Help removing Delta cartridge, and is my water actually off?
- Thread starter Elshort
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Elshort
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OK that photo was supposed to accompany this post, but obviously didn't. Here is my situation and the many questions I have.
My shower head has been dripping intermittently for months, and tonight after the kids took a shower, it wouldn't turn off all of the way, so I went to Home Depot and bought a post-2005 Delta cartridge (model # RP 46074.) My house was built in the winter of 2005/2006, so I took a chance and hoped that was the correct cartridge to buy. Turned off the water in the garage (there is no shutoff panel for the shower within the bathroom.)
First off, I haven't had to shut off my water before, but when I found the shutoff valve, I turned it all the way until it stopped completely. Went inside and checked the kitchen faucet and it had less water, but still some. I went upstairs to the leaky shower head and turned on the shower. Some water, but I left it on for a few minutes and it eventually stopped. Then over the course of the next hour or so, it would start dripping again, even when I turned the handle to the off position. If I turned on a sink faucet, the shower would stop dripping within 10-20 seconds. Then 10 minutes later it would happen again. I'm not feeling good about taking out the old cartridge at this point because I don't know if my water is completely off (or maybe it is, and it just takes upstairs pipes a long time to empty, I'm not sure.) But I start taking things apart to see what I'm dealing with.
When I got the faucet handle off, I was surprised to see this: https://www.flickr.com/photos/larryshort/16588101285/
It looked like it was way older than my nine-year-old house, and it didn't look like anything I'd seen in the how-to websites or videos I'd watched to learn how to change out the cartridge. And from what I could tell it didn't look like the replacement cartridge I'd just bought; this old one was buried in a bunch of ceramic outer layers.
I tried pulling the old cartridge out with pliers, but it wouldn't budge. I'm confused, though, because the instructions mention removing the bonnet nut, and I can't see one on mine.
So here are my questions:
1. Is my water shut off completely even though my shower is still leaking in the Off position? Now it's dripping almost as much as it was when my main water valve was open. But I haven't turned the main water valve back on. There is now some water coming out of faucets (bathroom, kitchen) if I turn them on. Not a lot, but a small stream. How do I get my water completely off if not from this valve in the garage?
2. Assuming I can get the old cartridge off, is it safe to do it when there's still water leaking from the shower head?
3. Do I have an older set of hardware (pre-2005)? I think I might, so I need to go back to the store and swap out the new cartridge for a different model, correct? Assuming that's the case, how in the world will I get this ceramic cartridge out?
4. Will I need to remove the plate in order to change the cartridge? The instructions that came with the cartridge don't mention it, but the how-to videos all do. I couldn't get it to budge either.
Thanks in advance for any help you can offer. I've done minor replacements around the house (garbage disposal, toilet) but haven't dealt with a shower faucet cartridge and nothing seemed to go as expected tonight when I get that a shot.
- Larry
My shower head has been dripping intermittently for months, and tonight after the kids took a shower, it wouldn't turn off all of the way, so I went to Home Depot and bought a post-2005 Delta cartridge (model # RP 46074.) My house was built in the winter of 2005/2006, so I took a chance and hoped that was the correct cartridge to buy. Turned off the water in the garage (there is no shutoff panel for the shower within the bathroom.)
First off, I haven't had to shut off my water before, but when I found the shutoff valve, I turned it all the way until it stopped completely. Went inside and checked the kitchen faucet and it had less water, but still some. I went upstairs to the leaky shower head and turned on the shower. Some water, but I left it on for a few minutes and it eventually stopped. Then over the course of the next hour or so, it would start dripping again, even when I turned the handle to the off position. If I turned on a sink faucet, the shower would stop dripping within 10-20 seconds. Then 10 minutes later it would happen again. I'm not feeling good about taking out the old cartridge at this point because I don't know if my water is completely off (or maybe it is, and it just takes upstairs pipes a long time to empty, I'm not sure.) But I start taking things apart to see what I'm dealing with.
When I got the faucet handle off, I was surprised to see this: https://www.flickr.com/photos/larryshort/16588101285/
It looked like it was way older than my nine-year-old house, and it didn't look like anything I'd seen in the how-to websites or videos I'd watched to learn how to change out the cartridge. And from what I could tell it didn't look like the replacement cartridge I'd just bought; this old one was buried in a bunch of ceramic outer layers.
I tried pulling the old cartridge out with pliers, but it wouldn't budge. I'm confused, though, because the instructions mention removing the bonnet nut, and I can't see one on mine.
So here are my questions:
1. Is my water shut off completely even though my shower is still leaking in the Off position? Now it's dripping almost as much as it was when my main water valve was open. But I haven't turned the main water valve back on. There is now some water coming out of faucets (bathroom, kitchen) if I turn them on. Not a lot, but a small stream. How do I get my water completely off if not from this valve in the garage?
2. Assuming I can get the old cartridge off, is it safe to do it when there's still water leaking from the shower head?
3. Do I have an older set of hardware (pre-2005)? I think I might, so I need to go back to the store and swap out the new cartridge for a different model, correct? Assuming that's the case, how in the world will I get this ceramic cartridge out?
4. Will I need to remove the plate in order to change the cartridge? The instructions that came with the cartridge don't mention it, but the how-to videos all do. I couldn't get it to budge either.
Thanks in advance for any help you can offer. I've done minor replacements around the house (garbage disposal, toilet) but haven't dealt with a shower faucet cartridge and nothing seemed to go as expected tonight when I get that a shot.
- Larry
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Elshort
New Member
Regarding question #1, here's a picture of my shutoff valve (next to water heater, garage). I turned the handle clockwise until it stopped all the way, but later that night, there was still a fair amount of water coming out of faucets, and this morning, a lot. I'm more familiar with shutoff valves with a straight lever, but as far as I can tell, I don't have one. Can someone tell me what this section (with the silver tag attached to it) does, and if I can use that to shut off 100% of my water?
Elshort
New Member
Sometimes the gate valves don't shut off all the way.
You either leave something open lower than the shower, or turn it off at the meter.
Delta does have a brass ring that threads on hand tight to hold the cartridge in place. Over time, it can be difficult to remove.
Putting pliers on the ring can give it an egg shape, and make the job even hearder.
I normally pull the plate, and use some heat from a torch to make the ring larger than the body, and then unthread it. Timing is important, as the heat will transfer into the body and then they become the same size again.
You either leave something open lower than the shower, or turn it off at the meter.
Delta does have a brass ring that threads on hand tight to hold the cartridge in place. Over time, it can be difficult to remove.
Putting pliers on the ring can give it an egg shape, and make the job even hearder.
I normally pull the plate, and use some heat from a torch to make the ring larger than the body, and then unthread it. Timing is important, as the heat will transfer into the body and then they become the same size again.
Elshort
New Member
Thanks, Terry. Can you tell me where the brass ring is on my ceramic fixture?
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