# Delta shower valve has no pressure



## The Dane

So, over a week ago, I remodelled a bathroom and put in a delta tub/shower valve. It had poor pressure, so I got a new cartridge, and it seemed to help a bit, but not insufficient pressure. My boss told me it might be a manufacturing defect and to replace the valve body itself when I came back for trim because it was already a late day. Ok, so I came back for an edge today, and I decided to try and take the test cap for the new valve and try the pressure without a cartridge in it, and now it comes out the spout just fine. I think, hmmm, maybe I had two wrong cartridges, so I went get a third one, but it still had poor pressure, so I replaced the hole valve and ??? Still poor pressure. I called our full-time service guy and asked if he had seen such a thing. He says no, comes over to look at it, and is just as confused about it as I am. I say maybe delta had a whole lousy batch, and he finds a cartridge he has had for a couple of months and still poor pressure. Does anyone know what it could be?
Info: 6th-floor condo. All copper lines except for the last 2', which is 1/2" per. All other faucets have good pressure. 4 cartridges and two valves with bad stress but good pressure without a cartridge.

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## Tango

I got the same issue about 4 months ago. I replaced with 2 new cartridges almost no flow, I flushed twice without a cartridge . I replaced the valve with a moen, problem solved.

Also the lines may be blocked, water ram!


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## The Dane

Tango said:


> I got the same issue about 4 months ago. I replaced with 2 new cartridges almost no flow, I flushed twice without a cartridge . I replaced the valve with a moen, problem solved.
> 
> Also the lines may be blocked, water ram!


I was actually thinking of just replacing it again with mien. But what could it be if a different brand solved it.
The lines are definitely not blocked
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## Tango

I still have the valve in the garage, I'd have to inspect it closer or cut it up to see but I want to keep it for cartridge fit testing and stuff.


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## Tango

Maybe a solder bead stuck in there?


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## The Dane

Tango said:


> Maybe a solder bead stuck in there?


Nope. I unsweated the first valve to check and no all looked fine. Even if it was the case with the first valve I highly doubt it would have been the case with the second valve that I replaced the first one with. Like I said I took the cartridge out and put the test cap in and turned on the water and it came out the spout and showerhead with full force. That should indicate that all water piping and all ports in the valve body are working just fine. Everything points to a bad cartridge but I can't believe that 4 different cartridges should have been bad in a row and leaving exactly the same kind of bad pressure.

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## Debo22

Run it without the test cap and cartridge in the valve and see if you have equal pressure on hot and cold. Could be the pressure balancing spool is doing its job.


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## The Dane

Debo22 said:


> Run it without the test cap and cartridge in the valve and see if you have equal pressure on hot and cold. Could be the pressure balancing spool is doing its job.


Did that as the first thing. It seemed like equal and normal pressure.

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## Master Mark

I have had this problem before and was stumped on a 1700 faucet.... 

now I know the secret and I will reveal it to you children.... :biggrin:


The problem lies in the venturi diverter fitting above the cartridge that is built into the shower riser in the stock brass.....

some crap has gotten into this fitting and for some reason it messes up the pressure balance in the faucet.... you can blow it out full force across the room, but once you put the cartridge back in it messes up again.


all you have to do is take a cold chisel or a flat screwdriver and a hammer and simply wack that sweet spot above the cartridge where the copper is soldered into the body about 6 times times and it seems to break loose whatever got lodged up in there.....

I have run into this problem mostly on homes with old galvanized piping where little rust flakes seem to collect in that venturi diverter....

i have talked a few guys through the same process on the phone before with the Delta 1700 valve


give the brass a good couple of mild knocks and see if it dont correct itself. If the mild knock dont work , then smack it harder.... 

and you should win


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## Tango

Master Mark said:


> now I know the secret and I will reveal it to you children.... :biggrin:
> 
> 
> The problem lies in the venturi diverter fitting above the cartridge that is built into the shower riser in the stock brass.....


Haha thanks for the tip from all the plumbing children! :wink:

I had a suspicion it was small copper tube back in the valve, I just didn't think long enough to figure what that tube was. Whack it and probably the water ram would be good too in some situations.


