Shower leaking

Submitted by YeaSpiderman t3_z3kay9 in DIY

Installed a.new cartridge (oem part). Everything is in correctly. Everything lines up where it should. Everything is tight. I restored flow to my shower which was my goal. However when the shower handle is in the off position I get a small drip.

I tried fixing this almost a year ago. Had the wrong cartridge. Shower leaked after installation but would turn completely off if the handle were in the exact position. Like not even a fraction of a millimeter off.

I turned the valve off behind the faceplate of the handle both cold and hot but my shower faucet is dripping.

Does this mean my valve is my issue?

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A_Plumber2020 t1_ixm4rae wrote

You may have some "pitting" on the "seat" area of the valve body (the whole brass assembly) where the cartridge (which you replaced) comes into contact with the valve body. They make specific tools for smoothing these back out, although often you can get by with some sand paper. If the seat face is not completely smooth then the o-rings cannot seal and you will get water coming past the cartridge.

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YeaSpiderman OP t1_ixm8wiv wrote

That’s a great idea. It did look a bit weathered but nothing came off with my finger when I saw that initially.

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YeaSpiderman OP t1_ixmif5x wrote

Would a little bit of silicone grease on the gasket help out at all?

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YeaSpiderman OP t1_iy8otl5 wrote

Took a picture inside the valve seat. Tried my best to get some sandpaper in there and some of the oxidation came off.

https://clickpix.org/image/zNYIaW

Any thoughts based on what you see?

Could it be a washer in the actual faucet that is allowing water to drip?

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69Dankdaddy69 t1_ixm2oos wrote

If its leaking, that means water is passing the valves in the tap(s) (you might have one of those mixer things that combined hot and cold)

I fixed mine by swapping out the valve. Look like little spinning tops and you can buy packs of em for like $10.

If thats your problem, you can look up how-tos online for replacing valves in taps. Very easy job. Took me ten minutes to do my shower, and thats only because the value was stuck.

Any online guide will warn you to turn off your water supply to your house first. I will remind you also.

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DotAccomplished5484 t1_ixm7vxt wrote

The problem is most likely the valve body is pitted or worn allowing water to seep past the O-rings. Another possibility is thread distortion resulting from trying to shut off the drip by over tightening the valve. There are many videos on repair processes, but the success rate of these repairs is significantly short of universal.

Try the repairs because they are relatively inexpensive. Then door #2 is replacement of the valve.

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A_Plumber2020 t1_ixmj5tz wrote

It may, I usually start out with a bit of that if the valve seats don't look too bad. Kinda hard to tell you without seeing it firsthand. It could be worth a try.

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LeroyMoriarty t1_ixpa6qj wrote

Not trying to be insulting, did all o rings from the old cartridge come out? I’ve got a property with 478 cartridges similar to yours. Even after a few years I fuck my self by forgetting to check for them when I swap one. Will fit well enough to reassemble but not to seal correctly.

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YeaSpiderman OP t1_ixq5l8v wrote

Old gasket was removed and confirmed there was nothing in the valve body with my finger and a light.

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