Shower leaking! Please help!

[Fatherof2]

Hi Gang,

Brand new here..............first post.

I think I may have really screwed up here.

I was trying to replace my shower handle. The handle itself was broken but not leaking at all.

I removed the old one and started slowly backing out the screw on the right. When I did, cold water started coming out of the head. I screwed it back in flush, and the water continues to come out.

I shut the water off in the house as it is more than a drip.

What the heck did I do? How do I fix this?

Thanks very much for any advice!

Here is a picture:

 

[Jadnashua]

The only thing I can think of is that for some reason, when the screw was installed, it either cracked or pierced something, or maybe split it. It worked fine until you moved it. You're going to have to take the trim off and look. It may become obvious. It may also show that it has been leaking (probably slowly) for awhile, and there may be some damage behind the wall. If you're lucky (well, luckier than you might be!), there's no damage behind the wall. Once you have the trim plate off, post a picture of that as well. Use the macro button on the camera to get it to focus well close up. If it only has symbols, it's often a symbol of a flower. If you're really lucky, the valve may have individual shutoffs, and you can turn those off and turn the water back on in the house until you can fix things. You can't tell until the trim is off, though.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[hj]

That is NOT a "trim plate". It looks like those two screws hold everything together and if so, there is no way to tell what might have gotten dislodged when you loosened the one.The two screw and the white "pin" are similar to Kohler's design but the cartridge itself is not.

 

[Fatherof2]

Hi Guys,
I the pressure got messed up when I loosened the screw.
I shut the water off and took the thing apart. I am back in business.
The new problem is that it leaks when I run the shower. It is fine when the shower is off.
I will call Kohler for some new parts.
At least I can leave the water on in the house!!
Thanks again!!