Yup! Every video I was seeing before this was like "remove this by hand, then this will go smoothly, and just put the new part in". Glad the hacksaw worked for you!
That dremel saw bit is brillant that ended up doing the job. I was putting wd40 and trying to turn it and it was stuck, most pliers wont turn the ring since it has no grooves. Bravo 🎉
It definitely feels like you’re doing something wrong during the process, but better to take the external stuff apart vs destroying the internal stuff! Glad you were able to solve those issues 👌🏽
I was able to get my screw out through a combination of things. First was soaking in vinegar (this helped clean out some initial junk that was built up in the hole - it barely looked like a hex head screw in the beginning but after it was better). Next was soaking in liquid wrench for a couple hours. Then while the Allen key was inserted tapping it with a hammer to "vibrate" the screw a bit. Lastly I put the long end of the Allen key into the flame from a lighter until it was blazing hot, and put the hot end into the screw (heat can help loosen things). Took about 4 hours total and I had to grip the end of the Allen key with a wrench to provide enough force, but it finally started moving. I'm going to grease the screw when I put it back in to hopefully avoid this in the future. Warning that liquid wrench is flammable so be careful with your open flames.
Fixed my dripping shower today with the help of this video. Didn't have a dremel to notch a groove into the bonnet, so I used a triangular file recommendeded in another video I watched. It was still a pain to get it moving, but the screwdriver-and-groove method eventually got it loose. The cartridge was a *pain* to get out of there (I now know why you cursed at that point in the video, because that's when I did as well 😆). Looks like gunk in the pipe locked the sides into little pockets of mineral deposits. That also made it a bit of a pain to get it back in. Turned it all on only to discover that the builders must have reversed my hot and cold water supplies, so I had to back and flip the cartridge to match it instead of how it was in the video. Despite those issues, everything in the video was spot on. Thank you!
Wow, definitely sounds like you had a number of hurdles to jump over, but glad that you got everything sorted out! Also, hilarious that we both cursed at the exact same moment lol!
Just replaced my Delta Shower valve. I had a problem getting the retaining nut loose. I had hit it with WD-40 a few days earlier and also on the day I replaced it. I tried a strap wrench. No luck. Tried a large channel wrench. It still wouldn't budge. Decided to try something different. There was probably some hard water build up and I needed to break it free from the internal threads. I got a threaded hose clamp that fit the nut and made it as tight as possible. I gave it a tap with a hammer and it broke free right away and turned off easily! I also made my temp adjustments before replacing the valve so they matched the original key setting so I didn't have to keep removing the handle for each adjustment. Also noticed on the new Delta valves that they now a small slot on the top and bottom so it can be pried out with 2 screw drivers.
Great video and helped me today get the bonnet nut off. My experience is that my Monitor handle used a 3/32 hex to get it off. Used some CLR to clean it a week ago before attempting this job. I got a new bonnet nut and Monitor handle from Home Depot online in case everything went wrong. I was able to get the handle off (it was fused with calcium so that took a bit of wrangling) with a hex wrench and bonnet nut off with scoring it using a Dremel and tapping with a screwdriver and hammer. Success!! The worst part was getting the cartridge out. Top came off and then the bottom was stuck in the hole. I managed to break the white plastic outside housing to reveal some metal holes which I used needle nose pliers to wiggle and loosen it. Lots of calcium scale so I cleaned it and scraped some lime scale out. Everything went together easily. Changed the white dial hot adjustment to all the way left. (Lift and turn to adjust) and then turned the water off and nothing!! Turned off the water, took out the cartridge and I had water flowing out the cartridge holes so that was good! I then decided everything was good, reassembled and then turned the water on. Nothing!!! I just have a shower head so I took the shower head off and water spewed out. Seems I had vacuum or blockage. Whatever. Everything works great! Hope my experience helps someone else, but this video got me 85% there. Thanks!!
I got out of Work at 2 am after a 14 hrs shift Idk why I thought It was a good idea to tackle this job after my Shower started leaking.I encountered so many problemsssss Now it's 550 am and I am Watching your video in the Home Depot parking lot waiting for them to open.
