Tub/Shower rough valve quality/durability question

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Tom M

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Good day everyone.

I am new to this board and in the planning phase of a complete bath remodel on an older home I recently bought.

I have quite a bit of conflicting advice/comments on the merits of the various manufacturers rough-in valves. A local plumber dislikes Kohler as repair parts (cartridges) seem to be unavailable to anything other than a fairly new product. He said Delta cartridges were always available. However, this is the very same guy who said my slow running kitchen sink drains were working just fine a month before they completely stopped draining due to existing grease in the line. A snake and a plug in the open water heater drain line allowed the 40 gallons of boiling water I poured in to flush out the grease. So much for his opinions.

The Delta shower valve in the bathroom leaks and continues to leak even after he replaced the cartridge. I see multiple customer reviews across the big box store product listing that say Delta valves always leak. Other brands do not even list repair parts or cartridges. "Call them" their websites say. Kohler hseems to have earned a very bad reputation for customer service.

From a professional's point of view, what brand/type of pressure balanced valve would you install if you wanted as few problems as possible. We have fairly high levels of minerals in our water locally, judging by the calcium deposits in the dishwasher and elsewhere. The trim is fairly meaningless from a plumbing point of view.

I have no objection to buying a spare cartridge or two and holding them in stock against future replacement needs if they do not degrade over time.

Spending a bit more money up front to get good equipment that doesn't break has always made sense to me. Has always worked out to be cheaper in the long term. Cost - benefit ratios rule.

Tom M
Oklahoma
 

Jadnashua

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I have some Grohe fixtures in my home, and they have been fine now for years. That being said, I installed a Delta R10000 rough-in valve at my mother's house, and that has been working fine, too. The nice thing about that rough-in is you have lots of choices about trim AND your choice of functionality: single handle pressure balance; two handle-volume/temp; two handle - thermostatic/volume. Any of those will work in the R10000 rough-in valve. While some big box stores sell all this pre-packaged, plumbing supply stores sell that as two separate pieces. The nice thing is you can change your mind later on, and not have to deal with a total tear-out, just buy a new trim/cartridge package and your done.

One thing to keep in mind is that as of the first of 2014, some of the rules have changed, and all new valves must be lead-free, which changes things.
 

hj

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quote; multiple customer reviews across the big box store product listing that say Delta valves always leak.

That is more an indictment of WHERE they buy them, than the quality of the valves bought elsewhere.
 

Jim Mills

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quote; multiple customer reviews across the big box store product listing that say Delta valves always leak.

That is more an indictment of WHERE they buy them, than the quality of the valves bought elsewhere.

Yep, I get confronted with big box adds all the time listing fixtures at nearly 1/2 of what I can get them for. Last one was a Delta faucet which ended up having a "chrome finish" which means chrome over plastic.
 

Terry

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Most of the major brands, bought at suppliers have been fine.

I have had customers supply valves bought at box stores, that had old cartridges inside. And yes, someone had switched out the cartridge, and it had been resold as new.
Kohler for one, puts a date on the cartridge, and a date on the valve body. They should match.
Delta
Kohler
Moen
Grohe
Not in any order here.
 
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