Pluming / Shower Diverter

[steve]

I have an older shower. I have removed the Shower diverter and replaced it. I have the type that has a spring on it and you pull it out to make water go to the shower and then push in (or turn water off ) to make it go to the tub. This diverter is on the wall eg its NOT the type that is built into the the tub water outlet.

The problem is that after I have replaced the part it now leaks even worse from the diverter, particularly when the tub is being filled.

As I asess the problem I think that my problem is that the rubber O ring that goes on the outside of the plastic sleeve is falling off and not sealing when i insert it into the diverter hole that is very tight. Here is a picture of my part. (click on the picture its self for a bigger view)

On the picture you can see the O ring goes around the plastic sleeve and sits in a channel. But when I put it into the very tight shower diverter hole, I think it falls off or partialy falls off. I believe this because when I carfully pull it out the plastic sleave, after yet another failed atempt to put the diverter in, O ring is off or partially off and it is slumped forward eg in the direction that it would natually fall/or slide offf while pushing it in NOT pulling it out. Thus I think when I push it in the tight fit is making it come out of the small groove that cermufrances (if thats a word) the plastic housing it fits around (again see my link above)

Im apealing to those of you who may have done this before and has some experience with this problem. I have tried putting vaciline on it to make it more slippering but that has nto worked.

Thanks Unwashed famly.

[salty]

In my experience with a simlar type of diverter of a different (Delta) brand, I found that you HAVE to buy a real one at inflated prices from a real plumbing supply house. The ones from hardware stores and home improvement centers never last very long. The other thing is that you need to carefully avoid OVER tightening. Once you crank on that thing even a little, it is forever distorted.

[steve]

Thanks for the help. You may be right. However I have resolved the problem, perhaps incorrectly or in a counter intuitive way, but what I did was instead of putting the washer in the groove that it is intended for, I put it further back on the plastic shaft. There is a large area really the same diameter at the groved point ment for the O ring. If you put the O ring there behind the grooved place I think what happens is that when you push on the diverter to insert it it indeed slides along and then actualy slids into the hole it was intended for. So you are using the slipping in for favour. ===O=>>{}---- ===>>{0}-----

Regards.

[Jon Danniken]

Petroleum jelly can dissolve some types of o-rings. Better to use a silicone lubricant for that application.

Jon

[jim]

No wd40 as it swells rubber and it might never go back in or come out , but as someone said they are from Delta and yes OEM works best . Check to make sure that the hole that it goe's into is clean of any other junk.

[Roger Shoaf]

No wd40 as it swells rubber and it might never go back in or come out , but as someone said they are from Delta and yes OEM works best . Check to make sure that the hole that it goe's into is clean of any other junk.

Two things that should be in a home owners tool kit are plumbers grease and plumbers putty.

[Tony]

Since it's food safe and it doesn't spoil I tried mineral oil on an o-ring in the kitchen spray hose thingy. It swelled up very tight and I had to take it apart to turn it off. A new o-ring with no lube seems to work well. (the original problem what the spray hose would dribble a little water when the faucet was on)

[Tony]

I have the putty, I'll look for the grease so I have it the next time. Maybe I can fix all the garden hose spray attachments that seldom make it through 1 whole summer?

[Jon Danniken]

Mineral oil is not silicone lubricant, it is a petroleum derived oil with a viscosity less than that of petroleum jelly.

Silicone lubricant is not petroleum based, and it is available in food safe varieties.

Jon

[Tony]

I didn't think I was giving that impression that mineral oil is silicone with my post. I was simply mentioning what I had tried and failed.