DELTA RP46074 TUB SHOWER CARTRIDGE, 1, White

The Delta Monitor 13/14 faucet in my tub was dripping at about 1 drop per second. It would waste about 1 liter of water per day. 2 gallons (which I collected after flushing and used to refill the toilet tank). The "Type P" marking on the original cartridge helped me identify this part, so I ordered it. br>br>It was not difficult to replace the part, and I followed the instructions to the letter. When I reconnected the water supply, it continued to drip. Granted, it was now only about one drop in every ten, but it was still a significant amount. It dripped for another 15 seconds. I can't see a new part doing this unless it's very old stock and the seals have hardened or deformed in storage. br>br>After an hour, I checked again, and the drip had significantly slowed, but it was still one drop every two minutes. It only takes three minutes. br>So, on the spur of the moment, I called the water company and requested that they come out and check my pressure. They arrived and discovered that the pressure in my house was a whopping 125 PSI, which was about 50 PSI higher than it should have been. br>br>As a result, I disassembled the original cartridge and carefully examined the seats. I can see a bulge in the seats where the 125 PSI pressure pushed the seats so hard against the control disk that it pushed a small section of the seals into the openings ever so slightly, causing the bulge. The handle then cut against those bulges, creating an uneven surface that allowed the drip to happen. br>br>The moral of the story is: If the drip persists after you replace the cartridge, have your water pressure checked.

Alexander Mason

| Dec 05, 2021

Low-pressure diagnosis can be found here. As an OEM replacement, it's a good fit. The following is a LONG story. ARE YOU RUNNING OUT OF TIME FOR THE LONG STORY? br>br>To summarize it in a SHORT STORY: the housing ports being drilled As long as you don't have clogged or plugged piping causing the low flow, drilling the mixer cylinder with a 5/32 drill bit WILL INCREASE THE FLOW. I also used a can of WD40 and an air compressor with a small rubber tip. Allowing WD40 to soak and then blowing air into the lines got rid of all the rust and particles, but it took some time and a lot of repetition. by means of lines br>br>I am not a plumber with a valid license. I'm a hands-on manager who does almost all of his own work, so I'm familiar with these issues and have successfully completed numerous repairs. In light of this, br>br>Clogged copper pipes in my house necessitated the use of a high-powered air compressor, a small rubber-tipped blow gun, a can of WD40, and a lot of patience. br>br>THE END OF THE STORY: The galvanized pipes in our bathroom were retrofitted with adapters to add copper pipe where the new shower/tub valves (2 valves, 1 shower) were installed. There is a tub/shower combination in one of the bathrooms. I had several issues with low flow/low pressure in the shower/tub combination. For years, they both worked perfectly until the old galvanized pipes began to clog the copper tubing. br>br>Shortly after the bathroom renovation, say three years later, we moved out of the house and decided to rent it out. Our tenant made a "renovation" (translation: a change). Without the permission of the owners, a pressure regulator was installed. caused a major water pressure problem) the pressure regulator that our tenant installed restricted pressure as intended, resulting in a low flow/low pressure issue, allowing the newly installed copper pipes to begin collecting bits and pieces of rusted pipe at the fittings and smaller bends and areas where they narrow into the Delta valve housing, etc. br>br>Rust/corrosion is something that happens with all galvanized pipes, so I'm used to cleaning out aerated flanges. However, I have had a negative experience with pressure regulators. High pressure in the lines can cause joints to break free and other seals to become weak, so pressure regulators are ideal for new construction with copper piping throughout the home. br>br>Older 1950s and earlier homes used galvanized steel pipes, which, in my opinion, DO NOT REQUIRE PRESSURE REGULATORS. I've never had one, and I've never had the problem I'm having now with the "tenant improvement. " br>br>I'm sure a plumber would disagree. However, in my experience, a galvanized pipe system's pressure regulator allows for poor flow, allowing rust to accumulate along with bits of rusted/broken pipes, eventually clogging the system due to the lack of flow. br>br>I've found that free-flowing galvanized pipes last longer than those with restrictive devices, allowing all rust particles and other debris to flow freely through the pipes and out the faucet. br>br>Aerators at the end of each faucet will always plug/clog up; this is usually a minor issue that can be resolved by removing the faucet aerators/filters from the faucets' ends and cleaning out the broken down rusted pieces that are clogging it. My problem, on the other hand, was not so straightforward. Yes, rusted pipe fragments clogged each faucet in the house, but removing the rusted particles from all of the aerators wasn't the full solution. br>br>At first, I experimented with changing the Delta cartridges by drilling out the back flow rubber stops at each inlet port while being careful not to damage the plastic housing. The stainless steel mixing valve cylinder must then be separated from the valve. I used a 5/32 bit and redrilled each hole to that size while holding it in a bench vice (actually, I hand held it with a rag and pliers and slipped a couple of times, causing a couple of gashes on my hand; I just wanted to make it sound a bit safer, as I wouldn't recommend this method). br>br>All right, I'll wrap it up now. The flow had improved, but it wasn't quite where it needed to be, so it was back to the drawing board to figure out what was wrong. After removing the valve and free-flowing the water through the housing (which I'll go into more detail about later), I shut off the water for the 20th time and removed the valve. With my 6 gallon air compressor, I blew out some of the water inside the wall on both the hot and cold sides of the housing. br>br>Here comes the free-flowing water gushing from the valve housing; I then used a can of WD40 to file up both sides of the copper lines and let it sit for a while, then wrapped a towel around the outer edge of the valve housing and zip-tied it to direct the water downward into the tub. br>br>This is going to be a MESS! Use a long towel and secure it as best you can, or have someone hold it over the housing by hand and direct the water downward into the tub with the towel. Water will shoot out with a lot of force, and if you're not careful, it will most likely make a huge mess. I did this six times more. I installed the valve seven more times, but the low pressure problem persisted. I finally decided to use my air compressor to blow out all of the water in the lines on both sides. br>br>So I opened the bathroom sink faucet to let the water and air out while forcing air into the hot side. I decided to close off the sink faucet and keep pressurizing the hot side because it made bubbling and gurgling and out came so much rust and particles that I knew I had started to get somewhere as I blew out all the water through the home in the hot side pressure would build and start to shoot back out from the force, so I decided to close off the sink faucet and keep pressurizing the hot side because it made bubbling and gurgling and out came so much rust and particles that I knew I had I repeated this step at least 5 more times, and each time more debris poured into the tub, until it appeared to be running clear. I then repeated the process on the cold water side, and once I was satisfied that I had removed the majority of the rust and particles, I installed the Delta replacement valve and turned on the water. I couldn't believe how intense the pressure was. FIXED! br>br>I wish Delta hadn't built any flow restrictions into their valves, but there are mandatory regulations in place for water faucet manufacturers, among other things. Manufacturers must comply with our government's requirements for low-flow/water-saving designs. There are ways to get around these low flow designed products from manufacturers; I always modify my shower heads and anything else that restricts flow and causes a low pressure issue for me. It does not save water after the modification, but it does save time spent on the next low flow repair and, dare I say, money spent on repairs. Good luck, and if you run into any problems, please ask a question or leave a comment, and I'll see what I can do to assist you. br>br>NOTE: If you liked this review, please give it a "thumbs up/like" so that I can keep providing you with honest/unbiased information about products I've used and that you might be interested in. Are you interested in a product but don't know enough about it to make an informed decision? Would you like it to be reviewed? Please inform me so that I can see what I can do. Thank you.

Alvin Krueger

| Apr 09, 2021

I can't believe I put up with that dripping shower faucet for so long because this shower valve was so simple to install. I assumed it would be a costly tile busting job requiring new pipes, but that was not the case with this dripping faucet. br>br>Youtube has simple instructions for replacing the old unit (turn off water, remove handle, remove sleeve, pull out old unit, replace old unit, replace sleeve, replace handle, turn water on - That is all there is to it. IMPORTANT NOTES: br>br>
1. Depending on the year of manufacture, these faucets come in two styles. Prior to 2006, these faucets were blue and came in a variety of sizes. This gray-colored unit is designed for faucets manufactured after 2006. If you're not sure what year it is, take your old one out for a while and measure the color. This was a mistake on my part, and I had to return it and replace it with this one.
2. If the drip is minor, new springs and seats, which are inexpensive, may be all that is required. They're also simple to replace and will give your faucet a new lease on life for a very low price.

Dakari Krueger

| Jul 15, 2021