In my attempt to replace the cartridge I found that the brass bonnet nut was stuck so I over tourqued it with a wrench bending the copper behind the wall. I ended up having to hire a plumber to do a complete shower valve replacement to the tune of $800. 😡
Bummer, and sorry to hear! These units have a very poor design, with nothing in mind for the homeowner to service in the long run. A lot of people end up having the same experience as you, unfortunately. :(
Thanks, I was able to fix mine thanks to the video. I didn't have any plumbers grease but everything moved very easily on and off. I replaced the cartridge, same model. One thing not covered was the adjustment. Before you turned the water back on I am guessing you either adjusted or didn't need to adjust. Mine didn't go all the way to hot so I had to pull out the white part, twist it a little and then it would go all the way to hot. But I had the instruction manual for that :)
I removed my 15 year old stuck Delta bonnet nut by carefully tapping all around it with a crescent wrench a few times, came off by hand in a just a few minutes. As others have mentioned the bonnet nut is made of soft brass, so using a wrench or vice grips to torque it off won't work, in fact the more force you use, the more it will resist.
New to your channel! But you nailed this video! I have the exact problem you had. I hope I can get a new bonnet nut When I replace the cartridge! I sure hope this setscrew I drilled out Can be replaced and the handle goes back on securely. Thanks for your good work
Thank you for the grate feedback! I was pretty frustrated trying to unscrew it like all of the demo videos, but no one showed a fully seized bonnet nut. Glad it helped!
I have been unable to find a replacement bonnet nut. My Home Depot and Lowe’s do not have Delta branded replacements (they have Moen and a generic). Luckily when I cut the bonnet not with my Dremel, I did not have to cut it all the way through and was able to use a screwdriver to break it off of the valve stem. It was a good thing I didn’t cut it all the way through because I was able to screw it back on and keep it tight. Even though the nut is nowhere near as strong, it is holding the new cartridge well in its seat and it is not leaking… Yet.
Fantastic stuff, as I ran into 2 of the same problems that you encountered and was able to fix them with no hassles. The bonnet fix was the clincher, because my work flow came to a halt due to that little bugger. Thank you very much for posting this video. Cheers!
This helped me remove the brass bonnet that caused me to remove two different valves. Now I have two more leaking shower that I feel I can tackle successfully.
I had the exact same replacement. Home built in 1999 and 2/21 replacement. Couple of lessons learned. 1. Plumber quotes were $300 to $1000. 2. If you are the original homeowner, Delta will ship you the cartridge unit for free. 3. Like his, I had the copper and plastic pieces on the top of my old cartridge. They are not needed with the new cartridge.
Another way to remove a stuck setscrew in a Delta bathtub faucet (Monitor 1400) handle is to use a 3/8" left-hand drill bit. Use short bursts with the drill in reverse (the cutting direction for LH drill bits) and the setscrew might loosen. When the drill bit bites into the setscrew head, the torque might be enough to loosen the stuck setscrew. Worked for me and the setscrew was reusable.
I actually did this exact same thing with my second shower, but the handle still did not budge. The allen head ended up getting ruined, unfortunately, so I was not able to reuse it. Glad it worked for you!
@@JamesFixIt Sorry to hear that. I've added a task to my schedule to remove the shower faucet handle monthly to demineralize it. That should minimize mineral buildup so that the setscrew won't ever get stuck again. BTW, I meant 3/16", not 3/8".
my other bath shower started leaking behind the wall,i opened it up and it was leaking between where the male copper fitting was screwed into the valve and soldered onto the pipe,I had a plumier come as i didnt want to fool with solder and he cut the pipe and removed the fitting with a wrench and screwed in a fitting with a compression nut onto the copper pipe and had me fixed in a short bit,dam i was so concerned about soldering the fitting i didnt even think about doing that ,oh well live and learn
That little screw on handle is almost impossible to remove for me but I'm soaking it in a solution called green gobbler which is 6x the strength of regular vinegar so hopefully after leaving it soaking overnight I see results! Lol
@@JamesFixIt It ended up cleaning it really well but I couldn't remove the screw so I had to drill it out and the cartridge is super stuck too. I just plugged everything up for now so I can turn back on the water. Best way to do it is using a tool on Amazon called Delta 1300 & 1400 Cartridge Puller Removal Tool which makes removal of the cartridge super easy but it's $175 though.
