Flood of Water Behind Wall When Diverter Not Engagrd

[dcgriswold]

Hi, I have a tub/shower with hot/cold valve with tub spout diverter. When turn on water and diverter not engaged...water coming from spout...a great deal of water flows behind wall from spout area. Plumber said was diverter issue. He replaced slip on diverter and made it into a screw on diverter. The leak behind the wall from spout area stoped. However when diverter not engaged, water not only comes from spout, but some drips/flows from shower head. No solution. Why replacing diverter stopped water flowing, like Niagara Falls, from spout area behind wall, why replacing diverter stopped leak, but now allows water to come from shower head when water not diverted. Thanks for the helpful explanations to questions and possible solutions. dan

 

[Reach4]

You may be using PEX or CPVC between your valve and spout. Those have more resistance to flow than copper.

Do you have access from the other side, and what kind of PEX are you using?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[dcgriswold]

You may be using PEX or CPVC between your valve and spout. Those have more resistance to flow than copper.

Do you have access from the other side, and what kind of PEX are you using?

 

[dcgriswold]

Thanks for reply. I do have access, if cut hole in closet wall behind shower/tub wall have not as yet...but the pipes are all copper. My son just moved into home. We were told the installation was 20 years ago or so.We saw flood of water by using crawl space under home.

 

[Reach4]

Thanks for reply. I do have access, if cut hole in closet wall behind shower/tub wall have not as yet...but the pipes are all copper. My son just moved into home. We were told the installation was 20 years ago or so.We saw flood of water by using crawl space under home.

I am suspecting the slip on spout had a missing or bad seal that was leaking water.

If you get in there, post a photo of the piping. If you can bring the water down to a tee, and one side of the tee goes out to the spout, and the other side goes up to the showerhead, that would probably be enough to make the difference.

If there were some extra restriction in the path from the valve to the spout, that could explain the backing up to the showerhead.

Another sure fire cure is a device called a twin ell. That might be harder to retrofit. https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/what-does-a-twin-ell-do-that-a-tee-cannot.35287/

 

[dcgriswold]

Thanks..can you explain that part about bringing water down to a tee? Also after the plumber installed the screw on diverter, there is now less, noticeably less, pressure when spout diverts water to shower head.

 

[dcgriswold]

Here is a video of the leak from behind wall when tub spout diverter is not engaged. Water just flowing through tub spout in tub. Could bad diverter cause water to back flow this much through wall were diverter is attached.

 

[Reach4]

Here is a video of the leak from behind wall when tub spout diverter is not engaged. Water just flowing through tub spout in tub. Could bad diverter cause water to back flow this much through wall were diverter is attached.

That is a still picture, and it does not show the leak to me.

The area below seems to have signs of water stains.