How to Replace a Delta Shower Cartridge
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ต.ค. 2024
- In this video, house flipping brothers Dave and Rich show you how to replace a Delta Shower Cartridge.
If you are having problems with your temperature or water flow, or you are getting drips, your shower cartridge could be the problem.
Before you do anything, MAKE SURE YOU TURN OFF YOUR WATER SUPPLY!!!
In this video, Dave shows you how to disassemble the shower valve. You might have a silicone ring around your shower valve ring. If so, use a box cutter to cut this bond.
Once the silicon bond is removed, use an Allen wrench to find a little hole behind your handle and remove the set screw. Pull the handle off.
Now you have access to your cartridge.
Hope this helps!
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This tub is absolutely th-cam.com/users/postUgkxVoi3B4CB6Oygq1-vo4OTL1M_M5JkrXif . Great quality too. The perfect size for the space in our master bath!
Well you sure made it look easy! Might i suggest that you add "use a backup wrench if you have to use a wrench to get the cap off ." The barrel came with it!!! and now the plumber is here and says "thank you for the work" $750!
I’m just going home my
@@jcain1983 ????
At one time, Delta offered a lifetime warranty to the original purchaser of their products (for non-commercial use). That includes shower cartridges. I am not sure if Delta still has a lifetime warranty, but I know they still honor that lifetime warranty if your fixture was purchased when the lifetime warranty was offered. So I got a Delta shower replacement cartridge for free by calling Delta support for my 15 year old home that I purchased as new construction. I had to give them documentation of the closing date that my home was purchased as new by me, and the "option list" that showed that I purchased the Delta shower fixture with my new home (along with some photos of the Delta fixture). Delta even paid for the shipping.
If the ring nut won't come off by hand, I would suggest you loosen it with a strap wrench, which typically only costs $12 - $15. Channel locks and pipe wrenches can scratch the finish! Thanks for the video!
Hey WV,
Thx for the helpful input! And for watching!
Strap wrench will also apply equal torque around the perimeter, preventing any deformation of the ring nut. Also works great on most auto oil filters.
Definitely a great video. It would be helpful to include potential difficulties about replacing old valves.
The only difficulty is sometimes it's fused to the inside. Spray it with a lubricant and wait awhile. My cartridge broke inside and was a b I t c h to get out. I only had goo gone but it worked. Clean up the inside and sand off any barnacles living in there lol.
Straight to the point. Simple and clear instructions. Awesome ty.. now i can do this myself
Hey Keeanda…,
Perfect - that’s our goal - knowledge to confidence to DIY experience! Thx for commenting and watching!
Be advised, your replacement cartridge might have a restrictor bolt that you will need to unscrew in order to let the valve move farther to the left so you can get hot water. I made an unnecessary trip to Home Depot because the valve would only allow the water mix to lukewarm thinking that I had the wrong replacement part.
Hey Kraw…,
Thx for the input!
Thanks for the detailed instructions.
Question: the cartridge had a hard time pulling out, when it finally came out only the gray half came out and the white side stayed in. Will I be hurting anything if I forcefully pull the other half out? It’s stuck in there pretty good.
Thanks
Hey BJG,
We haven’t had that happen. The cartridge is a snug fit, but two pieces?? I’d say just be gentle extracting it - plastic isn’t terribly forgiving.
Thx for the question.
How did you get eventually get it out? I have the same issue.
I'm sure you figured out how to get the rest of the cartridge out, considering you posted 2 years ago. Anyhow, I had the same problem. In my case I think the pressure in the water lines was still elevated. So, I: 1) opened all the faucets in the house; 2) allowed them to completely drain, then; 3) grabbed hold of the remaining part of the cartridge with a long needle nose pliers and wiggled it back and forth a few times and heard the pressure release. It then came out pretty easily with a little force. I hope that helps someone in the future. @ HouseBarons...thanks for the great video...very helpful.
Has been many years since my valve was apart so I was shocked when it all came apart easily. Brass bonnett even came off by hand! Instructions on box says only hand tight and that was enough for all those years. I did screw the knob back on to help pull the cartridge out after removing the sleeve and it helped. If you have the old plastic crystal knob do yourself a favor and go ahead and buy a new one or at least a screw cover while you're getting the cartridge. They are cheap, look much better new, and screw cover tabs usually break. Great video to refresh on or even first timer. Thanks!
