3-Piece Shower Faucet Removal

Turn off the water supply to your home, if your shower doesn't have readily accessible individual valves. Open the hot and cold knobs of the shower to release any water trapped in the supply lines.

Lay several layers of towels in the bottom of the bathtub or shower stall to catch any water trapped in the lines as you remove the fixtures.

Fit the tip of a flat-head screwdriver between the body of one shower knob and the center cap covering the screw. Pry off the center cap. Repeat for the other knob.

Take out the screw from each knob and remove the knobs. Peel away any caulk or plumber’s putty from the area beneath each knob.

Scrape off the putty holding the faucet stem in place and pry it off using the screwdriver. Peel off the caulking around the metal disc beneath the stem and pry off the disc.

Locate the stem nut, which should now be revealed, and unscrew it with an adjustable wrench until you can pull it off by hand. If you see only a hole and not the nut once the stem is removed, it's behind the wall. Slip a shower-stem socket wrench into the hole, grasp the nut and remove it.

Install your new shower faucet set, turn the water supply back on and clean up the area.