dripping shower, fix didn't work

[TimR]

I have had a steady drip from the shower. At first turning it off harder stopped it, then that stopped working.

So, I took it apart. It's a two faucet shower, unknown brand. The washer on the end was chewed up, and the seat had a nick in it.

I'd have replaced the whole assembly, but nobody in town had one. So I replaced the seat and the washer, new packing, etc.

Turned the water back on, and it still dripped at the same rate. I took itapart again and swapped out the cone washer for a flat washer from a rebuild kit, but it made no difference at all. It still drips. Aside from the drip everything works fine. The water turns on and (mostly) off smoothly, no leaks, etc.

I'm not sure what to try next. There isn't easy access to replace more parts, but really the stem repairs should have done something.

 

[David L. Martel]

TimR,

By two faucet I presume you mean two valve. You found a worn out faucet
washer and a damaged valve seat. You also replaced the packing.
What work did you do on the other valve? If you turn off the water to the
valves does the faucet still drip? Is it the shower head or the tub spout
which drips? Do you have a valve which switches the flow from spout to head?

Dave M.

 

[Bill]

I have had a steady drip from the shower. At first turning it off harder stopped it, then that stopped working.

So, I took it apart. It's a two faucet shower, unknown brand. The washer on the end was chewed up, and the seat had a nick in it.

I'd have replaced the whole assembly, but nobody in town had one. So I replaced the seat and the washer, new packing, etc.

Turned the water back on, and it still dripped at the same rate. I took it apart again and swapped out the cone washer for a flat washer from a rebuild kit, but it made no difference at all. It still drips. Aside from the drip everything works fine. The water turns on and (mostly) off smoothly, no leaks, etc.

I'm not sure what to try next. There isn't easy access to replace more parts, but really the stem repairs should have done something.

Itmay be comparing apples or oranges, but on my *sink*the rubber parts
that I replace to fix a drip are UNDER the stem. Sorry, I know no more.

 

[recyclebinned]

I have had a steady drip from the shower. At first turning it off harderstopped it, then that stopped working.



So, I took it apart. It's a two faucet shower, unknown brand. The washer on the end was chewed up, and the seat had a nick in it.



I'd have replaced the whole assembly, but nobody in town had one. So I replaced the seat and the washer, new packing, etc.



Turned the water back on, and it still dripped at the same rate. I took it apart again and swapped out the cone washer for a flat washer from a rebuild kit, but it made no difference at all. It still drips. Aside from the drip everything works fine. The water turns on and (mostly) off smoothly, no leaks, etc.



I'm not sure what to try next. There isn't easy access to replace more parts, but really the stem repairs should have done something.

Same questions as David L. Martel
plus:

Did you put Teflon tape around the threads of the seat that you replaced?
Could your stem be bent that it doesn’t compress the washer evenly against the seat?

 

[TimR]

On Tuesday, August 20, 2013 12:30:11 PM UTC-7, TimR wrote:

Same questions as David L. Martel

plus:



Did you put Teflon tape around the threads of the seat that you replaced?

Could your stem be bent that it doesn’t compress the washer evenly against the seat?

It's a two faucet shower, and I only worked on one side. That may have been a mistake. However, there was a reason. The cold water side seemed to be the one causing the drip, because for a while turning it off harder stopped it. That seemed confirmed when I took it apart and saw a damaged washerand damaged seat. It also seemed confirmed when I left the house water turned on, but turned the hot water supply off at the tank, and the drip did not change. (I don't have a whole house shutoff, I have to use the curb stop, but there is a shutoff on the hot water tank.)

I did not use teflon on the seat, and perhaps that was a mistake. Do you think it could leak around the seat enough to drip? It was very hard to getthe seat started without crossthreading, and I didn't tape it being prettysure the tape would come off in the process. It's tricky to get that seatway inside the valve body.

If that is in fact the problem, then it means that the old problem (bad washer and seat) is fixed and a new problem (leaking around the seat) cause exactly the same symptoms.

 

[David L. Martel]

TimR,

Take apart both valves. Compare the parts. Someone may have used the
wrong parts in the valve that you repaired. Maybe try a flat washer if the
stem is long enough. I'd rebuild the cold valve, new washer and packing.

Dave M.

 

[Oren]

I'm not sure what to try next. There isn't easy access to replace more parts, but really the stem repairs should have done something.

When you fastened things down (bonnet nut), was the stem seated? Try
backing the stem out a tad so it is not seated down before you tighten
the bonnet nut.

Have a photo to post?

YMMV

 

[TimR]

TimR,



Take apart both valves. Compare the parts. Someone may have used the

wrong parts in the valve that you repaired. Maybe try a flat washer if the

stem is long enough. I'd rebuild the cold valve, new washer and packing.

Thanks. We're thinking along the same lines. There are several parts now different from the original. I changed the seat, which was dinged up, but they could not match it exactly. I also changed the washer, and the cup that held the washer was split, so I ground it down and added a replacement cup. Too many variables at once.

Today I took the old seat to the fourth plumbing supply in town, they can'tmatch it. I'll have to drive up to the next big city.

Meanwhile, I removed the cup and went back to just the cone washer. When Iturned the water back on, no drip. Temporarily. But once the shower was turned on, turning it off left with a drip. Arggh. But that suggests it may actually be the seat/washer interface rather than something I'm missing.