If your brass collar is hard to loosen, spray some WD-40 on the threads & let sit for 10 minutes. If the cartridge is stuck in the valve body, use a small paintbrush & CLR (calcium, lime, rust remover product) to "paint" the inside of the valve body. My cartridge was so stuck in the body that it broke in half when I tried to pull it out.
Did you shutoff the water in the home first and open the nearest faucet to your shower first to release water pressure in pipes?
@@bobkk-ev5ls Yes. Always do that. If you have "hard" water, calcium builds up over the years & can "glue" the cartridge inside the valve body.
Thanks for keeping this on YT. This amateur benefitted greatly from this video. I believe I have this exact cartridge. I did have to use some gentle force to take mine all apart but I’m pretty sure I didn’t cause any damage. Every part of the removal was a struggle after being installed 10 yrs ago initially. It seems it’s never as easy as the model you guys use, but that’s expected. It’s back together and NOT leaking so I am hopeful it was a successful change out.
Glad it helped! Thx for watching
Let's see you take apart a 30 yr old delta.. brass ring frozen tight sometimes have to cut.. cartridge comes out in pieces this is reality !
Great video but I highly recommend using a strap wrench for the ring.
Hey Alex,
Thx for the tip and Thx for watching!
how do you remove the lower housing, got stuck inside the shower valve and its really tough to pull out? Thanks
Mine did also I had to bust all the plastic off it an pretty much pry it out
Thank you for your video! Great step-by-step instructions and heads-up tips. It's been about 7 years since I last replaced the cartridge, so it was great to have this visual as Delta has made some changes to the cartridge since that time. And, also, my first attempt from 14 years ago still haunts me. I had installed it and it worked just fine, but the hot and cold were reversed....we lived fine with that. Hubs and I just replaced it now and all is well. What a relief. Just hope Delta will continue to make replacement cartridges.
Hey Christina,
Thx for the kind words. Hope it helps. And yes, delta has been doing it a while, so good chance they’ll continue.
Thx for watching!
Thanks! Great video quick and to the point
Hi Chris, hope you were able to replace your shower cartridge. Thanks for the comment!
removed old cartridge. cleaned out all the calcium build up, which was a lot. (low water pressure was my issue. Replaced with new cartridge. I turn handle and I hear a quick pressure build up then nothing. not even a drip. im worried that broken up bits of calcium that has fell back down the empty lines that it instantly clogged the new cartridge with lose build up. What is the likely hood of that.
Hey cco…,
I’m think that would be a little unlikely ( to accidentally make a drip less seal).
Is the cartridge in correctly ( typically there is a notch showing which end is up ).
It sounds like something is turned off? Can’t real imagine… maybe can delta and see if they can walk you thru a troubleshooting process. I have called them in the past regarding a faucet and it has helped.
I might pull out the cartridge, examine it, walk through all the assembly steps again - see if something got over looked.
Let us know once you find the solution… I’m curious what would cause it.
Thx for watching!
I have changed the cartridge......now the water will not turn off.....tried both hot n cold......tried reversing the cartridge......went and got another one.....dang water will NOT TURN OFF!!!
don't know what to do...
Hey Dave,
I know it takes some effort to seat the cartridge. Are you sure the valve body ( the brass fixture into which you fit the cartridge ) - is a delta valve body??
Very odd.
It was difficult pulling the 17 year old valve out. The front piece broke off. The back piece required pliers for removal. Mineral deposits had built up in the cylinder. Had to scrape most of it out and use small grit sand paper in the small hot and cold water openings plus compatible lubrication to be able to push in the new valve. Overall not an easy job at all, especially pushing the new valve all the way in, compared to the video, but got through it after an hour or so.
Hey fisher..,
True - complications are always a risk doing any repair. Good job! Thx for watching!
Isn’t there rubber inside cartridge? Delta sent out inside rubber
To remove outer restraining collar, a quality rubber strap wrench works well. Also, coat all o-rings in buoy butter (waterproof silicone grease) to prevent drag scars or nicks (petroleum jelly may cause o-rings to soften and fail early). 5 seconds well invested - ounce of prevention ….
