Danco 3-Handle Trim Kit for Gerber, Knob Handle, Chrome (39617)

My shower faucets and head had been leaking continuously and I decided to fix it myself. I'm pretty handy and a good bike wrench so I watched a some YouTube videos and after buying some stem socket "cowbells" I was finally able to extract my badly stuck sleeves and faucet stems with vice locks, a bit of vinegar, penetrating oil, patience, and elbow grease. And I didn't break anything! I saw that one of the faucet stems was badly bent (one of the prior tenants had probably stood on it to change a light bulb more than 30 years ago). The packing was screwed up from this and it sprayed a little water from around the stem when I tapped it when the water was on at certain positions. So instead of just a pair of 5/8 x 1/8 washers I needed a new stem. My local hardware store plumbing dude was a real jerk and basically blew me off when I came in with the stem (see photo), saying "we don't have that stem," and offered no further advice. I asked him where I could get one and he told me to go to a plumbing supply place. Just what I need, I thought: more obnoxious dudes catering to the trade who will take pleasure in ripping me off as a "non-guild member". I checked the Yelp reviews for the dodgy storefront place he pointed me to and it turned out my suspicions were spot on. I did more research online and determined from the spline count and appearance the stem was a pre-war (1945) style Gerber. My building is really old (1910) and my plumbing is at least 40 years old and probably more. I googled and found his replacement kit and guessed it was probably a functional match (especially with all the positive reviews) and it looked like a great deal. The only significant difference seemed to be (1) the length of the stem extending from the threads was a little shorter in the full open position and 2) the bonnet threads themselves extend a little farther into the plumbing fixture. I figured the threads wouldn't be an issue. My worry was leak issues with possibly "overextending" the stem slightly in the full off position. Also my faucet escutcheon plates were not round, but an oblong shape that screwed into a loose plate that went around the stem sleeve and was held in place with a hex nut that encircled a water cutoff switch. Best to keep the oblong ones instead of retiling. It turned out none of these issues made any difference in functionality for the new faucet stems after installation. The sleeves fit the oblong escutcheon plate perfectly. The packing nuts were shipped loose and needed to be tightened down (but not crazy tight) to prevent leakage from around the stem, but then everything worked fine with no leaks. The handles are very easy to turn. Both washers make a slight short squeak at full off position but I actually kind of like the sound and feel (it reminds me of my grandmother's kitchen sink). I didn't bother replacing any seats because mine were smooth to the touch and don't eat up washers. The old seats (or maybe the new washers) might be causing the squeak. But It's nice to have backups. I didn't install the shower diverter stem (the original was stuck much worse than the faucet stems--which were themselves a real bear to loosen) and I was afraid I could break loose some of the old (probably cheap) plumbing behind the wall. The original shower diverter still works great. If it ain't broke… I'm just going to swap in the shiny new knob. And again, it’s always nice to have a backup. I'm very pleased with this fix/refurbish and highly recommend it. Fixing an annoying shower leak is very satisfying, but so is bypassing jerk plumbing dudes, saving hundreds of dollars, and adding useful tools to your collection.

Replacement worked great for the shower unit.

The kit worked great and went on easy. Unfortunately, it came with a broken screw cover for the hot handle. (the little plastic cover with an "H" on it) I would have returned it, but we needed the shower fixed to use it, so I suppose its good enough.

This house was built in 1966. This was a perfect match. So Happy 😊

I’m very happy with this 3-handle tub faucet! My old one had started leaking, so I replaced it with this one, and it completely stopped the leak. It looks beautiful, works great, and was exactly what I needed. I definitely recommend it!

Installation was very easy, it did not take much time as I had all the parts I needed within the kit other than faucet seat wrench. I do question the durability and stability of the product as the dripping from the faucet stopped for about a month then the diverter stopped working and the tub faucet started dripping again as if the parts move on their own or become stripped easily.

Works as stated

I purchased this trim kit to replace an original Gerber kit because that is what the kit was supposed to do. As it turns out, after paying a plumber to replace it, one of the stem valves was defective, and further, one of the seats was already cracked upon opening the package. There were also brass metal shavings in the package and on the parts enforcing the poor quality craftsmanship that apparently when into the production of these parts. Also, because the package came in sealed plastic, once I opened it, the packaging was destroyed and wasn't in any condition to return it in. So as a result, I had to purchase a new kit (from another manufacturer) to complete the job! So between the cost of the kit and shipping, $50 went down the drain (no pun intended), not to mention the labor cost for my plumber. Never again. Do not buy this product!

Worked perfectly to fit an old 1960's tub set! Will be ordering a second one for the other tub in case.