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Strange shower valve behavior

Rebeccah | Posted in General Discussion on February 18, 2007 11:29am

I have a stall shower with a Delta Monitor single-handle faucet. The behavior of this faucet is rather strange (not new behavior, it’s been like this ever since I bought the house): It starts out normally, turn the knob counter-clockwise and the temperature starts out cold and goes to hot. But keep turning, and the flow stops entirely. Then it comes back on again, but cold only, until the stop prevents further turning.

The switch from normal to abnormal behavior starts about half-way through the avalable turning range.

Any idea what could cause this?

The valve cartridge doesn’t look like the Delta anti-scald valve, which has two stops and springs. This one just has one stop.

Thanks,

Rebeccah

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Replies

  1. USAnigel | Feb 19, 2007 01:28am | #1

    There should be a plastic "ring" with stops built in under the handle to prevent the over travel you have. This "ring" is also the high temp stop to stop you getting scalded. If you are lucky enought to have the paper work, you should be able to find it on the parts page.

    1. Rebeccah | Feb 19, 2007 08:14pm | #5

      The plastic part only has one stop.I don't have any paperwork, unfortunately. I'm not even sure what model this really is, since what i have doesn't match the one by the same name at Home Depot.Rebeccah

  2. User avater
    maddog3 | Feb 19, 2007 02:03am | #2

    I'm having a very similar problem with mine but (it) is a Chicago Faucet..
    I had to pull the lever off and open the assembly to find a brass ring inside the body which had come loose..that took care of the problem the first time. and that part still appears to be seated

    we also have had some very cold weather these past several weeks and I suspect I have some blockage in the HW supply , there have been some freezing temps in the crawlspace...I forgot about the water lines since we heat primarily with wood and use the furnace as backup

    I have no explanation for my reasoning, except to add that there were some solid particles in the lines after I pulled the valve out and opened the H&C supplies

    it's just that feeling since I have inspected and cleaned the only moving part inside the valve...because
    the hot water is now only dribbling out, but cold has good pressure.

    I have been hoping for better weather ,since I really don't want to be tearing the plumbing apart.....
    .
    .
    ., wer ist jetzt der Idiot ?



    Edited 2/18/2007 6:08 pm by maddog3

  3. User avater
    BillHartmann | Feb 19, 2007 04:41am | #3

    Try Delta customer support.

    http://www.deltafaucet.com/wps/portal/deltacom/kcxml/04_Sj9SPykssy0xPLMnMz0vM0Y_QjzKLd4w38rAESZnFW8aHOepHogtZIoR8PfJzU_WD9L31A_QLckMjyh0dFQGUWRkk/delta/base64xml/L3dJdyEvd0ZNQUFzQUMvNElVRS82X0NfM0s2

    .
    .
    A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
    1. Rebeccah | Feb 19, 2007 08:18pm | #6

      I did find the Delta customer support page and sent them an e-mail. It's a holiday weekend, so I don't know how soon I'll hear back.Rebeccah

  4. FastEddie | Feb 19, 2007 06:53am | #4

    Had the exact same problem in a house we bought.  Water would not get hot enough, no mastter how much I adjusted the scald valve.  Turns out the cartridge was inserted 180 degrees off.  I was reading the troubleshooting section of the mfgr webpage and happened on a small note that hinted at the problem.

     

    "Put your creed in your deed."   Emerson

    "When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it."  T. Roosevelt

    1. Rebeccah | Feb 19, 2007 08:21pm | #7

      --- Turns out the cartridge was inserted 180 degrees off. ---I have heard of this problem before. I need to do some more reading before I feel comfortable taking the thing completely apart. I don't want to end up with a flood. Some valves supposedly have shutoffs right on the valve body, but the hole in the wall isn't big enough to see if there are some on this one, which leads me to suspect probably there aren't.So I'll need to shut off the main, and turn the water heater to "pilot", and run a lower faucet at least a trickle. Right?But then if I break something, I won't be able to turn the house water back on until I get it fixed. So I need to be sure I'm not going to break something.Rebeccah

      1. MikeHennessy | Feb 19, 2007 08:28pm | #8

        Most bathrooms have their own valves so you can shut off the water to the bath only without shutting off the main. Look around in the basement and see if you can trace the supply lines. With any luck, you'll find valves. If not, no real need to shut off the HW heater. Just turn off the water, open a spigot (or, preferably, both hot and cold spigots) somewhere lower than your bath, and then open your bath valve. It'll suck air as the pipes drain. Then you should be good to investigate further.

        Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA

        1. Rebeccah | Feb 19, 2007 09:20pm | #10

          Hi, Mike.Well, this bathroom was done wrong in many respects, and no, there is no shutoff for the bathroom as a whole.I guess there's no way I'll drain the hot water heater in the amount of time it takes to do this, so that's why I don't need to shut it off?Rebeccah

          1. MikeHennessy | Feb 19, 2007 10:56pm | #13

            "there is no shutoff for the bathroom as a whole"

            In that case, if you have to turn off the water to fix this anyway, I'd remedy that problem by installing a pair. No need to drain the HW tank, or even all the piping. You only need to drain everything higher than the offending valve. That's why you open H and C valves at a point lower than your shower valve and then open the shower valve. The system will pretty much drain to the level of the open lower valves. One caveat -- often the main valve doesn't shut off completely, so water may continue to run at the lower valves. Hopefully, you can shut it off enough to dry up the shower valve if you leave the lower ones open and running while you work. If not, I've had to disconnect the meter and let the water run to work around a main that doesn't shut off completely. In such cases, I always install a new main just after the meter so I don't have to stand in a puddle a second time. ; -)

            Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA

      2. FastEddie | Feb 19, 2007 08:44pm | #9

        This is from deltafaucet.com help page.

        Click on a topic below to view answers to commonly asked questions.

        Q: 

        What is wrong in a Monitor valve if the hot water comes on first when rotating the handle counter-clockwise?

        A: 

        When operating a Monitor valve, the cold water should alway come on first and rotating the handle counter-clockwise should then increase temperature. If this is not the case, the water lines may have been connected in reverse. This can be corrected by "flipping" the pressure balancing cartridge.

        View Image

        There are two types of valves. Choose A or B below depending on your series

        A. 1300/1400 Series (RP19804)

        Here are the steps to follow in reversing the operation of your faucet.

        Before you begin, make sure that you shut off the water supply to the faucet.

        Remove the handle. A clear knobs will have a Phillips head screw located just under the plastic cap; a lever handle usually has a small set screw located on the side.

        Slide off the finished metal (chrome, polished brass, white or almond) sleeve that covers the valve.

        Unscrew the bonnet nut. The bonnet nut is a large brass ring and should unscrew by hand. If it is too tight, wrap a towel around the bonnet and use a pair of channel locks. Make sure that the entire valve body does not start to rotate as you do this. Remove the bonnet nut.

        Do not pry the valve cartridge out of the body with a screwdriver. Place the handle on the cartridge stem and rotate it counterclockwise approximately 1/4 turn after the stop has been contacted. Remove the handle. Grasp the brass stem in the center of the white plastic assembly and pull it directly out, away from the wall. The valve cartridge should slide out of the body.

        Reinstall the cartridge after rotating the entire unit 180 degrees. Make sure that the raised plastic stop, marked HOT, is on the right side of the valve.

        Reattach the bonnet nut, trim sleeve, and handle.

         "Put your creed in your deed."   Emerson

        "When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it."  T. Roosevelt

        1. Rebeccah | Feb 19, 2007 09:21pm | #11

          Thanks, Eddie.Printing now...Rebeccah

          1. Rebeccah | Feb 19, 2007 09:52pm | #12

            Finally found the installation instructions and exploded parts diagram on the Delta web site.This appears to be a model 1300 series.It's missing the rotational limit stop, which is supposed to engage the teeth on the inside of the brass ring at the end of the cap assembly. I think this is the cause of my problem, since it does go from cold to hot with counter-clockwise rotation of the knob, it just doesn't stop turning after it goes to hot.It also appears to be missing a spacer and an O-ring that go up under the trim sleeve.I'll see if I can find the missing parts, and if so, if that solves the problem before I start pulling apart anything else.Rebeccah

          2. USAnigel | Feb 20, 2007 04:15am | #14

            Thats the piece I meant, just could not remember the right name. it fits easy. Delta will help you out.

          3. Rebeccah | Feb 20, 2007 09:40pm | #15

            Just got it for free (along with a spacer that was also missing) from a local plumbing supply. :)When I get home from work I'll try it out. I have high hopes!Rebeccah

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