Hey Robert…,
Great tips! Thx much!
Going to buy one of these for our new shower remodel, but I'm wondering how easy that thing can be removed after 25 years. Lol
Hey bad…,
Sometime scale build up causes probs - just be patient - you can do it!
Thx for watching!
How do you adjust the water pressure? I replaced mine with a genuine Delta from Lowe's, but the pressure isn't as strong.
Hey the..,
There are a few possibilities: 1) incomparable cartridge ( each valve body only accepted certain cartridges - has to match the valve body)
2) cartridge not seated correctly - not in all the way.
3) debris ( scale ) in the shower head, possibly dislodge taking out old
cartridge.
4) easiest- when you turned the water of at main supply, the handle(s) didn’t get turned back to fully open again after replacing the cartridge.
If none of these work, I’d contact Delta and see what they say.
Hope that helps.
Thx for watching!
@@Housebarons I did find out why the water pressure wasn't quite as strong as the old cartridge....someone else showed a comparison where the new valves have slightly smaller passage ways, where you can drill them a little larger for better flow
The Delta designer for using the ring nut should be fired. A design only meant to make repair difficult.
👍👍
Show what happens with 15 years of scale. Show the method of cutting the ring off.
Hi N Ostermann, we have an older property that
needs a new shower cartridge. We will see if we can shoot a video of that. Thanks for the suggestion!
You know how to do it the rite way? Replace it all with a Moen.
Not all use allen wrench. Some use torx wrench
I just did this. Followed exactly. Brand new cartridge, and now the shower head is leaking more than before. Any suggestions before I go buy another cartridge? Should I grease the o rings?
That’s pretty odd. I guess the new cartridge could be bad, but I’d guess that’s rare. Maybe look inside the valve body - see if you can see where it is supposed to rest / seat. See if there is and water scale / build-up. Somehow water is sneaking by.
Hope that helps.
Thx for watching!
@@Housebarons thank you. I’ll check that today after work
Help accidently unassembled bottom housing of cartridge valve. Not sure how to put it back the right way? I kept trying to assemble it back together but water won't come on.
Hey lahi..,
Sorry. Never have taken one apart. Best to contact manufacturer.
Thx for watching.
@@Housebarons Thank you! I figured it out! Great video!
You are a good teacher. Thanks for the lesson
Hi Oungkar, thank you! 😃. Were you able to replace your shower cartridge?
What if u broke the handle that connects to the brass piece that turns? Do I replace the whole cartridge or handle?
I think that brass piece in the middle of the cartridge is critical - so I guess it’s time to buy a new one …
This is like my third time replacing that cartridge. Why do they break so easily.
That seems like a lot? Not really sure/ maybe let the company know??!
Jus swapped mine out awhile ago.
So my problem is just the ware is lukewarm do I need to replace the whole thing or just turn it to hot ?
Hey big,
You can turn the cartridge incrementally hotter till you get a temp you like. At least that is where I would start before replacing it.
Thx for watching!
Very helpful. Mine was dripping under a year and a half after install.
Hey csmchrst,
Thx for watching!
In addition to the visible O-rings, if you twist the cartridge and open it up, there are 2 washers and 2 springs inside that often are the cause of drips and leaks. There are replacement kits for these items available at most hardware stores. I replaced the whole cartridge, because mine was under warranty even after 15 years and Delta sent me a new one for free.
Hey Mark,
Thx for all the info! Very helpful. I believe Delta still does honor the warranty.
Thx for watching!
Bla bla bla blaaa
I have tried 2 cartridges and still not getting much flow on the hot side.
Plenty of water with the cartridge out.
Please Help ??.
Hey David,
Have you checked the temp setting in the cartridge. It is shipped from factory at a lukewarm setting. That is often overlooked and therefore just pushes lukewarm temp at best.
Thx for watching!
@@Housebarons Thanks for getting me straightened put.
Yes I did change the settings which I didn't know about until your help.
Also a little change on my tankless hotwater Heater.
Thanks again.
Everyone just skip to 4:55
“silicōne” not silicon. I’ve had customers tell me “My son says new “silicon” is needed.”
Lol. Now try that in a 12 year old shower. 😂. Not quite so easy.
