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Pluming / Shower Diverter

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steve

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Nov 8, 2009, 8:48:04 AM11/8/09
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I have an older shower.
I have removed the Shower diverter and replaced it. I have the type
that has a spring on it and you pull it out to make water go to the
shower and then push in (or turn water off ) to make it go to the tub.
This diverter is on the wall eg its NOT the type that is built into
the the tub water outlet.

The problem is that after I have replaced the part it now leaks even
worse from the diverter, particularly when the tub is being filled.

As I asess the problem I think that my problem is that the rubber O
ring that goes on the outside of the plastic sleeve is falling off and
not sealing when i insert it into the diverter hole that is very
tight.
Here is a picture of my part. (click on the picture its self for a
bigger view) http://tinyurl.com/ss288-1

On the picture you can see the O ring goes around the plastic sleeve
and sits in a channel. But when I put it into the very tight shower
diverter hole, I think it falls off or partialy falls off. I believe
this because when I carfully pull it out the plastic sleave, after yet
another failed atempt to put the diverter in, O ring is off or
partially off and it is slumped forward eg in the direction that it
would natually fall/or slide offf while pushing it in NOT pulling it
out. Thus I think when I push it in the tight fit is making it come
out of the small groove that cermufrances (if thats a word) the
plastic housing it fits around (again see my link above)

Im apealing to those of you who may have done this before and has some
experience with this problem. I have tried putting vaciline on it to
make it more slippering but that has nto worked.

Thanks
Unwashed famly.

sa...@dog.com

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Nov 8, 2009, 9:30:33 AM11/8/09
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On Sun, 8 Nov 2009 05:48:04 -0800 (PST), steve <steve...@lycos.com>
wrote:

In my experience with a simlar type of diverter of a different (Delta)
brand, I found that you HAVE to buy a real one at inflated prices from
a real plumbing supply house. The ones from hardware stores and home
improvement centers never last very long. The other thing is that you
need to carefully avoid OVER tightening. Once you crank on that thing
even a little, it is forever distorted.

steve

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Nov 8, 2009, 9:56:26 AM11/8/09
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Thanks for the help. You may be right.
However I have resolved the problem, perhaps incorrectly or in a
counter intuitive way, but what I did was instead of putting the
washer in the groove that it is intended for, I put it further back on
the plastic shaft. There is a large area really the same diameter at
the groved point ment for the O ring. If you put the O ring there
behind the grooved place I think what happens is that when you push on
the diverter to insert it it indeed slides along and then actualy
slids into the hole it was intended for. So you are using the slipping
in for favour.
===O=>>{}----
===>>{0}-----

Regards.

Jon Danniken

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Nov 8, 2009, 4:09:33 PM11/8/09
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steve wrote:
>
> Im apealing to those of you who may have done this before and has some
> experience with this problem. I have tried putting vaciline on it to
> make it more slippering but that has nto worked.

Petroleum jelly can dissolve some types of o-rings. Better to use a
silicone lubricant for that application.

Jon


jim

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Nov 8, 2009, 8:26:20 PM11/8/09
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On Nov 8, 3:09 pm, "Jon Danniken" <jondanSPAMni...@yaSPAMhoo.com>
wrote:

No wd40 as it swells rubber and it might never go back in or come
out , but as someone said they are from Delta and yes OEM works best .
Check to make sure that the hole that it goe's into is clean of any
other junk.

Roger Shoaf

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Nov 9, 2009, 12:16:10 AM11/9/09
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"jim" <woode...@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:2fb7428e-35fe-4736...@f16g2000yqm.googlegroups.com...

Two things that should be in a home owners tool kit are plumbers grease and
plumbers putty.

--

__
Roger Shoaf

Important factors in selecting a mate:
1] Depth of gene pool
2] Position on the food chain.


Tony

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Nov 9, 2009, 12:05:46 PM11/9/09
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Since it's food safe and it doesn't spoil I tried mineral oil on an
o-ring in the kitchen spray hose thingy. It swelled up very tight and I
had to take it apart to turn it off. A new o-ring with no lube seems to
work well. (the original problem what the spray hose would dribble a
little water when the faucet was on)

Tony

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Nov 9, 2009, 12:09:38 PM11/9/09
to
Roger Shoaf wrote:
>
> Two things that should be in a home owners tool kit are plumbers grease and
> plumbers putty.

I have the putty, I'll look for the grease so I have it the next time.
Maybe I can fix all the garden hose spray attachments that seldom make
it through 1 whole summer?

Jon Danniken

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Nov 9, 2009, 4:03:49 PM11/9/09
to

Mineral oil is not silicone lubricant, it is a petroleum derived oil with a
viscosity less than that of petroleum jelly.

Silicone lubricant is not petroleum based, and it is available in food safe
varieties.

Jon


Tony

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Nov 10, 2009, 11:44:00 PM11/10/09
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I didn't think I was giving that impression that mineral oil is silicone
with my post. I was simply mentioning what I had tried and failed.

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