Fixing of damaged bathroom tap

Greetings!

Last week, I discovered that the bathroom tap had suddenly stopped working. After checking it thoroughly, I noticed that the tap’s control was damaged. I suspected my brother might be responsible, but I decided to let it be since I wasn’t prepared to spend money on repairs at the moment. Replacing it would mean buying a new tap head and hiring a plumber, which would definitely cost me.

Yesterday, a client of mine, who sells plumbing items, came around. During our conversation, I mentioned needing a plumber and showed her the tap I wanted to replace.

“You can change it yourself. All you need is to buy a new tap head, a plumber tape, and possibly borrow a wrench to fix it,” she encouraged me.

After that, I went back to check the tap again and realized that it might actually be something I could fix myself. However, I was a bit nervous about trying it, worried that I might damage the piping further, making it even worse if I eventually had to call a plumber. Still, I decided to give it a shot. So, I went to her shop, bought a new tap head and a tape, and borrowed a plumbing wrench.

The Process:

The old tap was fixed tightly into the cemented wall. I had trouble using the wrench to pull it out and was very cautious because I didn’t want it to break and get stuck inside, or worse, damage the main piping embedded in the wall. This took me about 10 minutes, as I used the wrench to gradually turn it counterclockwise to loosen it.

When it finally came out, I felt relieved. I then used the tape to smooth the threads of the new tap head, to ensure it would fit well and prevent water leakage once installed. I decided to save some of the tape for future use, just in case.

After filing the threads, I tried connecting the new tap head to the pipe inside the wall, but found that the entrance was partially blocked by plastered cement. I used the tip of a hammer to carefully chip away some of the cement, making room for the new tap to fit properly. Once it was clear, I placed the tap head and it aligned perfectly. I rotated it clockwise, and it slid into place.
When it got too tight to turn by hand, I used the wrench to finish tightening it, and this time, it went in smoothly, unlike when I was removing the old one.

When I finished, I felt a huge sense of accomplishment. You can’t blame me—after all, I’d just done a plumber’s job, a job that would have cost me a good amount if I had hired someone else. I’m grateful the woman suggested I do it myself and even lent me the wrench. She saved me quite a bit of money.