Hey og….,
True! Especially if you have hard water deposits!
Use a strap wrench. You'll thank me later.
Thx😃
Thanks for the tutorial. I did it! Woohoo! No need for a pro plumber here…yet.
So I did everything right but for some reason it won’t close now
Very helpful and easy to understand. Thank you.
Hi Earl, we hope all goes well if you decide to replace your shower cartridge. Thanks for the comment!
Not all heroes wear capes.
Thanks Miguel!
Thank you. Great video
Hi Robert, were you able to replace your shower cartridge? We hope so. Thanks much for your comment!!!
Thanks, great video info,
Thx for watching!
Thank you bud! Very helpful
Hey Oscar,
Thx for watching !
My cartridge is not slamming in on the V space please help.
If only the ring was so obvious. It looks like a long sleeve from the plate to the cartridge. Maybe that slides out?
Hey Shoot…,
The cartridge does slide out .. after… the ring is unscrewed. If you are not working with Delta, I would try and examine how exactly the cartridge is held in place.
thx for watching !
Thank you thank you thank you
You are very welcome
Thank you. This was the best video that I've used for fixing something around the house. Everything was well explained. And you made sure that we understood any encounters that may occur. Well done!
Glad it helped!
What the hell is a shower cartridge??
Hey rainy - it’s plastic, inside the valve body and controls hot and cold mixture.
Thx for watching!
You saved me!! Just moved into our new house mid construction and installed the valve today. After working for 16hrs, it's 1AM and my wife had no hot water. Thanks to your video I was able to adjust the hot water temp on the valve and be a hero. Thank you!
Awesome - Great job! Thx for letting us know too & for watching!
Thanks for this video! Whole job took 5 minutes! I will say, now, it’s kinda weird not hearing the faucet going all night anymore.
Hey Joseph,
Hilarious. Glad it worked!
Good to see how the cartridge comes out. Delta doesn't explain that very well in their materials I was able to find. Delta, however, recommends that you flush the line before inserting a new cartridge. It's a total pain to have rushing water shoot out of the valve fitting, but you could have junk in the line which caused your issue to begin with if it was a leaking faucet or shower head which a new cartridge did not fix (my issue). Had to perform the flush of the line. Talk about a firehose feeling...
One other thing, Delta customer service was great on replacing both a sink cartridge and shower cartridge for a new house we bought and I had no purchase information for the faucets because they came with the house.
Hey Peter,
Thx for the great input!
I replaced it now the waters just dripping out when I turn it on
C S same problem
Hey CS
Check a couple simple things.
1) is the water supply turned back on? Easy to overlook.
2) double check to make sure BOTH hot and cold supplies are turned back on turned back on. Sometimes only one turned on causes both not to work well.
3) depending on your valve ( can look up info online too) - does the valve have small screws on the sides that control the amount of flow?
4) check that proper adjustment to temperature limiter is made.
5) could try a. Turn off water at supply
B. Remove valve
C. Close shower door, turn water back on briefly to discharge any stuck debris.
D. Turn off water at supply.
E. Reinstall valve
F. Turn on supply and test.
Hope that helps.
Thanks! You showed a new installation but this helped me understand how to replace an existing one.
The old cartridge was stuck. Liberal use of some gooseneck pliers removed the front and back sections separately without damaging the valve.
As another commented suggested, I then turned the water back on for a few seconds just to make sure the valve was clear. Easy peasy after that.
Excellent!
Thx for watching!
Thanks for the great info.
Only change I would use a rubber band wrench to loosen the ring.
Will not score or crush it.
Txs, Jfm.
Hey JFM…,
Thx for the input and for watching!
Ive had so many of these that could not be removed. Even with two people and a 16 inch wrench...
Hey Capthrax,
Yikes. That sounds like no fun. What do you do? Just replumb?
@@Housebarons that has happened a few times. We end up heating it up with map gas , spray some water to cool down and repeat. Ive been pretty successful lately using a multi tool to cut the ring with minimal damage to the threads. Pb blaster sometimes does the trick . I always put a nice thick coat of plumbers grease on it hoping the next guy will have it a bit easier
The key is to wiggle it left and right if you're referring to the cartridge that won't come out.
Eat your wheaties
How do you get the handle off?
