TeflonTaper
New Member
Hi! I just joined your forum, and I'm hoping you folks can help me with a perplexing shower problem.
A rarely used shower in our house no longer works (neither hot nor cold water comes from the shower head). After watching several YouTUBE videos, I removed what appears to be a Delta RP cartridge. Per the videos, I took it apart, cleaned all the parts (I soaked them in CLR, though they didn't appear to be clogged up), verified that the spool moves freely, replaced the springs & seals, smeared valve grease on the seals and O-rings, reinstalled the reassembled cartridge... and still got no water. I could hear what sounded to be a split second of water moving to the cartridge, but that was it.
I shut off the water again and removed the cartridge (standing to the side to avoid getting soaked). It was clear that both the hot and cold valve inlets were spewing generous streams of water.
I then assumed that the vertical pipe up to the shower head must be clogged. I eventually was able to snake a several feet of stranded electrical wire down from the shower head arm. It looked like I'd been able to insert enough wire to reach the valve cartridge chamber. I thought this must mean that the shower head pipe was clear of any blockage.
But then I got on a step stool and blew into the shower arm. Even with the cartridge completely removed I could not blow any breath into the pipe and out through the cartridge chamber.
Then I noticed that in addition to the hot and cold water source pipes entering the sides of the cartridge chamber and the vertical pipe on top up to the shower arm, there's also a second vertical pipe down from the cartridge chamber towards. This is a shower only, I've no idea why this lower vertical pipe was installed unless it was put there in case someone decided later on to replace the shower with a tub and needed to tap in a diverter valve assembly.
So I guess my question is, am I correct in assuming that with the valve cartridge removed I should be able to blow into the shower arm and expect air to emerge from the shower head port in the valve chamber? If not, is it still possible that my cartridge needs to be replaced even though I know it's clean and that the spool is moving freely?
I appreciate any advice I can get on this!
A rarely used shower in our house no longer works (neither hot nor cold water comes from the shower head). After watching several YouTUBE videos, I removed what appears to be a Delta RP cartridge. Per the videos, I took it apart, cleaned all the parts (I soaked them in CLR, though they didn't appear to be clogged up), verified that the spool moves freely, replaced the springs & seals, smeared valve grease on the seals and O-rings, reinstalled the reassembled cartridge... and still got no water. I could hear what sounded to be a split second of water moving to the cartridge, but that was it.
I shut off the water again and removed the cartridge (standing to the side to avoid getting soaked). It was clear that both the hot and cold valve inlets were spewing generous streams of water.
I then assumed that the vertical pipe up to the shower head must be clogged. I eventually was able to snake a several feet of stranded electrical wire down from the shower head arm. It looked like I'd been able to insert enough wire to reach the valve cartridge chamber. I thought this must mean that the shower head pipe was clear of any blockage.
But then I got on a step stool and blew into the shower arm. Even with the cartridge completely removed I could not blow any breath into the pipe and out through the cartridge chamber.
Then I noticed that in addition to the hot and cold water source pipes entering the sides of the cartridge chamber and the vertical pipe on top up to the shower arm, there's also a second vertical pipe down from the cartridge chamber towards. This is a shower only, I've no idea why this lower vertical pipe was installed unless it was put there in case someone decided later on to replace the shower with a tub and needed to tap in a diverter valve assembly.
So I guess my question is, am I correct in assuming that with the valve cartridge removed I should be able to blow into the shower arm and expect air to emerge from the shower head port in the valve chamber? If not, is it still possible that my cartridge needs to be replaced even though I know it's clean and that the spool is moving freely?
I appreciate any advice I can get on this!
