plumbing help...shower won't stop dripping

[salty87]

one of the showers in my house won't stop dripping. its a 2 knob set-up with pull-up diverter on the spout.

the knobs have those plastic cartridges behind them. i've tried replacing them but still can't get the water to completely stop dripping.

making matters worse is that i can't tell what brand i have. there are no markings anywhere or they're too crusted over to see. i tried one of the universal replacements, worked pretty well in the hallway bath but not so well in the master. these universals don't work right though, the hot or cold handle spins 360 degrees so you have to guess where to stop the handle to turn the water off. real fun at 6am.

maybe i didn't replace the previous parts correctly...no instructions with them.

can someone help and explain how the plastic cartridges work?....thanks

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: plumbing help...shower won't stop dripping

Some pics might help. Hard to tell by a description, at least for me some times. :redface::redface:

 

[arboldt]

Re: plumbing help...shower won't stop dripping

I am not a plumber, so any information is worth exactly what you've paid for it, as another member has in his signature. I have had to repair my own, so I'll try to help.

As LT said, pics would definitely help.

Anyway..

The valves work similarly. The old-fashioned kind had a rubber washer on the end of a stem. When you turn the handle, the stem backs off to open the valve.

The newer ones (almost all nowadays) have a cartridge, ball, ceramic disk, etc with a couple holes. The faucet body also has a couple holes for each hot and cold, one in and one out. When you move the handle, the cartridge will move (in or out, rotate, ?) until the holes line up and water passes through. All very simple [Al, why'd you bother to post?]

If the cartridge isn't the right size, it won't seal properly.
If the cartridge isn't the right model, the holes and / or seal won't line up.
To fix either of these, you'll really need to find the manufacturer and model -- look under the spout, just above the sink. You may also need to look at the underside of the fixture, which involves removing it.

Many of these have 'O' rings, rubber tips on a spring, or something like that to give a good seal. Some don't, so you'll have to look. If they are missing or damaged, you'll drip. If a tiny piece broke off and keeps the valve from sealing, you'll drip. Some are not designed for this, so you'd be ok.

Finally, check the holes in the fixture where water comes into to cartridge area. Feel it gently with a finger tip -- any roughness? any high or low spots? anything worn? Generally, if you have hard water, over time some lime may build up on a surface and prevent a good seal. Use a q-tip with vinegar to dissolve the lime. Old-time plumbers had a rasp-like tool to resurface the valve seat.

There may also be some very small grit particles, either lime loosened from the inside of an upstream pipe or possibly from your water well (if you're on a well). At our cottage, I clean each faucet aerator each spring from accumulated grit -- loks like 1/16" or smaller stones. If a tiny piece got stuck in the valve, it could keep it from sealing. I suppose some could also score the internal valve works, so the only option is to replace the faucet. I had one faucet several years ago that used ceramic disks. The only way I could get it to stop dripping was to take out each disk and --very lightly -- use a scouring powder to clean it up. Rinsed VERY well, and it did ok. Next time it dripped a few years later I got frustrated and replaced it.

Without pictures, suggesting where and how to look is about the best we can do.

Let us know what you find.

 

[salty87]

Re: plumbing help...shower won't stop dripping

out of sight, out of mind...i'm tired of this stupid leak.

thanks for the previous posts, here's some more info:

the faucets are mis-matched pieces of junk. the people that worked on this house (it was a rental from the day it was built) were crackheads or something and did just about everything the wrong way....caulk all over interior walls, half-assed wiring, same with the plumbing.

i have every reason to believe that the downspouts don't match the temp controls...i need a true universal.

so...there's no way of telling what model or brand any of this stuff is. i've got 2 turn handles (no microphone, though...lol) in this shower it seems that they both leak. i turned the hot water off at the heater and the leak slowed down about 50%.

i bought a pack of universal replacement stems for Delta/Delex brand and they work in the hall shower but not the master. these kind:

at this point, i'd be happier capping off the leak and just using the hall bathroom but i can't even do that.

anyone have any advice?...rip the friggin wall out and start over?