Hey the…,
There is a set screw underneath the handle : check this video -
th-cam.com/video/g6Z8RBsC28Q/w-d-xo.html
Thx for watching!
good information. thank you.
Hi Kevin, awesome, hope you were able to replace your cartridge!
I just replaced our Delta shower cartridge and it works fine. I noticed that the handle does not have as much resistance to turn it on anymore? Is that because its a new cartridge or do I need to tighten the copper ring down some more- its not leaking- it just feels strange?
Hey Chet..,
That is odd. Honestly unsure! Thx for watching!
I dropped mine back part come off Springs and seals come out how do I put them back.
Hey Pam,
I would look online for a product diagram - an exploded view / drawing of everything. Or call them…Delta should be able to help w/ that.
Thx for watching!
Great video the back Bart of the cartridge does not always come out with the gray portion. Solution?
Hey Peter,
In our experience it can be a tight fit. If it’s a delta, maybe customer service would have a trick. The cartridge should come out in one piece.
Thx for watching!
thank you, I wish to ask, when you shut off the water valve. You mean hot and cold water ? I live in an appt., I cannot find the hot water main control.
Hey eckwai,
Yes - all water going to the shower. May have to ask at front office how to do that. Must be a way to turn it all off.
Thx for watching.
I've noticed allot of people try and install the cold water and hot water tube part, seprate from the cylinder/both plastic pieces need to be installed as one, allot of people are complaining that the spring and o-ring/seal keep falling out, and this is usually happing, because the two plastic pieces aren't installed as one piece/there not in there tight/the way there supposed to be. When that happens/when the spring / seal comes loose the water won't turn off, anyway I hope this helps someone, the plastic pieces need to be mated/installed as one piece.
Also the stem/piece sticking out of the cylinder, is how you adjust the hot water.
If your having leaks, with an old one, change the seals/O-rings/Springs, or next, just replace the whole cartridge, if the repair kit, doesn't work.
Hi Matt, thanks for your thoughts and tips about replacing a shower cartridge!
Very good
Thx for watching!
What do you do with the black o rings inside the the main body of the copper housing? Does the diverter come with new ones?
Hey Ronnie,
That black o ring provides a seal between the cartridge body and the valve housing. Can’t remember if new ones are include. If it doesn’t come with a new one, you can reuse the old if it’s in good shape.
Thx for watching!
Thank you for this video! Do I need to turn the water off if I only adjust the how water position on the cartridge? Thank you !
Hey Melanie,
Technically no IF you are not loosening the large brass nut that holds the cartridge in place. But as a helpful practice, it’s not a bad idea to turn off water anyway - that eliminates any risk of water damaging flood if if if … something surprising happens.
Thx for watching.
Nice informative Video - saved our family lots of money- thank you Sir
Hey @nonamejoe5611 ,
That's awesome. DIY gives great advantages that way! Glad to help!
Thanks for watching!
Thank you so much
Thanks for the video. This saved me a couple of hundred bucks.
Hey the…,
That’s awesome! Glad to hear it! Thx for watching!
Thank you for the video.
Your video made all the difference.
I was having a hard time removing the brass ring, but your tip about releasing the water, made it all possible.
Thank you !!🙌🙌
Hey pro…,
Awesome! Thx for watching!
Mean
This was great! Thank you for such a great tutorial!!
You are so welcome!
Thanks for taking your time to help us laymen!
My pleasure! DIY’ers work together! Thx for watching!
The "ring" is called a bonnet nut
Hey Hoz,
Thx for the info!
Thank you...very helpful and spot on1
Glad it helped! Thx for watching!
I put one in and the water won't come out
Now you tell me after I'm all wet. 😅
Hey Mluc…,
Oops! 😃 thx for watching!
If you have hot water for a time, I’d wonder about your water heater. If it’s old, sediment build up could compromise it. But that hot water would run out at all faucets if that is the case. Once the shower runs cold, all faucets should be cold.
Another thing - did you set the temperature setting of the cartridge? They come from the factory at a medium temp setting.
Hope that helps.
Thx again!
Really help ..thanks
Thanks for your comment, good luck with your project!
Cannot Thank you enough for this video brother!
The cartridge was in fact the culprit for my leaky shower head.
