How to fix loose shower tap with decorative cover?

AC2

Hi, 

This seems so silly but I cant figure it out. Any help would be much appreciated.

My shower handle seems to be missing a screw so it comes off when pulled. Question: which screw is missing? I assumed it would be the one through the underside of the handle, however the decorative cover blocks the screw from getting to the valve stem. Alternatively, I thought it would be through the plastic part in the handle, however the tap could still come loose when the tap is pulled out. Anyone know? Is there a standard screw size for these taps?

Thanks again for any advice.

MitchellMc

Hi @AC2,

It’s not a silly question at all, this style of handle can definitely be confusing.

Typically, the missing fastener is a grub screw that sits in the handle itself and is accessed through the small hole on the underside of the handle. That grub screw usually threads into the handle, not into the valve or spigot coming out of the wall. When tightened, it simply pinches or clamps against the spigot to hold the handle in place.

From what’s visible, the threaded section you can see recessed inside the wall spigot is unlikely to be what the handle fixes into. The grub screw does not normally screw into that thread, it just tightens against the smooth outer portion of the spigot.

If the decorative cover is in place and the handle still slides on and off, the first thing to check is whether there is a threaded hole inside the handle itself where the grub screw should go. If there is, then the fix is usually as simple as fitting the correct grub screw, refitting the handle over the spigot, and tightening the grub screw so it bites onto the spigot. You do not need to access the recessed threaded section further along the spigot for this to work.

There isn’t a single universal grub screw size, but they are commonly small metric sizes, often M4 or M5. The easiest option is to take the handle into your closest Bunnings store and match a grub screw that threads cleanly into the handle. Once tightened, it should stop the handle pulling off.

If the grub screw hole in the handle does not have threads, then there may be an installation issue with how far the mixer or spindle is sitting in the wall. In that case, the handle may never secure properly without adjusting the mixer depth, but in most cases it’s simply a missing grub screw that tightens into the handle itself.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell