# Single handle shower leaking from spout even after cartridge replacement



## njburb (Jun 5, 2012)

Hello. I have a Delta single handle shower control which is leaking water from the tub spout when in the off position. It's located in a hi-rise condo building. Not just drips, but a small steady stream.

This is the second time it's leaking. I've replaced the entire cartridge assembly (RP19804) in the past w/o any issues (the whole unit including cartridge, springs, seats..etc). This time however, the leak persists after replacement. The replacement is the same model as the one currently being used.










There are two shut off valves next to the assembly which I have turned off (one lets water flow a bit when off, but not enough to prevent this work). It's not water pressure (which is on the high side) because even with a small stream of water from the shut off valve entering, it still leaks with the cartridge (new and old) in place.

I'm thinking I may not be putting the bonnet nut on tightly (the part which goes over the cartridge and onto the assembly holding the cartridge snug. It's a bit corroded, but worked fine all this time. I tried pushing the cartridge into the assembly by hand tightly, but it still leaks.

Any help or advice would be appreciated. 

thanks


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## Ed911 (Oct 15, 2011)

I'd have to suggest, after looking at the parts breakdown, that you nicked the o-ring when you replaced the cartridge. If this is the case, no amount of tightening will stop the leak. 

Call the company, or reference the parts list, and order a new cartridge body o-ring. Since I have no more information than provided in your first post, this is my best guess. 

If your housing was dirty, the new o-ring that you installed could be compromised by a small spec of debris. I can only assume that you cleaned the housing before replacing the cartridge.


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## njburb (Jun 5, 2012)

I'm certain I did not damage the cartridge assembly.. i just took it out of the packaging and inserted it into the housing.

Perhaps the housing is dirty, I'll check on that. But the replacement cartridge and associated parts should take of this type of leak right? Is there anything else which could be causing this?

Is the bonnet nut what actually applies the pressure to make the seal, or is the cartridge inserted into the housing enough? 

thanks Ed


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## Homerepairguy (Aug 1, 2010)

njburb said:


> It's not water pressure (which is on the high side) because even with a small stream of water from the shut off valve entering, it still leaks with the cartridge (new and old) in place.


Regarding water pressure. Static water pressure (when all faucets are shut off) will be the same high pressure "in the faucet" even if you only opened the shutoff valve to allow a small stream. Restricting the shutoff valve will only affect dynamic pressure (when the faucet is open). So just leave the shutoff valve open as it won't make any difference with regard to your current problem. Just be aware that high water pressure can stress faucet and toilet valve seals and cause premature leaking. 60 psi is a recommended water pressure for a residence.

But since you've replaced the cartridge before and it worked, it doesn't seem like high water pressure is the cause of your problem. Is the replacement cartridge made by Delta? If not, maybe returning the one you bought and buying a genuine Delta cartridge will solve your problem.

HRG


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## njburb (Jun 5, 2012)

HRG,

By shutoff valve I was referring to the small valves in the wall adjacent to the main shower handle housing. It's a hi-rise condo, so i can't turn the main water off easily.

I got the part from Home Depot -- it's possible it was defective. I'm not sure if it was a genuine product or not. For $37 it better be. Oddly, the leak amount was the same with the old and new cartridges.

The bonnet nut has nothing to do with this? Will making it even tighter result in a better seal? Other than a problem with the cartridge assembly or dirty housing, is there anything else that can be the problem?

thanks


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## Homerepairguy (Aug 1, 2010)

njburb said:


> By shutoff valve I was referring to the small valves in the wall adjacent to the main shower handle housing.


Yes, those are the valves I thought you were referring to. Partially opening those valves will still result in the same static water pressure on the faucet seals as if those valves are fully open.



> I got the part from Home Depot -- it's possible it was defective. I'm not sure if it was a genuine product or not. For $37 it better be. Oddly, the leak amount was the same with the old and new cartridges.


If it's a genuine Delta part, I think if you call Delta and explain, they might tell you how to fix it or ship you a new one for free. Hasn't happened to me but I've read posts elsewhere where reputable manufacturers will ship replacement plumbing parts for free with no hassles. --- This will be better than returning it to Home Depot as they might resell the returned part to someone else. --- If Delta won't ship you a replacement for free, then no choice than returning it to HD. But at least you will have had input from Delta on your problem.



> The bonnet nut has nothing to do with this? Will making it even tighter result in a better seal? Other than a problem with the cartridge assembly or dirty housing, is there anything else that can be the problem


No ideas on that.

HRG


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## Ed911 (Oct 15, 2011)

njburb said:


> I'm certain I did not damage the cartridge assembly.. i just took it out of the packaging and inserted it into the housing. Perhaps the housing is dirty, I'll check on that. But the replacement cartridge and associated parts should take of this type of leak right? Is there anything else which could be causing this? Is the bonnet nut what actually applies the pressure to make the seal, or is the cartridge inserted into the housing enough? Thanks Ed


By just looking at the parts breakdown...I'd say that I don't think the o-ring is a compressed by the bonnet nut.

If the o-ring is in a groove and not compressed by the bonnet nut, then the seal is formed by the o-ring as it is compressed between the housing and cartridge body. 

O-rings can be nicked when you mate the two parts...it's not a failsafe system. The o-ring could have been damaged during testing of the part at the factory.

The bonnet nut is most likely used to keep the cartridge and other parts from being forced out when under pressure...so, it functions as a retainer and does not compress the o-ring.

If it's leaking around the bonnet nut, then I'm still inclined to believe that it's an o-ring issue. And, until you eliminate the o-ring as the culprit there's no reason to go into further diagnosis.

Change out the o-ring and let us know if that worked.


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## Ed911 (Oct 15, 2011)

*Change my mind...oops..*

Changed my mind after rereading your first post. If you not leaking around the bonnet nut...then the larger o-ring isn't leaking.

If you are having a leak from your tub spout, I'd check the seals between the cartridge and balancing mechanism. It seems to me that these would allow water to pass to the tub spout, if they were to fail. 

From your posted diagram...I'm guessing that tightening the bonnet nut, would affect the seal effectiveness. So, try to tighten it more. I can't tell you what tight enough will look like for your valve, you'll have to determine that. 

My valve is different, but has two seals between the cartidge and balance mechanism. When the cartridge is tightened using three mounting screws on the cartridge body, the seals are compressed between the cartridge and balance mechanism. This is what I'm basing my opinion on.


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