plumbing, tub leaking, hot cold diverter question....

[Destin_FL]

Hello friends,

I have what is probably a really simple plumbing question. In the shower I have 3 faucet control whatevers - the hot, the cold, and the diverter in the middle. The faucet was leaking, so I thought "oh no big deal - I'll take the hot and cold apart and replace the little black washers on the ends of the stems. Sure enough the little black washers were mostly shot, so I went and found the right size that fits perfectly into recess on the end. I think they were size 00.

Well, all of that went perfectly, and I screwed the stems back in and put nuts back on and the decorator ring, blah blah blah.... it all went fine. But the frappin' thing still leaks as bad as it did before!

So what did I miss? Is it possible for that diverter valve to leak? Do I need to take that apart?

I don't know if this helps or not, but I figure I better mention it: If I turn the water off and the diverter valve turned so that water would be coming out of the faucet, the water leaks from the faucet. Drip drip drip... pretty fast drips.

If the water is off and the diverter valve is turned, you know, like you'd be taking a shower, the drips come out of the shower head.

Thanks a million!

Tim

[Speedy Jim]

No, the diverter would not be at fault. Take the Hot/Cold apart again and carefully inspect the "seats", where the washer presses against. Often, they will develop erosion spots or cracks. The seats are usually removeable; look for either a square or hex hole in the center. A seat wrench will help get it out. If you do replace seats, use thread sealant (pipe joint compound) on the threads. Do not use Teflon tape.

Jim

[Destin_FL]

Jim - thanks so much. I saw the seats back in there when I was in there before. I'll definitely check that out. Are they expensive? I'm guessing if they have to be replaced, they have to be matched up, so I should take them with me, yes?

Tim

____________________________________

No, the diverter would not be at fault. Take the Hot/Cold apart again and carefully inspect the "seats", where the washer presses against. Often, they will develop erosion spots or cracks. The seats are usually removeable; look for either a square or hex hole in the center. A seat wrench will help get it out. If you do replace seats, use thread sealant (pipe joint compound) on the threads. Do not use Teflon tape.

Jim

[Speedy Jim]

Yes, take them along; there are literally hundreds of different designs! Jim