I'd say I'm decently handy and manage the turf-grass chemicals shrubs trees and flowers on some of the biggest Estates in our town. Most my handiwork relates to stuff outside only, but I thought this would be pretty straightforward.
Heck, Turns out I was relieved when I got it finished considering the Allen key on the L-shaped Delta shower faucet Handle was stripped and hadn't been touched in 18 years. drilled it out, and everything including the valve sleeve and valve ring we're all stuck calcified underneath like superglue.
Luckily you didn't have to go through any of that in your video which made it a breeze. thank you for again for showing us how, which in my case turned out to be more than I thought I signed up for ..
Remember there was a time when someone had to show you how to do this also so thank you for so humbly teaching us..
Cheers!
Btw, what do you do in the case of a badly stripped hex screw on the shower handle. man it's in a pain in the butt Spot on those L shaped handles to work loose.
Will this have any effect on my water pressure since the old cartridge was so old and nowadays they regulate GPM like crazy...
Hey Jack,
Way to go and take it on. Every project has surprises. Glad you didn’t let them stop you!
If the screw is one you need to remove, there is a tool called an easy-out OR you get reverse drill bits which can dig into the stripped screw as it drill counter-clockwise.
If female threads get damaged, you can retread it with a tap and die.
And the cartridge should not decrease gallons per min that I know of.
Again - great job persevering!
Thx for watching!
Excellent video! Thanks
Glad you liked it!
thank you!!!!!! exactly what i needed! well done
Glad it helped!
This video helped me a lot, thank you!!!
Hey Walter,
Thx for watching!
What size Allen wrench did you use to take off the handle?
Hey Richard..,
Try a 3/32.
Thx for watching!
The problem I had was not hot enough. Now watching your video to just adjust a knob thank you
Glad it helped
Yes thanks
Awesome job thank you so much learn a lot
Hey Ricky,
Thx so much! Glad it was helpful!
Doesn't matter what I try I can't get that collar off. Any ideas? I've tried all the wrenches and soaked in a bag of penetrateing oil over night. I think mine is original from 1970's too can't find that version of a data cartridge anywhere
Shaun Ortman same issue here. I used channellocks with firm but careful force. Try different positions of the collar
Ended up using a dremel to cut it off. Found a thread ring that fit at store and spray painted it silver. Not the best but it'll work till I can rip w the whole shower out.
Hey Shaun,
Good solution. Sometimes a future planned replacement is just plain better. New means no repairs on the foreseeable horizon!
Thank you for this! We have a delta valve and did not realize how easy it was to replace. Now we have great water pressure again!
Hey Adam…,
Awesome. Glad you had success! Thx for watching!
Good
Thank you Red Mart!
Thank you very helpful
Glad it helped
Thanks for your video
Hey Dawn,
Thank you for watching!
Excellent presentation.
Thank you kindly!
Thanks man... you saved me.😉😉🙂🙂
Hey 88....,
Thanks for letting us know and thx for watching.
The new cartridge will not go in.
Hey Robert,
They are usually a tight fit. If no luck, then I’d double check valve and cartridge for comparability.
Thx for watching!
Thanks for info! Do you need to put plumbers grease on O rings when reinserting? ms
Hey Mark,
Nothing was added. Thx for watching!
A couple of things: what you were using is not a Monkey wrench, it's a Stillson wrench, also known as a pipe wrench. Also, when replacing the whole cartridge, remove the old one before buying a new one. Somewhere around 2006, according to Delta, the internal valve body was changed slightly. You can see the difference in the cartridges when holding a new one and an older one side by side. The older ones are the same price and just as available as the new ones, but they DO NOT interchange. Other wise, it's a simple fix. Oh yeah, put a slight amount of grease or even vaseline on the O rings when installing. This will allow them to slip into their respective positions much more easily, especially on older units.
Hey Jerome,
Thx for the info.
@@Housebarons No sweat, dude. I only know about the change because I bought one on Amazon and, you guessed it, couldn't use it. lol
Damn all propper with tool names. Pipe wrench aka monkey wrench.
Plumber's silicone grease is the best for the O-rings. It comes in a small tube located in the same area where the cartridge's and other pluming stuff is sold at hardware stores. this special plumber's version is non-toxic and safe for water supplies.