# Glacier Bay shower faucet



## jim connolly (Oct 29, 2010)

I've been roughing in a basement apartment over the last few days. Customer-supplied fixtures, including a glacier bay shower valve. First time I've ever seen one, mostly I install moen or delta. I was surprised to find that the thing doesn't have a cartridge like most other shower valves, but a 3-port ball set-up, like a kitchen sink faucet. I tihnk some other brands used this mechanism years ago, in the earlier days of single-handle mixing valves.
Funny, I've been a plumber for seven years and this is my first time getting within spittin' distance of the infamous Glacier Bay lineup. Hopefully it doesn't crap out before its time.


----------



## 130 PLUMBER (Oct 22, 2009)

Glacier Bay is pretty much "JUNK" Look at it this ways, sometime this year or next year you'll be ripping that piece of sh!t out!!!

Also make sure you write it on your invoice that their is ABSOLUTELY ZERO WARRANTY ON JUNK PARTS:yes:


----------



## 130 PLUMBER (Oct 22, 2009)

Better yet, Zero Warranty on Parts and Labor....it's just not worth the hassle!!


----------



## Hillside (Jan 22, 2010)

Agree with all the above, there is NO parts available, tell homeowner to change his mind now or go buy a few extras, buying cheap crap like that always costs way more in the end then a high dollar valve in the beginning, if that's what he wants then state in ur invoice no warranty on parts labor or service calls to tell him he's screwed. I don't even think Chinese in china can get parts for that junk


----------



## Associated Plum (Nov 4, 2008)

HillsidePlumbco said:


> Agree with all the above, there is NO parts available,


You just have to know where to look. The cartridges are available. What I didn't know is that there is a 1/2 dozen or more Glacier Bay cartridges

We located a supplier and are now stocking the cartridges.


----------



## Hillside (Jan 22, 2010)

A few years ago I searched everywhere for some replacement parts and had no luck, haven't looked since


----------



## Associated Plum (Nov 4, 2008)

HillsidePlumbco said:


> A few years ago I searched everywhere for some replacement parts and had no luck, haven't looked since


It took us forever to find a supplier and found one in the last year or so.

We also have over the counter sales and if it wasn't that for the fact that we were getting request for parts, we probably wouldn't have bothered spending the time we did looking for them.


----------



## DIZ (Nov 17, 2010)

**** deepthroat sells glacier bay, high quality stuff! Dont look at it straight on, it will leak or spontaneously combust. As the others have said. No warranty on owner supplied fixtures or the labor involved in yanking it out.


----------



## plumbpro (Mar 10, 2010)

Delta used a ball with seats and springs around the time I was born, lol. Anyway, here we cannot install a shower faucet that is not pressure balancing, it's not code approved. I know the old deltas used the same parts as their single handle kitchen faucets did, and no- there is never a warranty on customer supplied parts.


----------



## Plumber3653 (May 5, 2010)

Agreed. Glacier Bay installs require home owner to sign releasing the installer of any liability including damage to the faucet during installation (plastic parts sometimes break with little effort). Manufacturer warranty only on faucet and will be charged again for any future service on the fixture. This usually gets them to thinking and they ask for a recommendation.


----------



## RealLivePlumber (Jun 22, 2008)

plumbpro said:


> Delta used a ball with seats and springs around the time I was born, lol. Anyway, here we cannot install a shower faucet that is not pressure balancing, it's not code approved. I know the old deltas used the same parts as their single handle kitchen faucets did, and no- there is never a warranty on customer supplied parts.


 
Does your code state that it must be "pressure balanced", or that the water temp. must not exceed a certain temp?


----------



## plumbpro (Mar 10, 2010)

RealLivePlumber said:


> Does your code state that it must be "pressure balanced", or that the water temp. must not exceed a certain temp?


It has to be pressure balances at a tub/shower. The only exception is if you are replacing say a two handle, you can replace it with a 2 handle.


----------



## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Glacier Bay definitely doesn't belong inside a wall..

Heck for that matter it doesn't really belong on a store shelf either...:laughing:


----------



## grandpa (Jul 13, 2008)

Glacier Bay with seats and springs uses Delta parts. Fact is, Globe Union at one time was the OEM supplier for a lot of parts to Brasscraft, who is the OEM supplier of Delta parts. I think Brasscraft sources them elsewhere at the present time, but it is all one big happy family.


----------



## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

*get it in writing*



Glacier bay is junk, and you would be wise to not install the faucet,,,,, or have them sign something to that affect..


this makes me wonder ...

now that DELTA has totally stuck their heads up their asses
with these god awful cheap assed plastic faucets


which off brand is going to wise up and 
start selling a good DELTA KNOCK OFF???


----------



## jim connolly (Oct 29, 2010)

Master Mark said:


> Glacier bay is junk, and you would be wise to not install the faucet,,,,, or have them sign something to that affect..
> 
> 
> this makes me wonder ...
> ...


Every piece of paperwork for the job states "warranty does not apply to customer-supplied materials" and I alway mention it to them too (there will be the inevitable "who is supplying materials" conversation). Gotta be covered.


----------



## kellybhutchings (Jul 29, 2008)

I worked on a Glacier Bay last year and found that HD owned the company. The customer had the paper work that came with the faucet with a parts breakdown. I found the part number I needed called the 800 number and they sent the part for free.


----------



## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

grandpa said:


> Glacier Bay with seats and springs uses Delta parts. Fact is, Globe Union at one time was the OEM supplier for a lot of parts to Brasscraft, who is the OEM supplier of Delta parts. I think Brasscraft sources them elsewhere at the present time, but it is all one big happy family.


That assumption will get you a callback for sure...

The parts are close I'll give you that but they are not a match...

Pull out the calipers and measure them to compare, you'll see the difference.


----------