So, one last try. In very good light I found the markings on the old flat washer and matched it exactly. Right now the shower is not dripping - but I've been there before. I'm just going to delay testing it until someone really really needs to shower. Hee, hee.

The last variable is the replacement seat. I do intend to get the exact replacement as soon as possible. But, I'm very wary of crossthreading that one. It is deep inside the valve body and very hard to line up, and if I docrossthread it I think I'm screwed.

 

[TimR]

So, one last try. In very good light I found the markings on the old flat washer and matched it exactly. Right now the shower is not dripping - but I've been there before. I'm just going to delay testing it until someonereally really needs to shower. Hee, hee.

New data. After about an hour of not dripping, it started dripping again at about the same rate.

I have no theory at all.

 

[David L. Martel]

TimR,

When you replaced the seat did you get a washer to match the new seat?
Buy an assortment of washers and methodically try each type and size,
maybe.
Maybe put a metal washer as a shim between the stem and the faucet
washer.
As you can tell, I'm lost here. All I mcan think of is a bent stem,
which probably means replacing the valves.

Dave M.

 

[Nate Nagel]

New washers on good seats always work IME. Never replaced a seat
common faucet seat because none went bad. Ground many seats on Navy
valves though. Only thing I can figure is what somebody else said -
dope the seat threads. I wouldn't use tape. Dope. Also make sure
the new seat is identical to the old, and the depth is the same after
putting it in. As you've found out, sometimes it's better to replace
old stuff than try to repair it. So if doping the seat threads didn't
work, I'd go with a new faucet.

I'm assuming that he's trying to avoid ripping out the wall to replace
the valve assy...

OP, can you determine if it is the H or C valve that is leaking, and
have you tried swapping the stems for the H and C valves to see if
the leak follows the stem? that's my only thought that seems plausible
at the moment.

 

[TimR]

I'm assuming that he's trying to avoid ripping out the wall to replace

the valve assy...



OP, can you determine if it is the H or C valve that is leaking, and

have you tried swapping the stems for the H and C valves to see if

the leak follows the stem? that's my only thought that seems plausible

at the moment.

That is brilliant! And obvious, but that didn't make me think of it.

The cold is dripping, the hot is not. Since the handles are corroded on and extremely hard to get off, I only worked on the cold. Now you've given me another direction to go.

 

[N8N]

Well, if you are worried about breaking something you could just go buy a new stem... will cost you a few bucks if itdoesn't work though.

 

[hrhofmann]

I have had a steady drip from the shower. At first turning it off harder stopped it, then that stopped working. So, I took it apart. It's a two faucet shower, unknown brand. The washer on the end was chewed up, and the seathad a nick in it. I'd have replaced the whole assembly, but nobody in townhad one. So I replaced the seat and the washer, new packing, etc. Turned the water back on, and it still dripped at the same rate. I took it apart again and swapped out the cone washer for a flat washer from a rebuild kit, but it made no difference at all. It still drips. Aside from the drip everything works fine. The water turns on and (mostly) off smoothly, no leaks, etc. I'm not sure what to try next. There isn't easy access to replace more parts, but really the stem repairs should have done something.

How do you know the cold is ths cu;prit. If it is a slow drip, the hot water may have cooled off by the time the water reaches the spout, assuming that is where thedrip is noticed.

 

[TimR]

How do you know the cold is ths cu;prit. If it is a slow drip, the hot water may have cooled off by the time the water reaches the spout, assuming that is where thedrip is noticed.

I don't have a house shutoff, so I have to kill the water at the curb.

But I do have a valve on the output of the hot water tank.

1. Shutting off the hot water does not affect the drip.
2. When the drip first started, turning the cold water off extra hard stopped it.
3. Since I worked on the cold water faucet, the drip is much much worse.

So I don't really know it's the cold water, but the evidence seems reasonable.

 

[chaniarts]

I don't have a house shutoff, so I have to kill the water at the curb.

But I do have a valve on the output of the hot water tank.

1. Shutting off the hot water does not affect the drip.
2. When the drip first started, turning the cold water off extra hard stopped it.
3. Since I worked on the cold water faucet, the drip is much much worse.

So I don't really know it's the cold water, but the evidence seems reasonable.

i would replace both. i've had it seem like a leak is in one, but really
the other.

 

[Dicky]

When reassembly the stem with a new washer into its housing make sure the
valve is fully opened so that the stem seats properly before you close the
valve.

"N8N" wrote in message


Well, if you are worried about breaking something you could just go buy a
new stem... will cost you a few bucks if itdoesn't work though.

 

[Oren]

When reassembly the stem with a new washer into its housing make sure the
valve is fully opened so that the stem seats properly before you close the
valve.

Bingo!

Same with an entirely new stem and washer.

 

[TimR]

I may have made some progress, though it's too early to know how long it will last.

I did not succeed in finding a replacement stem, and I probably need to do that, since the cup that holds the washer was split.

I had replaced the seat and the washer, but not with exact replacements.

I found an exact replacement for the old washer, but that did not stop the drip. I couldn't find an exact replacement for the seat.

But I had the old seat out, and it wasn't too hard to polish up the seat with a bit of metal grinding compound on a pane of glass and get the nicks out.

So I put the old seat back in, carefully, with some rectorseal on the threads, and another new washer.

So far it is holding without a drip. (but I've been this close before!)