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## The Dane

Master Mark said:


> I have had this problem before and was stumped on a 1700 faucet....
> 
> now I know the secret and I will reveal it to you children....
> 
> 
> The problem lies in the venturi diverter fitting above the cartridge that is built into the shower riser in the stock brass.....
> 
> some crap has gotten into this fitting and for some reason it messes up the pressure balance in the faucet.... you can blow it out full force across the room, but once you put the cartridge back in it messes up again.
> 
> 
> all you have to do is take a cold chisel or a flat screwdriver and a hammer and simply wack that sweet spot above the cartridge where the copper is soldered into the body about 6 times times and it seems to break loose whatever got lodged up in there.....
> 
> I have run into this problem mostly on homes with old galvanized piping where little rust flakes seem to collect in that venturi diverter....
> 
> i have talked a few guys through the same process on the phone before with the Delta 1700 valve
> 
> 
> give the brass a good couple of mild knocks and see if it dont correct itself. If the mild knock dont work , then smack it harder....
> 
> and you should win


Sounds good but you must have missed the part where I replaced the valve itself and it still does it. I doubt 2 valves had the same issue.

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## Tango

The Dane said:


> Sounds good but you must have missed the part where I replaced the valve itself and it still does it. I doubt 2 valves had the same issue.
> 
> Sent from my BLN-L24 using Tapatalk


I also encountered once low pressure and volume from a bath/shower. I tried different things, replaced the cartridge etc until I took a good look in the wall from the basement. The previous home owner put in shut off valves with braided flexes to the valve. The rubbers in the shut off valves dried out, broke off and clogged the speedways. 

I opened the wall and re piped, it solved the problem. There could be a restriction in the pipes.


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## geofd

*Shower valve*

put a "Symmons" tub/shower valve simplest valve 
ever made(mAde In Braintree massachusetts 
I workfor a large university in Boston and the students are
pretty tough on them they will last for a long time


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## The Dane

Tango said:


> I also encountered once low pressure and volume from a bath/shower. I tried different things, replaced the cartridge etc until I took a good look in the wall from the basement. The previous home owner put in shut off valves with braided flexes to the valve. The rubbers in the shut off valves dried out, broke off and clogged the speedways.
> 
> I opened the wall and re piped, it solved the problem. There could be a restriction in the pipes.


There is no restriction in the pipe. It's pure copper line in the unit and I can see all of it and only have 2' of per by the valve.

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## The Dane

I somewhat solved the issue by drilling out and widening a small hole in the cartridge just a little bit. It's not perfect but acceptable. Before it took 35 minutes to fill the tub and after my drilling it took 16 minutes.









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## Master Mark

The Dane said:


> Sounds good but you must have missed the part where I replaced the valve itself and it still does it. I doubt 2 valves had the same issue.
> 
> Sent from my BLN-L24 using Tapatalk




Oh well ,, Sorry..I missed that .....


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## Debo22

Welcome to low flow fixtures. We've been dealing with that for years so it's normal for us.


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## The Dane

Debo22 said:


> Welcome to low flow fixtures. We've been dealing with that for years so it's normal for us.


It's normal for you to have a shower valve take 35 minutes to fill a tub when the same kind of valve normally takes 10 minutes?

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## Debo22

The Dane said:


> It's normal for you to have a shower valve take 35 minutes to fill a tub when the same kind of valve normally takes 10 minutes?
> 
> Sent from my BLN-L24 using Tapatalk


I just installed a Delta valve on a remodel about 3 months ago. I had inspection so I had to fill the tub over the overflow. I didn’t time it but as I was filling the tub it was taking forever it seemed so I finally walked away and kept checking in on the fill every 5 minutes or so. If I had to guess I would say close to 1/2 hour to fill. I did a google search today for Delta tub cartridge GPM and it’s looking like 2 gallons per minute.


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## The Dane

Debo22 said:


> I just installed a Delta valve on a remodel about 3 months ago. I had inspection so I had to fill the tub over the overflow. I didn’t time it but as I was filling the tub it was taking forever it seemed so I finally walked away and kept checking in on the fill every 5 minutes or so. If I had to guess I would say close to 1/2 hour to fill. I did a google search today for Delta tub cartridge GPM and it’s looking like 2 gallons per minute.


Funny someone at the shop just said something this morning about it looking like 2GPM but that online it said the cartridge should be between 4 to 7GPM. One said that maybe it was new low flow stuff but we all agreed that you can restrict at the showerhead but if you restrict that much at the valve for the tubspout too no plumber would keep buying that brand. I sure would not pay for a valve that takes over 1/2 an hour to fill a tub.

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## 5onthefloor

Where's the homie telling you to install Moentrol and be a hero?!?

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## Tango

I'm browsing the delta site to purchase tub/shower valve and noticed they have different models which look all alike. There is one model that states in the title high flow. R10000-UNBXHF 

That could mean the valve you installed could of been a low flow model? The only thing I don't understand is "Single Box Model" Can anyone explain what it is?

