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When you’re trying to save a little cash and keep on a budget each month, you find ways to maintain your home in frugal ways. For example, I had never replaced a tub spout before, but by golly, I was going to try it- and it turned out to be so easy! Everyone should be doing this themselves.
We went quite a few months with our tub spout’s diverter stuck in the shower position. We tried using CLR a few times to fix it unsuccessfully, so I gave in. It was time to do a complete replacement.
If I’d realized how cheap and easy this DIY project would be, I would’ve done it sooner!
This was a $12 project- the cost of our new tub spout. Save on plumber costs and do this simple DIY project yourself.
Supplies
- Plumber’s putty (We already had this; if you don’t, you can get it at a hardware store for a couple bucks.)
- New tub spout – $12
- Allen wrench – included in kit with new tub spout
Instructional video
If you’d like a quick visual rundown of the steps that I took to replace our tub spout and want to see how easy it is to put on, watch my short video. Otherwise, read on below for the steps with pictures.
Steps
1. Use the allen wrench to unscrew the tub spout from the wall. Once it is loose enough, you should be able to twist off the tub spout.
2. Check out the plumber’s putty. If it’s crumbling apart, remove it and replace with new. The putty will prevent water from leaking into the wall so make sure you don’t leave any gaps around the pipe.
3. Let the plumber’s putty sit overnight to harden.
4. Determine if you have a slip fit copper pipe or a threaded pipe. Confirm that you’ve bought the right type of tub spout for your replacement. Ours is a slip fit- the copper pipe is smooth:
5. Slide the replacement tub spout onto the copper pipe until it is flush with the wall and tighten the screw with the allen wrench.
That’s it- you’re done! You now have a new tub spout installed by none other than you!
If you’re like me and bought the cheapest slip fit tub spout that you could find, then this project was super budget-friendly too! Good on you.
That was in true frugal thumb form.
