTE:  Repair procedures for any valve that uses any of the handles pictured at left are IDENTICAL since they all use the same valve body. Repair procedures for other Price Pfister valves are also basically the same as those shown here.

TURN OFF THE WATER!
Yeah, I know, it sounds like a no-brainer, but it’s easy to forget when you are all hot to trot about tackling a repair..
   Shower valves usually don’t have supply shut-offs, which means you will probably have to locate the shut-off for the whole house.

Remove the handle screw.
 If the screw won’t budge, spray it with penetrating oil and let it soak for several hours and try again later. Patience and penetrating oil can save a lot of needless damage, not to mention high blood pressure and blue language..

Remove the index button
by prying it off with a small pick or knife blade to expose the handle screw underneath.

Remove the Handle.
If the handle won’t pull off easily, it might be corroded in place and require the use of a handle puller.
   A handle puller works exactly like a mechanic’s steering wheel puller to apply superior leverage. The arms of the puller hook under the handle, the shaft of the puller is inserted into the screw hole. Tightening the crank pushes on the stem through the screw hole and levers the handle off.

(This picture was not staged , this handle was STUCK! A few cranks on the puller however made short work of it.)

Remove the Escutcheon 
If there is caulking around the escutcheon, cut through it with a utility knife before attempting to unscrew the escutcheon.
Since the escutcheons are screwed onto a corrosion-resistant delrin plastic nipple, they can usually be unscrewed by hand. Don’t be alarmed if the nipple comes out with the escutcheon, this happens about half of the time and is no cause for concern. Badly corroded escutcheons may require the use of a strap wrench...and honestly, new escutcheons are only 3 bucks, so if you want to attack ‘em with channel locks, I’ll be more than happy to sell you shiny new ones.
  Occasionally the entire stem will come out with the escutcheon. This is not a bad thing, you’ll just have to take the whole mess apart on your workbench before effecting repairs.

Inspect the Valve Seat.
Deep in the valve body is the valve seat. Shine a flashlight into the valve body to look for cracks, corrosion, or pits. Stick your finger into the valve body and run it around the surface of the seat. If you feel any roughness or irregularities, the valve seat will have to be removed and either replaced or resurfaced.
  Removing a valve seat requires the use of a special seat wrench. You might be tempted to get all “cowboy plumber” and try to remove the seats with a fat screwdriver....and to that all I can say is “good luck!!”  For 6 bucks you can save yourself a lot of hassle!
   Once removed, the seat can be replaced with a new one or rubbed on a fine file until it is smooth again and reinstalled.
   Another alternative is to use a valve seat resurfacing tool, but since Price Pfister valve seats are so easy to remove and replace, it is better to do so if possible.

Remove the Stem
.  In many cases, the hexagon-shaped part of the stem will be recessed into the wall requiring the use of a deep socket.
   NOTE: the stem is removed by turning the rough-looking sand-casted red brass valve body, NOT by cranking on the yellow brass packing nut that is screwed into it. Many amateur plumbers  will attack the packing nut only to discover they were cranking on the wrong thing.
   In this case, the stem protruded enough a crescent wrench or pliers could have been used to grip and unscrew the stem.
   BUT I do not recommend using a wrench to remove this kind of stem if it can be avoided.  The red brass valve body of these stems is very soft. It is VERY easy to deform the whole thing with a pair of channel lock pliers or an overly vigorous application of crescent wrench. To be safe, we used the proper socket wrench.

Price Pfister shower stems are relatively inexpensive and easy to replace, but they can also be refurbished fairly easily.

If the delrin handle nipple is still in the valve, remove it by unscrewing it from the packing nut.

Remove the packing nut from the valve body

Remove the stem from the brass body.
  Screw the stem as if you were turning the water “off” until it comes completely out of the valve body.  Years of corrosion will probably give you some trouble in getting the stem all the way out, but with a little twisting and turning, it will come out.

Remove the screw holding the washer.
   The brass screws tend to get brittle over time and have a tendency to strip or break off. If this happens, cut the washer out of cup in which it sits with a utility knife and grab the exposed sides of the screw with pliers to remove the broken stub. 
   Replace the washer with a new one.

Reinstall the stem.
  IMPORTANT! : Be sure to have the valve in the “open” position when reinstalling. If this is not done, the new washer will hit the seat before the new stem is fully screwed into the valve body. This can not only ruin the new washer, it can make one think the stem is all the way seated into the valve body when it really isn’t.
   Reassemble the trim pieces and check for leaks. If water drips from around the handle stem, tighten the packing nut a little more until the drip stops
   For a truly professional job, apply caulking to the top half of the trim escutcheons to prevent water from getting behind the shower wall.

Turn on the water and enjoy a hot shower!

Remove the old packing washer.
  Use a knife or pick to dig out the old packing. Insert a new packing washer and reassemble the stem. Tighten the packing nut until it you can no longer twist the stem by hand. The rebuilt stem might feel a bit “stiff” at first use, but it will break in after a couple of days of use.