Mysterious drip and diverter issues...

Users who are viewing this thread

Maulydaft

New Member
Messages
15
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
TORONTO, ON
I'll try and keep this brief, but it's not a brief story!

Our condo is 5 years old. Recently had a problem where the water was coming out the shower and tub spout when showering. Emailed the plumber, worker put in a new spout. Cost $325 and took 5 min. Then the spout started dripping. We also noticed this new spout was no different than the old one. Messaged again. Owner said the dripping was probably the cartridge. But he put in a new cartridge in 2020... it seemed suspicious/not right to me. He offered to work at half pay to put in a new cartridge. I just couldn't buy it. Dripping didn't start until they came to fix diverter problem! Worker came, pulled up on the diverter and said there was nothing wrong (like he didn't believe me) but he replaced anyway (for free). Nothing different. All we can do is pull up on the diverter and then put the water on. I said to plumbing company owner "FYI I think this spout just needs diverter up first?" No reply.

I opened it up and put the cartridge and balancing unit in vinegar for a while. They LOOKED fine... but?? Didn't help.

Called American Standard. They said for sure it needed a new cartridge. Couldn't really say WHY a cartridge that's supposed to last 10-20 years only lasts 2. Anyway I put that in. Didn't help. Still have the drip and still have to pull up on the diverter before turning on water. The water also SOUNDS different with this new diverter problem. I can't really explain more than that! (I use to be sound designer, so I notice these things)

What the heck!? :/

(And I want a new plumber who's not going to charge me $325 for 5 min that doesn't even solve the problem :/)
 

Breplum

Licensed plumbing contractor
Messages
1,903
Reaction score
767
Points
113
Location
San Francisco Bay Area
If you mean by dripping, that there is water coming out of the tub spout when the valve is off, then that is related to the cartridge either being bad or mis-installed.

If the diverter tub spout leaks a little when the shower is on, that is normal. No diverter spout seals completely.
If it leaks a lot, then you need a new diverter spout.

It is as simple as that.
 

John Gayewski

In the Trades
Messages
4,324
Reaction score
1,319
Points
113
Location
Iowa
You could try pulling the cartridge and plugging it off. Then try to soak the interior of the valve body with a de-scaling solution.
 

Maulydaft

New Member
Messages
15
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
TORONTO, ON
If you mean by dripping, that there is water coming out of the tub spout when the valve is off, then that is related to the cartridge either being bad or mis-installed.

If the diverter tub spout leaks a little when the shower is on, that is normal. No diverter spout seals completely.
If it leaks a lot, then you need a new diverter spout.

It is as simple as that.
Yes, it's the tub dripping when everything is off. I put the new cartridge in myself so I guess I could have mis-installed it but I was careful and it was pretty straight forward.... ??

I had also taken off the shower head to clean it - could I have screwed up something behind the wall if I'd twisted the stem if it?
 

Maulydaft

New Member
Messages
15
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
TORONTO, ON
You could try pulling the cartridge and plugging it off. Then try to soak the interior of the valve body with a de-scaling solution.
This is a new cartridge now. I soaked the original (well, it was from 2020) and balancing unit and that did no good. (They LOOKED totally fine to me. Nothing like what you see on Youtube!)
 

John Gayewski

In the Trades
Messages
4,324
Reaction score
1,319
Points
113
Location
Iowa
This is a new cartridge now. I soaked the original (well, it was from 2020) and balancing unit and that did no good. (They LOOKED totally fine to me. Nothing like what you see on Youtube!)
I'm talking about soaking the pipe and valve body inside the wall. Fill from the shower arm.
 

Reach4

Well-Known Member
Messages
38,796
Reaction score
4,412
Points
113
Location
IL
If this is a diverter spout, then dripping is normal. The amount of dripping varies. My Delta drips less than most.

A diverter spout is one where you do something at the spout to switch to shower mode. If you switch between shower and tub at the valve in the wall, then you don't have a diverter spout.
 

