Replacing a shower valve body from the back question

[Jsmallberries]

Around 2016 I rebuilt my tiled stall shower and installed a Grohe valve body 30015 with cartridge 47678 and a Concetto shower handle. Thought I was done

A few years later, the mixing valve started failing, where to have an even hot cold mix, the handle was barely moved. If it was put in the middle, the water was too hot. Last year I finally decided to replace it. Grohe sent a replacement free of charge. 11 months later the valve started leaking. Need another cartridge/valve in less than a year. Now 3 in 7 years.

I've had bad luck with this set up, plus the brushed nickel handle and escutcheon plate is faded and weathered looking. This happened within the first couple of years too. They also designed this particular valve body where the shut off stops are blocked by the ears on the valve body. Are their products just bad or did I just luck out with a lemon, discontinued POS?

I can remove the drywall from a bedroom behind the shower. How hard would it be to replace this from the back.?

What is a reliable replacement?

Other shower has a Moen Posi Temp, replaced the cartridge once on 20 years.

 

[Jeff H Young]

I would say its pretty much never fun but be generous on a good size hole! you cut the hot , cold and shower riser 3 couplings and 2 90s it might be a piece of cake .

BTW, I dont have a lot of service experiance with grohe most valves give decades of service moen , delta or pfister, run a long time I hear some rag on Kohler and grohe dont go with internet no name brand stuff my opinion

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Breplum]

You got unlucky. Grohe has a more-or-LESS lifetime warranty. So ask for free replacement parts.
I've got at least a hundred of the basic cartridges installed on all varieties of bathrooms and never think twice about using old Grohe. Now that Grohe sold to Lixil and no longer has local reps, I am not a fanboy any longer. But the old cartridge 47678 stuff is fine.

 

[Jsmallberries]

Thanks,

I'm trying to shame them into a free replacement, leaking in less than a year? Really
Soft water too. They are pushing back wanting a receipt, bought online 2016? Last year they just asked for a picture. I was able to find the emails from last August. Sent those

Hoping this works, I'll go with one last replacement before attempting a change out

 

[Jeff H Young]

if its junk get rid of it not worth going through it again

 

[John Gayewski]

I can't remember what grohe valve body it was but I remember it being poorly designed with the stops blocked. My opinion is go with what works. Has grohe worked for you? If not make a change. We like delta.

 

[Jsmallberries]

So they’re sending a free replacement
I’ll give it one more shot. Next time I’ll change out the valve body.

And yes, poor design, where part of the valve blocks the shut off stops.
I asked a GROHE rep about it, their response was”

one of the quirks of this particular valve and the supervisor said using a thinner screwdriver should help

nope, too thin would make it harder to turn and strip out the slot.

 

[Jeff H Young]

now i remember those dumbass valves lol the ears in front of the screws German engineering ha ha