How to Replace a Shower Diverter

Switching on your shower should be as simple as the flip of a switch. But when your shower diverter breaks, showering is not so easy– water continues to put from your tub’s faucet after you have actually changed the diverter. Thankfully, repairing a shower diverter fasts and relatively basic.

Shower Diverter Spout Type

What is a Shower Diverter
A shower diverter is the mechanism that reroutes the water from your tub faucet to your showerhead. Many shower diverters are managed by a pin knob that you pull, but there are numerous types. Possibly yours is switched on with a button or with a 3rd faucet handle in between the bathtub’s hot and cold knobs.

Finding Out if the Diverter is Broken
This one’s simple. If, after you activate your shower diverter, water continues to leakage out of the tub spout rather than the showerhead, the shower diverter is not working appropriately. This might suggest that the inner rubber stopper isn’t creating a good seal to totally block and reroute the flow of water, or it could be another problem. Follow the actions listed below to troubleshoot and address the issue.

Repairing the Shower Diverter
As soon as you have actually determined that your shower diverter is broken, don’t postpone in repairing it. It may be a simple job to put off, a damaged shower diverter wastes water and creates a bad shower experience. Repairing a shower diverter is a DIY job that you can complete in simply one day. Here’s how to repair a shower diverter in 7 easy actions:

1. Shut off the supply of water to your shower.
2. Seal your drain with tape so that small screws or other vital parts are not lost down the drainpipe.
3. Tighten the screws behind the faceplate of the diverter valve. If you try this fix but the water continues to pour or leakage slowly from the bathtub spout after the shower diverter has been engaged, proceed to the next action.
4. Disassemble the shower diverter. If your diverter has a rotating valve, loosen the nut at the stem of the diverter and get rid of the entire valve. If it has a gate-type valve, unscrew the threaded tub spout.
5. Change the diverter. To be sure you acquire the appropriate replacement, bring your old diverter with you to the store.
6. Install the new diverter, making sure that the parts do not cross-thread each other. Utilize a wrench to tighten up the diverter, careful not to overtighten it. Twist the gate or adjust the stopper to guarantee that it is in the proper position, depending on whether it is engaged.
7. Turn the water supply back on. Engage the shower diverter, directing the water flow to the showerhead. If your shower streams well and no water leaks from the bathtub spout, then your shower diverter replacement achieved success.If changing the diverter did not fix the issue, we recommend contacting South End Plumbing for assistance.

Shower diverter diagram

Avoid Shower Diverter Wear and Tear
To decrease strain and endure your shower diverter and assistance prevent the need for shower diverter repair work, always release the diverter to let water circulation from the tub faucet for a few seconds before you turn off the water.

Our plumbing specializes in all plumbing services, so remember, we are just a click away. We also specialize in leak detection – give us a call!