A plumber on TikTok has revealed a tip that could help you fix a leaking shower spout on your own.
David Coleman (@mechanicallyincleyend), a plumber with more than 2.6 million followers on the platform, joked that he has a plumbing tip "the government doesn't want you to know".
Since its publishing, the viral video has amassed more than 1.4 million views and more than 37,000 likes.
Here's what Coleman recommended.
'Super Easy to Fix'
Coleman explained that it isn't normal if your tub spout leaks water down the drain while you're showering.
"The problem is super easy to fix," he noted, before showing the underside of the spout in the shower he was working on.
"Underneath here, there's actually a screw that's shaped like a stop sign that you need special stop-sign wrenches in order to remove," he said.
Coleman said that once the screw is loosened, the tub spout will come "right off" if the pipe is secured properly behind the wall, but it might come flying out through the tile.
"Ask me how I know that," he quipped.
Filling the Hole
Once the spout is off, it's essential to clean the pipe as well as possible to make sure that the new spout will have a great seal. Coleman added that to be extra safe, you can fill the hole with silicone.
"You can also lubricate the pipe before sticking it on there," he noted.
Coleman then added another important step—after putting the spout back on the wall, make sure to use the stop-sign wrenches to tighten it well.
"If it's not tight enough, it'll shoot off and hit your customer in the shin," Coleman said.
"Now, this drain was also very hard to open and close. It's called a bell stopper because it looks like a little bell. We're just going to lubricate it. [...]
"When it's all set and done, you shouldn't have any water dripping from the tub spout while you're showering."
Users React
Commenters were amused by Coleman's terminology, with one writing, "Stop sign [wrenches]? Don't disrespect [Allen] like that," referring to the correct name for the wrenches.
"Stop sign wrenches?? Wow, this guy is way more professional than I am. He's even got fancy names for his tools," another user quipped.
However, one commenter was confused by the process: "So you took it off and put it back on and it was magically fixed?!?!" to which Coleman replied, "I replaced the whole thing."
English (US) ·