@@GenEmperor wasting your $$$, the cartage is just plastic with a bit of metal in it use a heat gun and screw a big screw into it and then heat up the pipe that the cartage is stuck in and then just wiggle it till it comes out, take your time it will come out dont get frustrated with it.
Last month, I got a stuck bonnet nut loosened on my same model Delta shower faucet by liberally spraying it all around on its front and back with WD40, letting it sit like that for at least 24 hours and moderately banging on it all around with my channel locks. "How stuck was it?" you may ask. Well, my guess is that it last saw light in May 1998 when this home was built.
I replaced it with a new bonnet nut. It wasn't brass; it looked chrome-plated. I ensured to liberally apply silicone lubricant to the threads on the nut before installing it by only hand-tightening it. My next challenge is removing the cartridge. My guess is that it, too, last saw light when they finished construction on this home. It seems that the large O-ring at the front has fused itself with the valve body. I hope to rescue the cartridge because perhaps replacing the seats & springs would restore the flow of hot water.
Mine was a bit easier. Maybe because it was built in 1999? I did the same things except I tried tightening the nut slightly before giving up and considering cutting tools. It actually came right off after that! Getting the cartridge out was scary but after a few minutes of wiggling, it came out. I hope you were successful. I decided to just purchase a Danco cartridge for $24 rather than trying to refurbish the original one.
The handle set-screw on mine was junk. I tried drilling it out (up to 1/4" drill bit so far) but the handle STILL won't come off. If I go any larger diameter, what am I going to use to secure handle during reassembly? Your video says "reinstall" set-screw. With what - a 3/8" bolt?
I put WD-40 on it the night before the cartridge arrived. It was still stuck. I ended up tapping the ring all around with the pliers, then turning it clockwise slightly, then the other way to take it off. Completed the repair yesterday and my shower floor is still dry.
well I had no issue removing the retaining screw with the Allen wrench. but it made no damn difference!!! the handle was stuck in place thanks to really bad corrosion!! I originally was going to change the whole cartridge but needed to verify which version of the cartridge i have.. forget that!! I'm replacing everything!!
Oh no! I did this same process on my second shower and also was able to remove the Allen screw, and like you, the handle would still not budge. I ended up just drilling through the hole to break up the cartridge, as I already planned to replace the entire thing as well.
Hello, I did work on my second shower and I actually got the bolt out. But I'd recommend getting reverse drill bits. That should help to drill out the old bolt.
The cartridge does have a hot water adjustment on the front end (before you install the handle). You can verify that the adjustment is set to 100% hot.
Everything went fine. But I could not pull out previous cartridge. Tried o shake it up down left right many rimes. Also applied WD40 around but no success. Although it moves very little up and down. I think when they installed it. They might have use strong silicon. Can anybody can help me to solve this problem. I have new cartridge and like to replace it. Thank
You should try a stronger penetrant; PB Blaster, Deep Creep, Knock'ER Loose, etc. and cover with plastic wrap to let it penetrate for at least 15mins. I've seen people accidentally break the old cartridge, and unfortunately that is what you might have to resort to and remove it piece by piece if those stronger penetrants don't work.
So, I am doing research about this because two different plumbers in my area want to charge me apx. $2,000 to cut the drywall behind the shower and replace the whole shower kit because they cannot get the handle off! Then I will have to pay drywall person to replace or add an access panel on the wall! My Plumber friends, from where I use to live, informed me that they should not have to go through all that!!
Wow! Definitely trying to get you for your $$$$! While the handle does get stuck, anyone that is somewhat handy should be able to drill out the screw and remove it, as I did in this video. Hope you can find someone more qualified (AND HONEST) as all parts for this are less than $100.
