Is there a plumber in the house?

[Tuscen]

Sorry to ask such a stupid question on a gun forum but I’ve had this leaky shower head for a while now and it’s driving me crazy. I’ve looked online at various plumbing related sources and nothing seems to solve my specific problem.

In my shower only I have a delta 1300 series single handle faucet (probably 8 years old). I took the shower head and goose neck off to find that the leak comes out of the threaded 90* that lies in the wall. I went to Home Depot and told the plumber guy my prob and he gave me replacement seats and springs. So I pulled out the cartridge and replaced the seats and springs and the damn thing still leaks. So now I don’t know where to go from here. Could the entire cartridge need to be replaced or is there something else that could be going on here? I don’t have the cash right now to call a plumber or to start a project that may have me tearing into the tile to tinker around. If I can’t figure it out I may just have to splice some shutoffs into the water lines just to get it to stop for the time being.

There are so many knowledgeable folks on this site I’m hoping somebody can maybe point me in the right direction. Thanx.

[tec]

Whoa, you found the leak at the 90 in the wall where?????? at the handle on the bottom or at the shower head at the top???? Two different problems here. Quite possible three: shower head, valve, valve body.

If its leaking at the top, in the wall as you said, then just remove the horizontal pipe going into the wall , clean the treads of debri, wrap it with TEFLON plumbers tape($00.49), coat it with plumbers pipe/thread sealant($03.49) then stick it back in the hole and tighten reasonably tight. If it still leaks there, then you will have to cut a whole in the wall to find out exact problem. Probably a bad soildered joint at the 90.

If it is leaking at the control handle, where is it leaking at the control handle. Delta valves are good, but not great. They do develop leaks in the valve body that requires whole valve replacement.

If the whole cartridge needs replaced you dont need to tear up the tile in the shower if you have access to the area from BEHIND it, generally they design house such that you cut a hole in a closet wall and presto you see the back of the shower valve. MUCH easier and cleaner. THen when your done doing the repairs, you can just get a 1/4inch thick piece of plywood, PRIME IT then paint it and screw it up to the wall.

Changing the cartridge generally isnt that hard. for your delta 1300 it costs 28 bucks from home depot. Your cartridge is all plastic so it shouldnt be stuck in there. Getting those o rings to set right can be a bit of a problem though. When you put in the new seals and springs did you use PLUMBERS grease???($00.49) It helps them slide in smooth and set right. IF you pull out the cartridge again, look for cracks in it. cracks are bad. Look for cracks in the valve body with the cartridge out, again, cracks are bad.

let me know,

[Tuscen]

I dont think i described the 90* leak well. When I took of the shower head there was still a slow trickle from the goose neck. When I took of the goosneck the trickle came out of the 90* itself, not at the soldering joint. I tape doped it up real good and screwed it back in. It's almost sems as if the control module isn't turning off completely even though I have taken the dial off and tinkered with it trying to get it to stop completely.
It doesnt leak at the control module and I didnt use grease for replacement seats and springs. They just kinda went in the way they were when i took the old ones out.
Ill try to reseat seats and springs again to see if that is the problem. Thanx for your response.

[tec]

with the shower head off, your still getting a trickle of water?? Then its your valve assemble that needs replacement. But, you should try to reseat the whole assembly first, it might be that the seal didn't seat right.
After that, if it still leaks, go for broke and :
1. make certain there is NO calcium buildup in the valve body, especially where the seals and springs go. Calcium is the white crusty stuff, dental pick or a unfolded paper clip gently scraped across the area will remove it.
2.if it still leaks a trickle at the shower head then dismantle the valve again and take the new springs and gently, using two flat tipped screwdrivers or drywall mud scrapers, stretch the springs a little bit. Reassemble and try again.
If it still leaks, then for sure you need a new valve cartridge.

Correction, plumbers grease is $1.49, sorry.

let me know. sad to say, my wife is kicking my butt and I have to go work now. I'll be back about 9 tonight.

[Tuscen]

tec, thank you, thank you, thank you! As soon as I get the time today I will do as you have instructed. I really appreciate it!

[Tuscen]

tec,
I did everything you said except buy a new cartridge. The drip slowed a little. At first I thought it had stopped completely but I gave it til this morning. It drips once every 10 seconds or so which is much better than what it was. I think I'll probably just go by a new cartridge later this evening and hope for the best.

On a different note I seen you were from Toledo on the Ohio count on the other thread. I'm just north of Detroit and travel to Toledo all the time. My dad's side of the family is originally from there. My G Grandfather and GG Grandfather worked for the railroads there and my other GG grandfather owned a bar on Front Street. I go to the TPL all the time to do research as well as Willow and Forest Cemeteries where my kin are buried. In fact we had the first family reunion in 50 years at Pearson Park 3 years ago. My grandpa lived on Nevada St and then on Hurd St. Are you in SE Toledo?

Anyway, I have been to Tony Packos several times. Clinger rules!

[Don]

My daughter and I just changed the seat on my Mom's Delta faucet. The plastic body had some of the black seal built up on the plastic face of the valve body (twin faucet type, but I think it is a similar design). Cleaned it off with steel wool and inspected to see of the face was flat. It was, so it went back in with no further leaks. If it was not flat I would have lapped it with fine sandpaper on a piece of flat glass to get it flat again.

[Tuscen]

The nightmare continues...

So I go to get a new cartridge and the HD guy talks me out of it and told me to do what tec said, this time with the plumber's grease. So I do. When I get it all back together it leaks like it did before almost 2 drips a second. Which is worse than I had it this morning upon initially doing the same thing. This morning it was about a drip every 5-10 seconds. Nutz!

Anyway I was wondering...There has been times when I overtightened the control knob off and you could feel it slip past the stopping point. I'm wondering if overtightening the control knob would mess up any gears/assembly or whathaveyou that shuts the water completely off. I cant be sure in the slightest but the drip couldve started around the first time I overtightened the knob too far. I dunno. Am I grasping at straws here or could this cause a constant dripping problem?

[tec]

Yes overtightening can cause it to leak.
if you still have a leak-------------you might have the seals in crooked, you might have the springs not setting all the way into the seals, you might have crud in the seal seat.

That is it, probably crud in the seating area or your valve is not sitting all the way into the body tightly.

Some of these types of repairs cause me to drink because they are so frustrating.

ahhhhhh.

you have three visible black o rings on the valve right???
if your three valve seats are clean and it is still leaking, take the valve back to where ya bought it, get another. I used to have about 60 apts with those valves, i ordered them in bulk. About 1 in ten is bad.

Also, if i remember right, you have a piece that goes on the valve that has to be indexed just right. THis is where the handle goes on to the valve stem.

sorry about the drip-----
let me know

[tec]

Yes overtightening can cause it to leak.
if you still have a leak-------------you might have the seals in crooked, you might have the springs not setting all the way into the seals, you might have crud in the seal seat.

That is it, probably crud in the seating area or your valve is not sitting all the way into the body tightly.

Some of these types of repairs cause me to drink because they are so frustrating.

ahhhhhh.

you have three visible black o rings on the valve right???
if your three valve seats are clean and it is still leaking, take the valve back to where ya bought it, get another. I used to have about 60 apts with those valves, i ordered them in bulk. About 1 in ten is bad.

Also, if i remember right, you have a piece that goes on the valve that has to be indexed just right. THis is where the handle goes on to the valve stem.

sorry about the drip-----
let me know


sorry read your last post wrong- thought you did get a new valve. most of this post still applies.