 

[salty87]

Re: plumbing help...shower won't stop dripping

oh yeah...what's up with the extra springs and rubber grommets? where do they go?

i tried to force a spring into the opening in the wall but then the valve wouldn't fit behind the nut.

these goofballs sprayed foam into the wall around the hot and cold pipes...where's my sawzall, lol

 

[NelsonQ]

Re: plumbing help...shower won't stop dripping

so...there's no way of telling what model or brand any of this stuff is. i've got 2 turn handles (no microphone, though...lol)

That is hilarious.....Should change your name to Jam Master Salty

The extra springs/washers are most likely extras because it's a universal kit.

If you pull the old parts out and its a Delta or Moen faucets, Home Depot stocks spares for all of them and can part match.

However, it seems like replacing them might be the final result.

 

[salty87]

Re: plumbing help...shower won't stop dripping

looks like replacing them requires opening up the wall and cutting the fittings off the pipes.

i'll go buy a bunch of different brand stems first. when i open up this wall, it will be to rip out the plastic shower inserts and tile it all. hmmm

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: plumbing help...shower won't stop dripping

If you turn off the water and pull the cartridge.... a good plumbing supply hose can match it.

The previous homeowner here installed Sears faucets and they are a pain to match but I did find them once.

If new ones do not seal....... you have real work to do.

 

[salty87]

Re: plumbing help...shower won't stop dripping

there's no way these are matched...this house was built in 1981...no telling what's happened over the years.

i'm at trial and error for suitable replacements and/or demolition of the shower at this point.

 

[Tyme2fish]

Re: plumbing help...shower won't stop dripping

Tongue in cheek solution:

1.Turn off water supply.

2. Cut and cap off the supply water pipes to the shower.

3. Drywall and you now have a new CLOSET!!!

 

[salty87]

Re: plumbing help...shower won't stop dripping

i could probably live with that...knock the wall down and turn 2 small bathrooms into 1 large master bath.

how about this...when i turn the hot water off at the heater and remove the valve that's in there now...water constantly dribbles out. it's cold...how is cold water getting over to the hot pipe?

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: plumbing help...shower won't stop dripping

Is there no access from the back side?? Even if its through a interior wall.................drywall work is way easier that tile work...........at least for a quick fix.

 

[aspeck]

Re: plumbing help...shower won't stop dripping

Cold is getting over through the faucet and backfeeding the line.

I was gonna give you a smart response, but T2F beat me too it ... after all, who needs showers, you can bath down at the lake. Just remember, if there are other present, wash down as far as possible and up as far as possible, and when no one is watching, wash possible.

You might be best off by doing the following:

1) If you don't already have an access panel to the workings of your shower, cut a hole in the wall on the other side and make a door to cover it. Hopefully it is in a closet or some other remote location, but if not, a nice door can be pretty unobrusive. This way you can put in a set of shut-offs so it will be easier to isolate and repair in the future.

2) Since it sounds like the repairs that have been done before have been about half what they were supposed to be, go to Home Depot and pick up a good shower faucet. Replace the old. Now you will be able to easily get parts in the future, and you will have the faucet handles you want for decor purposes.

3) Enjoy your handy work with a nice hot shower.

 

[salty87]

Re: plumbing help...shower won't stop dripping

i'm not opposed to much

- on the other side of the wall is the hall bath. the other shower uses the same wall for plumbing. the fixtures aren't any better.

-they're both plastic shower/tub inserts....fancy, i know

-speaking of fixtures, these are a mix n match design. they don't have a jazzy style name, i'm sure. there's the showerhead...i've replaced that with one of those chinese beauty's. there are the hot/cold knobs that are separate from each other. then there's the spout/diverter. i took a pic but there's no photo program on this computer.

what i have to work with is really basic...a threaded pipe to screw the showerhead onto. a threaded insert to screw the spout/diverter into. and, the 2 knob controls that insert into the pipes and lock down with a big nut...and leak.

it's looking like it's time to learn how to tile a bathroom.

 

[i386]

Re: plumbing help...shower won't stop dripping

I feel your pain. I used to attempt my own plumbing. Each job took 15 trips to the hardware store or Home Depot. I finally decided that if I don't know exactly what I need to let the pros have it. Good luck though.

 

[dolluper]

Re: plumbing help...shower won't stop dripping

Time to replace the junk......ever think of a liner there are some nice ones much easier than tile

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: plumbing help...shower won't stop dripping

Actually the next time I have to do major plumbing ..... I think I will change to Pex