Things I wish I knew before buying a house.

The first time buyers journey through home repairs.

Shower Cartridge Replacement

When do you know it's time to replace a plumbing cartridge in the home? You'll know when your shower is dripping all the time and your water bill starts to grow. That's the time to get a shower cartridge replacement. I knew something was wrong when I stepped into my shower and there was already water there covering my feet.

I also found out that I had a problem with the kitchen sink. It was also leaking and someone told me I'd need a new sink cartridge replacement. Oh well, guess it's time again to try to do the job myself and save some bucks. To be honest, I don't know much about a plumbing cartridge at all. However, I learned that the modern faucets are just as easy as the older ones to repair. This really doesn't help much since I've never worked on older ones either.

I wanted to first work on the shower cartridge replacement. Since I've become tired of swimming in my shower this was my first priority. First I had to purchase the correct cartridge. They aren't very big; about the size of a roll of quarters. The man at the hardware store told me it should only take me a half an hour to do. Okay, that's easy for him to say. I gave myself two hours. He also told me that if I have a pull-out knob to start the water, the cartridge would cost less. A posi-temp cartridge, which turns from side to side would cost me more. Of course, I needed the posi-temp cartridge.

While I was at the store I decide to purchase a new sink cartridge replacement. That would be my next plumbing cartridge project. However, there are also different kinds of sink cartridges. But I would need to go through steps to remove the old cartridge first so that I purchase the right one. By now, I was thinking in the back of my head that I should call a handyman to do these jobs. He would know which cartridges to use, and get the job done fast and in a professional manner. The only problem with that is the fact that I'd have to pay for his expertise. I was torn between my ambition and the easy way out. I decided to trust myself and keep the handyman on the back burner.

Okay, now I'm ready to start. My first step was to remove the old cartridge in the shower. I tried to use a wrench but couldn't do it. I would also need to buy a cartridge remover. So I decided to start with the sink. First I had to turn off the water at the sink. Okay, that's easy. Then I'd have to remove the handle lever and then the faucet body before I'd even see the cartridge.

After thinking it over some more, I decided to use the handyman. He knew what parts I needed, how to do the job quickly and correctly, and my water has stopped dripping. My new house is back to normal. Whew.

TJ Bass is the owner of the Austin Handyman Matters Franchise. http://www.handymanmatters.com/austin

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