Shower diverter problem -- Answers anyone??

[tim birr]

I have a Moen shower set-up, which works fine, except lately the diverter (I think that is the name of the part) seems to bind a bit when I push it in to divert water from the tub spout to the shower head.

Probably doesn't make any difference, but it closely resembles the picture of this set-up that I found on the Amazon.com Web site:

._SS500_.jpg So, the part I am talking about is the little -- probably quarter-inch in diameter "push-pull" chrome rod that you can see below the large On- Off round plastic handle in the picture.

What I was thinking was to spray a bit of Silcone lubricant or maybe even some PB Blaster penetrating oil. Is this a good idea, bad idea?

Anyone with any better ideas, other than replacing the valve. :>o ? Tim

[sligoNoSPAMjoe]

Yea, that's a diverter. They tend to do that after a while. I don't worry about it unitl it becomes a functional issue. It it gets bad I replave the assembly.

I would worry about using any kind of solvent. The silcone, might work for a while, but I doubt if anything other than replacement will work for long.

[hrhofmann]

Can you force some vinegar into the area in question, it should help dissolve any crud build-up.

[tim birr]

Didn't think about mineral build-up -- I've been using something called Mineral Magic around the house lately....it works very slowly....like it takes months of using on a weekly basis...but it does eventually -- SIGH -- seem to do the job.

Supposedly, it is "environmentally friendly" and while it does not bother my skin in the least, it burns the hell out of my Danish "milk maid" wife's hands. So, I could try that. I live on a farm and have some ultra-fine 25-gauge syringes around that might just be able to get some of this gunk into the space.

This mineral stuff says it is: organic urea salt, mild surfactants -- it wouldn't screw up anything in there, would it....I know there are probably much faster and better products, but wife is really on an environmental kick lately.

The Web site for Mineral Magic:

Or maybe try vinegar first and then the MM....AAARRGH

[Roanin]

Turn off the water Pop the center out of the knob Unscrew the screw in the center of the knob and the screws on the chrome trim piece/cover. Take off the chrome cover and the knob. Locate the nut on the diverter and unscrew it. Clean and delime it reassemble in reverse order Turn water back on Check for leaks Should now work fine

R

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[DerbyDad03]

1 - Grab the Mineral Magic. 2 - Grab one of wife's Milk Maid hands. 3 - Walk them both over to the garbage can. 4 - Say "Honey, because this stuff hurts your hands, we're not going to use it any more. 5 - Toss it (the MM) in the garbage. 6 - Say "We're going to use vinegar from now on. It's cheaper, it's works much faster than MM and it won't hurt your delicate hands. I love you."

Seriously - it takes *months* for that stuff to work? There ain't no magic in that!

[Roger Shoaf]

Agree with all of the above, but before you reassemble, lube it with plumbers grease. (Available at any good hardware store.)

[auggie]

if you do lube it with something don't use pb, it has a bad habit of eating rubber parts, had that stuff break down ruber gromets before

[tim birr]

Hey, OP Again!

Thanks all for your suggestions! I KNOW the replacement suggestion is probably the best and most long-lasting of all, and I will keep the instructions handy in my gmail folder. But this IS a 1970's era fiberglass tub and I am afraid if Imess around too much, I may inadvertently crack/stress the fiberglass.

And, since I already had to pull out one other showerstall from that era in the second bathroom because of that very problem (cracked fiberglass) about 9 months ago, not ready to chance that quite yet.

Anyway, I put a generous amount of Duralube Silicone spray on it yesterday, worked the diverter back and forth several times and finally left it in the "pushed in" position for about six hours. It now works very smoothly for the time being. Time will tell.

And, yes, the mineral magic does work very slowly, but I am using it on a toilet that has had "disgusting" hard water deposits for the past

15 years that we tried to remove with any number of items -- with no luck. So, far, using the Mineral Magic since about May, I have managed to get about 75 percent of the deposits off. Once a week treatment. I figure I will go through the entire gallon about the time it all goes away!

[Oren]

OP,

Re: .."a toilet that has had "disgusting" hard water deposits.."

Have a look here.

Muriatic Acid Method

[tim birr]

Septic System, no Muriatic and as little Clorox as possible. . Also, toilet itself is fine, no clogs, the little under rim holes are open, just a ton of iron deposits along the top quarter of the bowl.

[sligoNoSPAMjoe]

When that happens to me I just replace the tub spout.