Maulydaft

New Member
Messages
15
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
TORONTO, ON
If this is a diverter spout, then dripping is normal. The amount of dripping varies. My Delta drips less than most.

A diverter spout is one where you do something at the spout to switch to shower mode. If you switch between shower and tub at the valve in the wall, then you don't have a diverter spout.
Yes definately diverter spout. There was no dripping until plumber put in a new spout (to deal with the issue of the water coming out both shower and tub faucet). Now it drips like crazy - like will fill an entire bathtub in a less than day. We have to shut off the main water to deal until a professional comes in :p
 

Breplum

Licensed plumbing contractor
Messages
1,903
Reaction score
767
Points
113
Location
San Francisco Bay Area
Diverter spout has absolutely NOTHING to do with dripping when shower valve is off.
While dozing off thinking about this, I just remembered: Some American Standard ceramic shower cartridges have a ceramic plate which stays in place often and sometimes does not come with the cartridge. That plate can get a hairline crack and the valve leaks until you replace the plate.
I bet that is what's going on. Even a "pro" who doesn't have experience with that cartridge plate could be oblivious.
 

Attachments

  • A S cartridge.JPG
    A S cartridge.JPG
    36.1 KB · Views: 118

Maulydaft

New Member
Messages
15
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
TORONTO, ON
Diverter spout has absolutely NOTHING to do with dripping when shower valve is off.
While dozing off thinking about this, I just remembered: Some American Standard ceramic shower cartridges have a ceramic plate which stays in place often and sometimes does not come with the cartridge. That plate can get a hairline crack and the valve leaks until you replace the plate.
I bet that is what's going on. Even a "pro" who doesn't have experience with that cartridge plate could be oblivious.
Oh interesting! I didn't notice such a plate, but that doesn't mean very much since I am no expert in the least! It's AS 023529-0070A - don't know if you can tell looking if it's suppose to have a plate? There was a "plate" inside when I changed the cartridge but it didn't seem to have anything to do with the cartridge... it seemed to be made of brass...
 

Maulydaft

New Member
Messages
15
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
TORONTO, ON
Diverter spout has absolutely NOTHING to do with dripping when shower valve is off.
While dozing off thinking about this, I just remembered: Some American Standard ceramic shower cartridges have a ceramic plate which stays in place often and sometimes does not come with the cartridge. That plate can get a hairline crack and the valve leaks until you replace the plate.
I bet that is what's going on. Even a "pro" who doesn't have experience with that cartridge plate could be oblivious.
That's def my cartridge!
 

Reach4

Well-Known Member
Messages
38,796
Reaction score
4,412
Points
113
Location
IL
Diverter spout has absolutely NOTHING to do with dripping when shower valve is off.
Agreed, but I was looking at this sentence: "Recently had a problem where the water was coming out the shower and tub spout when showering. "

So I figured the complaint was about the spout dripping while the water was turned on. And that would be solely because of the spout.

If the spout drips an hour after the shower is off, that would be cartridge.
 

Maulydaft

New Member
Messages
15
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
TORONTO, ON
Agreed, but I was looking at this sentence: "Recently had a problem where the water was coming out the shower and tub spout when showering. "

So I figured the complaint was about the spout dripping while the water was turned on. And that would be solely because of the spout.

If the spout drips an hour after the shower is off, that would be cartridge.
Yes we have the two problems now - diverting problem where the only way to get the water to come out the shower only is to hold the diverter up and THEN turn on the water, and then the dripping spout when the water is off. The drip started happening when the new spout was put on (to deal with the diverting problem)... it really is a big mystery! :eek:
 
Top
Hey, wait a minute.

This is awkward, but...

It looks like you're using an ad blocker. We get it, but (1) terrylove.com can't live without ads, and (2) ad blockers can cause issues with videos and comments. If you'd like to support the site, please allow ads.

If any particular ad is your REASON for blocking ads, please let us know. We might be able to do something about it. Thanks.
I've Disabled AdBlock    No Thanks