my shower is getting very little, or no Hot water
i'm hoping that replacing this valve/cartridge will fix it
photo link
should the Shut Off Valve be in the wall behind behind, or do I have to shut the water off to the whole house?
25 year old house, says Mixet on faucet plate.my newer house [not this one] has a panel of shut off valves, but nothing like that in this older house
thanks, marc
On 10/30/2013 4:32 PM, snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote: ...
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Yes, we have no bananas today... :)
Almost certainly no individual cutoff to a showerhead...at the sinks and toilets, yes; tub/shower, "not so much".
Whole house it is...and hope it works (well enough, anyway).
What kind of pipe? Might be pipe full of rust.
Follow the pipes. In my house the shower does not have a shutoff, but the bathroom does. If you don't have a shutoff valve, turn off the main and put a couple of valves in places that would zone off parts of it.
Some shower valves have built-in, or in-line, shutoff valves. If yours has that feature, you will see them after you remove the big round chrome cover that covers the hole in the wall.
The in-line shutoff valves look like two flathead set screws, one on each side of the valve -- one for hot and one for cold.
Here is one model of the Mixet brand and the shutoff valve screw is shown as part number 19 on the exploded view diagram:
And, here is a YouTube video showing a similar setup on another brand:
On my shower valve, the screw-type shutoffs required turning them clockwise all the way until each valve shut off. On the video, it shows a quarter turn of the screw. I guess different brands use different systems -- if they have the in-line screw-type shutoff valves.
If your shower valve doesn't have these, look for a main shutoff in your house, or get a shutoff curb key tool at Home Depot etc.,
and turn the water off at the curb.
thanks Tom
great stuff
Home Depot today, to get replacement cartridge
marc
I had saved up small plumbing jobs and had them done by a plumber. One was a simple Moen cartridge replacement in my shower. Also have to shut off the house to get at it. I have done these many times but figured a 35 year old cartridge would be tough to remove and it was.
Hardware store prices for Moen cartridges were outrageous. I found much cheaper ones on Amazon. My plumber does not mind me supplying parts.
Many shower and faucet cartridges have a lifetime warranty and the manufacturer will mail a free cartridge if yours is covered by such a warranty and if you can identify the make and model (which you would need anyway to purchase a replacement cartridge). If this applies why buy anywhere?
Lifetime guarantee. Call them for a free one.
it's only 20 bucks, and don't want to wait for replacements, and get into any paperwork, or red tape, returning, mailings, or whatever, etc
we'll simply be happy if it's working again
got the part from Homedepot today; shutting water off tomorrow
thanks marc
My local Home Depot has a book at the display area where the faucet/valve repair parts and cartridges are located. I never noticed it there until my last visit when I needed parts for a bathroom faucet.
Look for the book, and try to find the exact cartridge or part(s) that you need listed in the book. Then look at the "part number"(?) and look for that number on the display wall. Or, bring the old cartridge with you to HD, Lowes, or a plumbing supply place.
Good luck.
Oops, disregard my earlier post. I see you already got the part from Home Depot.
Just for future reference, in my experience there is no paperwork, red tape or returning. The only mailing is from them to you, no questions asked except for the model number and your address.
I've gotten cartridges for shower valves and faucets with no hassle. I recently called for a replacement pull-out kitchen faucet head - the whole head - when mine got clogged with something...and it's not a cheap unit. No questions asked except for the model number and my address.
True Value hardware wanted about $40 for the standard cartridge which I needed. Did not check HD but Amazon was $10 each plus shipping. I always keep a spare cartridge around so got 2 of them.
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