Can Your Plumbers Help Me Fix a Leaking Shower Diverter?

Have you ever hopped into the shower, turned on the tap and found yourself standing in a puddle of water from a leaking shower diverter? We’ve all been there. Keep reading as I hold your hand and walk you through exactly how we at Dan’s Plumbing can help resolve this pesky problem.

Identifying Your Shower Diverter

Your first step towards resolution is identifying your shower diverter. It’s that simple mechanism that redirects water from the bathtub tap up to the showerhead. There are three main types of diverters: tee, three-valve, and two-valve diverters. Knowing which one you have will help diagnose and fix the problem.

Locating it is easy. If you have a single handle in your tub-shower combo controlling water temperature and volume, you’re most likely dealing with a tee diverter. For those with separate taps for hot and cold water, look out for two or three-valve ones. Now that you’ve identified your culprit, let’s take a look at some issues it might face.

Potential Shower Diverter Problems

Regularly using your bathroom generally means wear and tear on the fixtures, hence resulting in a highway of leakage opportunities, such as stubborn diverters not doing their job properly or shower handles refusing to turn off. A comparative study revealed that roughly 10 percent of homes have leaks capable of wasting over 90 gallons of water daily.

Stunningly, a leaking shower diverter is not just any ordinary water leak; it can result in thousands of wasted liters annually! The Environmental Protection Agency rightly advocates repairing such leaks as they can save homeowners about ten percent on their water bills. Don’t overlook those dripping sounds or trickling water under your feet. It’s much more than just an annoyance – let’s look if it’s reparable.

Is Shower Diverter Repairable?

Shower Diverter Repairable

The short answer? Absolutely! Although like any good homeowner you may be tempted to swap out your entire shower tap system, most times you won’t need to. A clogged or worn-out diverter can often be fixed, saving you precious dollars in return.

About 5 to 10 percent of shower diverters are reported to start displaying problems within the first five years of installation. Regular maintenance and periodic check-ups from plumbers (like us at Dan’s Plumbing) can extend this average lifespan to a hefty 20 years! So yes, given the right tools and a bit of patience, most diversions are just a repair away from flowing flawlessly again!

Tools Needed for Repair

With any home repair project, having the correct tools on hand is crucial — all seasoned veterans at Master Plumbers Association will tell you the same thing. For fixing a leaky shower diverter you’ll certainly need an adjustable wrench, screwdriver sets (both flat-head and Phillips), Teflon tape, pliers, and replacement parts (if necessary). You might also want to invest in a flashlight and wear safety goggles for better visibility and protection.

You might find this list extensive but remember, thorough preparation leads to excellent results. Who knows, once you’ve done this, you may develop a newfound interest in plumbing!

Shutting Off the Water

Shutting off the water supply is a critical step before beginning any plumbing maintenance work. Locate your home’s main water valve; usually found outside the house or in the basement. Closing this valve ensures no more water flows while you’re working on the diverter. This prevents unnecessary messes and potential minor flooding — because let’s be serious — dealing with a water-logged floor afterwards is guaranteed to dampen anyone’s DIY enthusiasm.

After shutting off the water, switch on your shower and bathtub tap to drain any remaining water from the pipes. As simple as it may seem, this step saves you many dripping headaches.

Removing the Shower Handle

The first part in getting access to your faulty diverter? Removing your shower handle. Use a screwdriver to remove the piece (often called escutcheon plate) hiding screws underneath that are fastening your handle(s). Remember: lefty loosey, righty tighty — turn screws counter-clockwise to loosen them up. You might need some elbow grease if they’ve been there awhile!

Once free from its fixtures, gently wiggle off your shower handle. Careful not to yank too hard or you might cause unnecessary damage. With that out of the way, you’ve just signed off on the first leg of our journey towards a smooth-flowing-diverter future!

Accessing Your Shower Diverter

Before we can take care of your leaky shower diverter, we’ll first need to access it. Don’t worry – at Dan’s Plumbing, we’ve got a proven track record in hydraulic engineering with shower construction and plumbed the houses of thousands of Australians. According to Wikipedia, about 10 percent of homes have plumbing leakages that waste over 90 gallons per day! Now let’s walk you through the process step by step.

Usually, a shower diverter is nestled behind your tap fixture. To get to it, you might need to remove your tap’s handle or unscrew a few parts. Remember, an expert plumber like us can do this smoothly without damaging your fixtures or breaking any bathroom tiles.

Cleaning and Inspecting Diverter

Once we’ve accessed your diverter, the next step is to clean and inspect it. Years of hard water and mineral buildup might be making your diverter stuck or causing it to leak.

Cleaning the diverter may involve disassembling it and using a vinegar solution to gently remove any mineral deposits. After cleaning, we’ll inspect it for any signs of damage or wear and tear.

Substituting the Shower Diverter

Substituting Shower Diverter

If cleaning and inspection lead us to believe that your shower diverter is beyond repair, don’t panic! We’re equipped for this situation as well. Replacing a faulty bathroom accessory is part of our daily responsibility in plumbing and construction areas.

Every homeowner should understand how crucial it is to replace faulty diverters promptly. Unattended leaks can cost significantly on your water bills, with leaking showers wasting up to 2,700 gallons of water per year!

Reconstructing Your Shower

With the diverter replaced, we’ll reconstruct your shower system meticulously, making sure everything goes back in place perfectly. As experts in hydraulic engineering and construction, we value precision.

You can trust that during this phase, each component will be correctly reassembled, including the tap fixture and handle. We task ourselves with leaving your bathroom exactly how we found it – minus the plumbing issue!

Checking the Shower Functionality

Once everything’s back together, we aren’t done yet! The most important step is to check if the diverter works properly again and that it stops leaking when engaged. We’ll turn on your shower and inspect for any more leaks. According to a survey reported by Huffpost, leaky pipes and fixtures are amongst the most common plumbing service requests.

So rest assured, we make sure that we’ve fixed your plumbing problem before leaving your premises. We understand that subtle issues like these can impact your daily hygiene routine significantly.

Optional: Applying Plumber’s Putty

Lastly, as an optional step depending on the situation at hand, we might also apply plumber’s putty. Plumber’s putty is an effective sealant used around drain pipes and taps to prevent water leakage. It’s our job as your trusted plumber to leave no stone unturned when it comes to assuring you a leak-free bathroom!

Note: Shower diverters are generally robust components of your bathroom setup with an average lifespan of about 20 years with proper maintenance. However, about 5 to 10 percent of shower diverters start malfunctioning within the first five years of installation.

In Conclusion

In summary, Dan’s Plumbing is as committed as ever to tackling your plumbing woes, including leaking shower diverters. We start by accessing the diverter, clean it and inspect for damage. If necessary, we substitute it and reconstruct your shower. Finally, we check the shower functionality and optionally apply a plumber’s putty sealant if needed. You can trust Dan’s Plumbing to rectify your plumbing issues efficiently, precisely, and most importantly — promptly.

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