UN - Universal Connection on Inlets/Outlets
BX - Single Box Model
HF - High Flow


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## Debo22

Tango said:


> I'm browsing the delta site to purchase tub/shower valve and noticed they have different models which look all alike. There is one model that states in the title high flow. R10000-UNBXHF
> 
> That could mean the valve you installed could of been a low flow model? The only thing I don't understand is "Single Box Model" Can anyone explain what it is?
> 
> UN - Universal Connection on Inlets/Outlets
> BX - Single Box Model
> HF - High Flow


Possibly valve, trim, and cartridge all in one box like Home Depot sells. As opposed to rough in valve and trim/cartridge sold separately.


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## The Dane

Tango said:


> I'm browsing the delta site to purchase tub/shower valve and noticed they have different models which look all alike. There is one model that states in the title high flow. R10000-UNBXHF
> 
> That could mean the valve you installed could of been a low flow model? The only thing I don't understand is "Single Box Model" Can anyone explain what it is?
> 
> UN - Universal Connection on Inlets/Outlets
> BX - Single Box Model
> HF - High Flow


I doubt my supply house would stock low flow valves. This is not California. Heck here we pull out the flow restrictor in the showerhead. I was so happy my drilling out the cartridge seemed to work but today I was told that the spout drips so I must have messed with the seal in the cartridge so now we are going to replace it with a moen valve and be done with it.

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## 5onthefloor

The Dane said:


> I doubt my supply house would stock low flow valves. This is not California. Heck here we pull out the flow restrictor in the showerhead. I was so happy my drilling out the cartridge seemed to work but today I was told that the spout drips so I must have messed with the seal in the cartridge so now we are going to replace it with a moen valve and be done with it.
> 
> Sent from my BLN-L24 using Tapatalk


Will it be Moentrol? Do you wanna be a hero?

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## breplum

Contact your Delta rep.
Any time I have had a problem, they step in and help.


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## The Dane

breplum said:


> Contact your Delta rep.
> Any time I have had a problem, they step in and help.


That is not my job. My boss does not want me to waste time on such things. That stuff is his job to deal with. It was his call to try a new valve and to first try and drill out the cartridge. Now he made the call to have me replace it with a moen.

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## sparky

Master Mark said:


> I have had this problem before and was stumped on a 1700 faucet....
> 
> now I know the secret and I will reveal it to you children.... :biggrin:
> 
> 
> The problem lies in the venturi diverter fitting above the cartridge that is built into the shower riser in the stock brass.....
> 
> some crap has gotten into this fitting and for some reason it messes up the pressure balance in the faucet.... you can blow it out full force across the room, but once you put the cartridge back in it messes up again.
> 
> 
> all you have to do is take a cold chisel or a flat screwdriver and a hammer and simply wack that sweet spot above the cartridge where the copper is soldered into the body about 6 times times and it seems to break loose whatever got lodged up in there.....
> 
> I have run into this problem mostly on homes with old galvanized piping where little rust flakes seem to collect in that venturi diverter....
> 
> i have talked a few guys through the same process on the phone before with the Delta 1700 valve
> 
> 
> give the brass a good couple of mild knocks and see if it dont correct itself. If the mild knock dont work , then smack it harder....
> 
> and you should win


Ole mark beating the crap out of faucet valves again lolololo,first it was the icon Valve that you beat up,now it is delta faucets lolololololo lololo good catch from us kiddos


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## sparky

5onthefloor said:


> Where's the homie telling you to install Moentrol and be a hero?!?
> 
> Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


Ole RJ,moentrol and be a hero


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## Tango

sparky said:


> Ole RJ,moentrol and be a hero


What the Moen Troll? I didn't know Moen had trolls hiding under the bridge! :devil3:


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## chonkie

Well, here is the Delta HF valve. One outlet, no restriction going to the fixture. It did not come in one of those valve/trim combos bit can probably get them that way.


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## PLUMB TIME

I would be careful about modifying a pressure balancing cartridge. Somebody gets scalded and its all on you.
I know we try and solve problems in the field but these are the times we live in.
The lawyers would love it!:furious:


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## The Dane

PLUMB TIME said:


> I would be careful about modifying a pressure balancing cartridge. Somebody gets scalded and its all on you.
> I know we try and solve problems in the field but these are the times we live in.
> The lawyers would love it!:furious:


I live life dangerously and don't give a [email protected];"&#/ what the lawyers might do. They will one day get you no matter what. Next I might get sued for excess water use because I took out the flow restrictor in the showerhead. I do though keep on the safe side and use my head must times but I just can't always be scared of lawyers or I would never get anything done. I must admit I had not thought about scalding as a possibility.

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