pasadena_commut
Well-Known Member
We had two problems with the strange faucet on our laundry sink. The first was a slow drip at the nut on the right (cold) side. The second was a jet of water coming out between the nut and the smooth pipe that connects it to the cold valve.
Changed the washers (17/32 OD "O" Danco 88570) held on by the screw at the tip of the stem in each valve. The one on the hot side had its screw quite loose and the old washer was nearly completely off the stem when it was removed. That fixed the drip.
The pictures show the faucet partially disassembled, with the nuts holding the center T unscrewed fully off the threads and pulled slightly outward onto the tubes connecting to the valves. I had thought that maybe these were the sort of union that had a washer squeezed between the two flanges, but that wasn't the case. The tubes from the valves to the T's go inside the T - even with the nuts backed off the T cannot be removed. Makes me wonder how they put it on. Best guess, the lateral tubes were pushed further into the T, then extended to the valves and screwed on there. But the metal on those tubes is quite thin, I'm not sure that they are threaded. Anyway, with the first theory disproved I figured the only other option was to pack the nut, which is cup shaped like the retaining nut on a faucet, with stem sealer. There didn't seem to be anything fibrous in there (very hard to see in), it almost looked like they had been packed with plumber's putty. Put in one wrap plus a tiny bit more of teflon stem sealing cord on the right side only and tightened it back up. No more water jet, either side. However, no matter how much the nuts were tightened the T was still free to rotate a little.
So, anybody recognize this strange faucet? Or the valves on the sides? They would have been installed in 1957, probably. Possibly American Standard, as that is what they used for the tub/shower valves in the bathroom.
Changed the washers (17/32 OD "O" Danco 88570) held on by the screw at the tip of the stem in each valve. The one on the hot side had its screw quite loose and the old washer was nearly completely off the stem when it was removed. That fixed the drip.
The pictures show the faucet partially disassembled, with the nuts holding the center T unscrewed fully off the threads and pulled slightly outward onto the tubes connecting to the valves. I had thought that maybe these were the sort of union that had a washer squeezed between the two flanges, but that wasn't the case. The tubes from the valves to the T's go inside the T - even with the nuts backed off the T cannot be removed. Makes me wonder how they put it on. Best guess, the lateral tubes were pushed further into the T, then extended to the valves and screwed on there. But the metal on those tubes is quite thin, I'm not sure that they are threaded. Anyway, with the first theory disproved I figured the only other option was to pack the nut, which is cup shaped like the retaining nut on a faucet, with stem sealer. There didn't seem to be anything fibrous in there (very hard to see in), it almost looked like they had been packed with plumber's putty. Put in one wrap plus a tiny bit more of teflon stem sealing cord on the right side only and tightened it back up. No more water jet, either side. However, no matter how much the nuts were tightened the T was still free to rotate a little.
So, anybody recognize this strange faucet? Or the valves on the sides? They would have been installed in 1957, probably. Possibly American Standard, as that is what they used for the tub/shower valves in the bathroom.
