Old Tub/Shower Diverter Replacement
8Dear Meh,
I’m having problems with the water faucet diverter in the guest bath. It just flat doesn’t work. Water just pours out regardless if the little knob is up or down. (I never have tried it until today) I managed to get the chrome part of the faucet off just by unscrewing it but now I’m looking at some threads/connection that I don’t see in the YouTube videos about replacing diverters. To wit:
I don’t want to break the pipe or anything trying to get that weird coupling off of there. It looks pretty permanent. Can you help me find the proper replacement diverter?
Signed,
Lost Plumber
- 5 comments, 36 replies
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I believe I might have one in the shop (an appropriate diverted). That strange fitting is held on with a set screw (probably). Look carefully with a bright light and you’ll probably find it.
In my case I got bored with chasing down those funky diverters every couple years (hard water is hell on those things) so I chose to shorten the copper and sweat on the newer style fitting so I can just hop up to Ace Hardware when it’s time to replace my diverters.
I just checked the one I have in the shop. Not a direct fit. It would fit your application if you are able to remove the old collar. Whisper your shipping deets and I’ll send it your way and you can see if it’ll work for you.
@ruouttaurmind I’ll get one of my many, many meh flashlights and look it over, thanks.
Can you take a photo of the tub spout you have?
That looks like a Delta connection. They are either screwed or soldered on.
You can either fix the diverter or replace with another spout that uses the same connection if it’s soldered.
Fixy bits for spouts that lift up
@RiotDemon Here’s some profile pics:
@therealjrn the lift thingy should fix your issue.
Looks like Delta has changed their connector slightly so I’m not sure if their new spouts will fit.
@therealjrn After poking around a bit I’m pretty sure @RiotDemon is on the money. Probably sweated on. Also, rebuilding the old one is the way to go. She knows her fittings. A new Delta spout assy is money. A repair kit is pennies. Don’t forget to replace those O-rings as long as you’ve got it apart.
@RiotDemon Yay! Looks like the kit is the way to go! I looked over the fitting carefully and don’t see any set screws or anything. I think it’s pretty much on there. But I was able to dismantle the lifty bits out of the old faucet so I’ll check into getting a kit from Lowes in the morning. THANK YOU!
@ruouttaurmind Um…what O-rings? Are those black things on the fitting O-rings?
@ruouttaurmind @therealjrn that diverter looks a little different. You might have to reuse it and just change out the washer.
@RiotDemon @ruouttaurmind I think my diverter is missing some pieces or a “frame” or something. The barrel piece does nothing. It’s hollow and loose in there so there is no gate or anything. Those fins on the inside look like they might guide something, yes?
ETA: Pic
@therealjrn is that not a rubber washer in the inside of the piece that moves up and down? That’s how they work.
@therealjrn Yup, the black things are o-rings. They look a little crusty and compressed. But if you’d rather not fuss with them, clean them off and give them a light coating of plumbers lube and maybe they’ll be fine.
@therealjrn it’s a super simple mechanism. The rubber washer just seals the water and sends it in the other direction instead.
@RiotDemon
Nothing in the house has been standard from day 1. lol I added a pic.
@RiotDemon It’s hollow. What’s to stop the water?
@therealjrn go to a local plumbing supply house. Don’t bother with the big box stores. I am pretty sure the one I linked won’t work.
Is the inside piece rubber?
@therealjrn I didn’t see the pic when I wrote that. It’s different than the normal ones.
@therealjrn I’m thinking the new plastic gate which comes in the repair kit will slide into those grooves.
¯_(ツ)_/¯
@therealjrn maybe just stick a cork in it… Jk
@therealjrn @ruouttaurmind hard to tell without seeing it in person. Bring your spout to the store and try it in person.
@RiotDemon
Yeah, sorry about that. The inside piece appears to be very old rubber. I’m getting black on my fingers from messing with it and it is somewhat flexible. I think it’s missing some parts.
@RiotDemon @therealjrn Take it to Ace Hardware. Because Ace is the place with the helpful hardware man (and woman).
@ruouttaurmind
That’s my hope too!
@therealjrn Worst case you may need to trim a couple mm off the sides. But I’m thinking you’re gonna be gold pony boy.
@ruouttaurmind Hey! I have that Woot shirt!
@ruouttaurmind
Well, looks like @RiotDemon has the sharp eye. It was indeed a Delta, and the little generic fixy bits didn’t come close to fitting.
But still, happy ending. Lowe’s took the kit back, no fuss. The plumber was back out to work on the master bath pipes and he had a new Delta diverter on his truck.
Don’t even ask me how much he charged me for it. lol There’s a convenience factor there too!
@therealjrn Glad to hear it’s resolved. That @RiotDemon is one sharp cookie.
@ruouttaurmind @therealjrn thanks guys.
Feel free to throw other random plumbing parts questions my way. Sometimes I know things.
@RiotDemon Since you mentioned it…
I went to take a shower. Turned on the water, pulled up to divert the water to the showerhead and this doohickey fell out. No shower for me.
@speediedelivery I don’t recognize that particular part. If the water keeps coming out of the spout, then it’s the diverter that fell out.
Take a look at the plate where you turn the water on and see if there’s a name.
@RiotDemon Moen. Yes, the water still comes out.
@speediedelivery I wonder if you have an aftermarket spout… Most moens use the repair kit I linked above.
If you own the house, and can find your tub faucet set on moen.com, you can usually call them and get a warranty replacement. 1-800-buy-moen. As long as you give them the “date you purchased it” you can usually do a warranty claim without a receipt.
Great to see useful plumbing info on Meh, of all places. I don’t have to replace on now, but this will likely be helpful in the future! Thanks.
@andyw Next up, I want to replace the bath faucets and replace the little rusty chrome rings around the drains. But I need the shower to work because my master bath is all torn up because I’m getting a custom tile shower, vanity, lights, the whole shmear. lol
@therealjrn Good luck with all of that!
@andyw @therealjrn here’s the best advice I can give you when it comes to plumbing.
Don’t rip shit apart on weekends or nights.
Plumbers charge extra for emergency visits outside of normal hours.
2nd best plumbing advice. Don’t chew your fingernails.
@andyw The master bath has been a bear.
They cut out the old fiberglass enclosure and discovered all sorts of problems behind the walls. We’re talking a HUGE hole cut into the foundation under the shower enclosure, loose drain pipes that have been leaking for close to 50 years down there and pipes that were not attached to anything. No wonder they banged. The framing is all screwed up too so it has been a lot of remedial work.
I hope to be able to do this little diverter project and the other stuff because I need to learn a few little plumbing fixes anyway. Here’s a pic of what is looks like now. We got aways to go yet.
@andyw @therealjrn when we built our bathroom we put all the shower controls towards the edge of the tub rather than in the center. Makes them easier to reach from outside. I broke my ankle a little more than a month ago and every day I appreciate that little extra effort we put in initially that saves me having to balance and reach for the controls. I highly recommend the design. You may not need it today but there may come a time…
Thanks. Yes, I am pretty careful with those thing!
As we have progressed into taking out the old crappy bath cabinet and taking up the tile that was laid over the old linoleum (SMH) we discovered one of the “long” walls in the bath is fully 5/8ths of an inch longer than the opposite wall. lol It’s crazy how much the framing is off.