New Delta shower flow diverter doesn't

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jcarerra

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Just replaced the flow diverter in my shower. It is single handle flow control with pin stem diverter beneath that.

The new one--Danco 80971--looked exactly like the removed one, except on removed one, the nylon diverter 'flap' had come off the device. I pulled it out with needle nose pliers

But after I installed the new one, pressing it in and turning on water does nothing; flow is still fully out the tub spout. Any ideas?
 

jcarerra

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You have to turn the water on first and then press it in.
Never had to do that in 30 years with the original one...but I will go try that.
Stand by...

Nope. Didn't work that way either. There is a slight change in the sound when it is pushed in, but the water continues out the spout, and it does not 'lock' itself in.
 

hj

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quote; Never had to do that in 30 years with the original one...

In that case it NEVER worked and you must have had to "pull the pin" to turn off the shower. I have had little success with "non-OEM" Delta diverters and some are labeled with a "top" designation so you have to install them correctly.
 

jcarerra

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quote; Never had to do that in 30 years with the original one...

In that case it NEVER worked and you must have had to "pull the pin" to turn off the shower. I have had little success with "non-OEM" Delta diverters and some are labeled with a "top" designation so you have to install them correctly.

You are giving me my morning dose of humor.
"In that case it NEVER worked"
Well, then, I don't know what that stuff was coming out the shower head for all those 30 years while I showered. And no, I never pulled the pin to shut it off; I simply shut off the water and the pin popped out--returning the flow to the spout.

When I replaced it, I pulled out a large broken off nylon diverter piece from inside the 'chamber' with needle nose pliers. I am now wondering if there is another small piece of it in there that is causing the new one to not function. Will have to take it back off today and see if I can see inside more clearly.
 

jcarerra

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To close this out, it is solved.

The new diverter I bought--the Danco one that Lowes sold me, was too long by about 1/4 to 3/8". It installed fine physically, but obviously the diverter 'flap' piece was not positioned correctly--so it did not work. Installing a Delta branded part ($15 extra dollars), that I obtained today from a plumbing supply house, gave me a perfectly working system.

Aside, one plumbing co service manager I talked to, in fact the one who led me into chasing whether the part was right or not, said there were two sizes. No one at any other place I talked to or went to (hardware stores and plumbing supply houses) could find any evidence of there being two different sizes.

I had held the first one I bought, the Danco, beside the failed one I removed, and knew indeed that the shaft on the Danco was longer. At this point, I do not know if there is one size officially and the Danco part was just manufactured/designed "wrong," or if there really are two 'legal' sizes (lengths). I've seen a 'long' Danco and a 'short' Delta. But since I found one that works, I'll not pursue this further.
 
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hj

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quote; "In that case it NEVER worked"
Well, then, I don't know what that stuff was coming out the shower head for all those 30 years while I showered. And no, I never pulled the pin to shut it off; I simply shut off the water and the pin popped out--returning the flow to the spout.

IF the "pin popped out when the water shut off", then WHAT kept it in while you were getting ready to turn the water on, since you say you did NOT have to turn the water on first. There is only ONE "official" diverter size. Any deviation from that is caused by Danco, or other secondary market suppliers, making them wrong.
 

jcarerra

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quote; "In that case it NEVER worked"
Well, then, I don't know what that stuff was coming out the shower head for all those 30 years while I showered. And no, I never pulled the pin to shut it off; I simply shut off the water and the pin popped out--returning the flow to the spout.

IF the "pin popped out when the water shut off", then WHAT kept it in while you were getting ready to turn the water on, since you say you did NOT have to turn the water on first...

I would hold the pin in with one finger while raising the flow control "ball" to the ON position, at which point the pin stayed in on its own.

Thanks for the info on "only one size" diverter existing. That means the Danco one was badly wrong; wonder how it even remained on the market (rhetorical).
 

Jadnashua

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Many aftermarket suppliers only real benefit is their price point. Another may be that they make parts available for stuff the manufacturer no longer supports. That does not mean it is reliable to repair something that old or that they build a suitable equivalent.
 

jcarerra

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Many aftermarket suppliers only real benefit is their price point. Another may be that they make parts available for stuff the manufacturer no longer supports. That does not mean it is reliable to repair something that old or that they build a suitable equivalent.

My point is that if they build a replacement part that flat doesn't work--how is it they can keep selling it?
With so many returns, stores carrying it would soon drop it out of inventory
 

hj

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quote; I would hold the pin in with one finger while raising the flow control "ball" to the ON position,

And HOW is that different from turning the water on first? Most people would NOT want to use two hands, or engage in machinations, to divert the water and save a cup of wasted water. In either case, you CANNOT leave go of the button until the water is turned on. In fact, most users would turn on the water, and wait until it was the proper temperature THEN push the button while the water was flowing, but maybe you LIKE a blast of cold water when you turn the shower on. If the "slide" is flat to the valve body when it is pushed in, it will divert the water, therefore, it was NOT making contact with the diverter seat, for some reason, possibly because it was one of those with a "top and bottom" side.
 
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jcarerra

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"If the "slide" is flat to the valve body when it is pushed in, it will divert the water, therefore, it was NOT making contact with the diverter seat, for some reason, possibly because it was one of those with a "top and bottom" side. "

I previously said that the plastic piece that actually does the diverting was broken off.

And I am sorry you don't like the way I turn on the shower, but I think I will continue to "do it my way."
 
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hj

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I was referring to your NEW one. Obviously, the old one was broken off. In fact you were probably lucky, since usually when it breaks off the spring "shoots" the pin out forcibly and since you are usually in front of it at the time, it can be somewhat painful when it hits a sensitive portion of your body. YOU can use the shower any way you want to, it just seems counterintuitive to the way most people, AND the Delta instructions, tell you to do it
 
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