Plumbing question here!!?

My shower faucet has the hot and cold water mixed up, then it would only turn on with scalding hot water, but would readjust itself if you played with it. Well my husband broke the faucet knob off now. If we replace the faucet will it fix the hot and cold water problem we are having and also on a scale of 1-10 how hard is it to replace a shower faucet. I know nothing about plumbing and my husband will not do it, so I guess its me to the rescue....only..... I know nothing, but am willing to learn. So I realize I have asked about 5 questions in one but any help would be greatly appreciated!!!!

Public Comments

1. Have replaced several, some were fairly easy and some were not. In order to get to the plumbing, you will need access inside the wall from one side or the other of shower. This usually means tearing out the tile and drywall or cement board in the shower. Also, most of the time, need to solder some pipes to get new faucet to fit. It can be a nightmare for a beginner. It may be possible to get a replacement cylinder for the inside of your existing faucet and is a much easier fix, do not have to dismantle the wall.
2. If we replace the faucet will it fix the hot and cold water problem we are having? Only if you hook up the new valve properly. ... and also on a scale of 1-10 how hard is it to replace a shower faucet? Depends; on the type of pipe used for supply, surface of interior of shower, and whether old and new valve assemblies will fit through the access hole. 6-9. Hire a licensed plumber, in my opinion.
3. First find the brand name of youe faucet it will be on the crome plate the handle fits over, go to the web sits of the maufactuer, it sounds as thr catrige is in back words , also you will see a piece that controls the high and lowe temp settings Go to the web .you do not have to go to the back side of your presure balance valve, you can change these parts from the front side, why these other answers are making this sound like brain surgery is beond me done this job several times it,s a cake walk.
4. In stead of replacing the whole faucet I would try to repair the existing faucet.Just turn off the water and remove all the parts. Carry them to a plumbing supply they will know what you need and offer advice on what to do, which might even be replace it
5. I agree with the first answer -it sounds mixed up - first off- before messing with the water- you need to shut either the main valve for the house off or if it has valves somewhere to it. See if replacement innards for it can be purchased - if its older, more then likely itll need total replacement. What most people do that have to replace the mixer valve is acess it from the opposite side of the wall, as not to disturb the tile. The hardest parts are going to be removing the old mixer valve and installing the new one- if youre not familiar with soldering and using a torch, i would highly reccomend have a liscenced plumber replace/fix it for you - if it isnt sealed correctly- it will leak everywhere. on a scale of 1-10 , one being easy, id give it at least a 9 - mainly because youd be working with fire inside a wall cavity.
6. Replacing the faucet should fix your hot & cold problem. Replacing the faucet is not an easy thing to do. On your scale and from you saying you know nothing, I'll make this an 8. However, there is an alternative to replacing the faucet; fix the faucet. Go to your local hardware store, and get a repair kit for your faucet, pick up a replacement handle while your there. The kit has instructions, but it's pretty straight forward. Turn your water off, open the faucet in your shower and the faucet in your kitchen (this lets the pressure off the system and allows the water to drain. Take the handle off, there's usually an allen head screw holding the handle on. Unscrew the faucet head, use a pair of channel locks for this. and remover the insides. Then pretty much replace every oring and spring you can, put the valve back together, put your new handle on. Turn the water on, check for leaks, then test your valve (faucet). To replace the faucet means coming through the back side of the shower. There is usually a hole in this wall for access to the drain of the shower. This access hole is not, however, big enough for easy access to the faucet. Therefore, to replace the faucet you will have to make a hole. And as we all know if you make a hole, you have to fix a hole. This means sheetrock work and painting. Try the repair kit first, it will be cheaper and easier. The guys and the hardware store should be able to give you some pointers on how to install the kit.
7. First thing you need to do is find the access plate so you can see what you are getting yourself into. If the faucet is soldered to the pipes, you will need a torch to remove it and put the new one on. That could very well turn into a major house fire which would be bad. If it is screwed on it might be a little easier. It is still a pain to do because of the limited space to work. First shut off the water to the fixture and open it to drain any water in the line. Then unscrew the shower head pipe. You will probably need a small pipe wrench. If you don't want to scratch it up use a wash cloth under the wrench. Then unscrew the shower pipe from the fixture. Then unscrew the fixture from the pipes. Put the new fixture back in reverse order but make sure you use plumbing joint compound so they won't leak. Either way, good luck!
8. I admire your courage, but if you don't know anything about faucets, I would suggest you save yourself several days of grief and hire a plumber to do the job. Be sure to tell him about the mixed hot and cold.
9. If it is a single handle Moen faucet then you are in luck because you do not even have to turn off the water to reverse the hot and cold. Simply take off the handle and there is a brass head where the handle seats, turn that brass head 180 degrees and it is done. Put the handle back on and your in business.