Most of these parts will be made of metal, even in a diverter that uses a plastic cartridge, and when metal meets water, it starts to rust. While shower diverters may be simple devices, they are still made up of several small parts, a couple of levers, and a control handle. When the valve has reached the end of its useful life, you won’t be able to get water to flow from the showerhead, regardless of the position of the diverter controls. Leaving the diverter engaged at all times can cause indentations to form in the rubber gasket, causing it to leak. If you’re one of those people, stop doing it. Some folks – including the writer of this blog-insist on leaving their bathtub diverter valve in the “closed” position when we exit the shower. Eventually, as more of the rubber liftgate wears away, there won’t be enough left to block water flow, significantly reducing water pressure at the showerhead. As the flapper in the diverter valve begins to age like all rubber appliances exposed to water, it will start to rot away, causing your tub faucet to drip. Even though the control handle for the diverter is located on top of the tub faucet, the actual valve usually lives just behind the faucet handles, out of sight. One of the first signs that your shower diverter may be in trouble is leaks from the tub faucet while taking a shower. Here’s a quick list of some problems a homeowner might experience related to diverter valves and what each one can mean. Shower diverter valves are straightforward devices and, as such, aren’t really prone to mechanical failures, but they do have parts that can wear out or break. Triple-Handle Shower Assembly w/Cartridge Diverter What Can Go Wrong with a Shower Diverter? Faucet cartridges replace the moving metal parts of a regular diverter with plastic that allows for smoother operation and the ability to adjust temperature and water pressure with a single control. A rubber valve is activated by pulling that pin upward, which blocks the water flow from the faucet, creating back pressure that carries the water upward to the showerhead.įor those homeowners with a triple-handle assembly type, you have what’s known as a diverter cartridge that sits between the hot and cold handles. The control mechanism for the diverter valve can be found near the open end of your bathtub spigot, appearing as a metal pin with a small handle. Still, the one most homeowners are familiar with is the diverter valve, controlled via a simple “pull-up” handle at the end of the bathtub faucet. There are a couple of different styles of shower diverters. The shower diverter is a mechanical device that allows you to re-route water flow from the bathtub faucet to the showerhead, and it’s that simple. Like most plumbing-related things, the shower diverter can break down mechanically, is prone to corrosion, and will eventually require repair or replacement. Did you know that if you have a combination bathtub and shower head, you also have a shower diverter device? You use it every time you need to redirect water flow from your bathtub faucet to the showerhead.
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