Low pressure hot water side of shower.

[creece09]

Title says it all. So, you magic plumbing forum guys/girls can fix my problem now, right?

Okay, just kidding. Here's the situation:

My tub/shower combo is having low pressure when I turn the delta (single handle "ball and joint" no filter) handle to the hot side. The water gets hot, but comes out slowly and maintains that same slow pressure. I've undone the handle and replaced the spring and rubber black part. The ball is fine as well. Once I had the handle undone and off, I turned the water to the house on to try and flush the hot water side. No luck. The cold side shoots out like Niagara Falls, but the hot side is still low pressure. I've searched the Internet and have found that back flushing may work, but it's always a sink but never how to back flush a shower. Short of cutting out an access hole behind the faucet and replacing the pipes (pvc, house built in 95) any other suggestions?

Thanks

 

[Mr_David]

never done it but remove the cup and spring from the hot side reinstall the ball.
remove and cap the shower head. use the spout diverter to stop spout flow.
disconnect the hot supply on water heater and attach a hose to hot line . make sure the valve to WH works. this is the best way to get back flow so dislodging any small items will flow to the larger piping back to the heater and out the hose and not to another fixture.

Or it could be the nipple on the water heaters are closing up causing the low hot volume. with tub/shower on hows water volume at other fixture still okay?

 

[creece09]

Just had the tub/shower going and water at other fixtures was unchanged, just as if the problem tub/shower wasn't running.

See if I understand correctly,

Remove the black rubber and spring part from the hot water side of the joint behind the ball.

Reconnect now that I have removed the hot side spring thing.

Remove the shower head and cap it off.

Pull up on the spout diverter (as if I am trying to take a shower).

The hot water supply that I would be disconnecting is located at the top of the water heater? The red tubing that connects to the hot side "nipple" coming out of the water heater? Detach that and attach a hose pipe to it.

Also, thanks for taking the time to read and respond!

 

[frodo]

i think David wants you to connect the hose to the pipe , not the water heater nipple.

 

[Mr_David]

Just had the tub/shower going and water at other fixtures was unchanged, just as if the problem tub/shower wasn't running.

See if I understand correctly,

Remove the black rubber and spring part from the hot water side of the joint behind the ball.

Reconnect now that I have removed the hot side spring thing.

Remove the shower head and cap it off.

Pull up on the spout diverter (as if I am trying to take a shower).

The hot water supply that I would be disconnecting is located at the top of the water heater? The red tubing that connects to the hot side "nipple" coming out of the water heater? Detach that and attach a hose pipe to it.

Also, thanks for taking the time to read and respond!

yes. and like Frodo clarified.

I had a water heater dip tube disintegrate and small bits of plastic got jammed up in the integral stop ( built in stop valves on the hot /cold inlets to some valves)

Good luck