@@JamesFixIt Thank you for your advice!! I have had two large companies come out and they both came to the same conclusion : Cut open the wall behind the shower and replace the who shower Kit!! To bad you aren't in this area!!
@@JamesFixIt -finally found a plumbing company who replacd the leaking /stuck tub faucet. The went through the tile...cut slightly larger hole and added a lrger coverplate--Took them 3 hours, and cost me $400-- Such a big difference in cost and mess. Where other companies wanted to cut through the wall and charge me $2,000.00!! Thanks to your video, I kepr researching and reaching out to finally find a great company--sharing your video with them. so BIG THANKS !!!!
I removed the Allen screw on my shower faucet it was a bit tricky, but now the handle won't come out, I hammered it softly around, heated it up with a heat gun, prayed it with a wrench and the darn thing won't come out, so I still have a leak there. Any ideas?
No, just enough so there is no contact onto the cartridge end. BUT, these usually lockup with hard water damage, so removing the handle is usually always a challange.
Plumbing is so fun. I like it when it helps me rotate my money back into big manufactures companies. So you need a new cartridge, then you find out the handle wont go back on. They will sell you a new one that fits your new improved valve. Cause why would you want to reuse the old one rite?
White part broke off and now I cannot get the blue part out, please tell me all I have to do is remove this piece by piece and insert the new carriage and I’m done?
Yes, basically the old cartridge can split in half and all you have to do is remove the rest of it. Just be very careful to not mar the metal surface of the rough in and you'll be fine once you pop in a new cartridge!
So what I did was used hot glue to coat the stem and placed the handle over it. Works solid, and because it doesn’t have any metal to metal contact, there’s no hard water deposits to make it stuck again, I just need to apply heat to soften the glue 😁
I had the same thing happen to my second shower, where I was able to remove the screw, yet the handle did not budge. If you have some time, try soaking it in some type of solution like CLR. I ended up just drilling into the cartridge end (like in this video) and installing a fresh cartridge. I was able to put the same handle on, but I actually used hot glue to reattach it. If I ever need to remove it, I can just apply some heat to melt the glue, but most importantly, the glue will fill in the cracks and not let any water/corrosion in.
I have a Delta Monitor as well that I need to change the cartridge...there is no serial number or series number...the house was built in 2002....20 year old house...How would I know what Series Cartridge to get. your faucet looks almost the same...The handle on mine is round and not as wide...
My home is a 2001, and chances are you have the same cartridge as shown here. Unfortunately, the only true way of finding out is by taking it apart. There are several different handle styles for this series, and they all are cross compatible.
Are you referring to the cartridge? Sometimes they get stuck with very hard water. And if that's the case, you will need to pull with some force, which might probably break it, and you will need to remove it piece by piece. Make sure to try and let it soak in some CLR or apply a bit of heat to help.
Mine is too. I pulled out the white part and it literally split in two; the white part with the brass nob came out. The blue part is still stuck in there. WTF? I'm thinking of drilling the blue plastic part out. This is the only choice I can think of. Bad idea?
Johnny Aguilar In this Monitor model, the cartridge mounts directly into the housing. I believe the Multi Choice models are the units that have those additional seats and springs.
Struggled to get the handle off and then unable to remove bonnet nut!!! Try this it worked for me drained system left basement tap open and POURED CLR down the shower outlet pipe through cartridge. Let sit for 10 mins. TADAA hope it helps someone out. Cost is minimal.
@@Keyshadarling pry from side to side, while pulling if that doesn’t work you can drill out set screw with bit slightly smaller than set screw diameter ( make sure you are dead centre) once handle is removed pick out any threads remaining and replace set screw. Clean valve seat thoroughly with steel wool and CLR needs to be spotless and you’re off to the races. Set screws are super cheap. Also some taps have lifetime warranty you can replacement cartridge mailed to you for free!
And make sure you put plumbers grease on the set screw, retaining collar/bonnet nut and Cartridge O-rings when putting things back together. Next time it should be much easier. I too had struggles, breaking the handle and fighting to get the cartridge retaining collar/bonnet off. CLR was definitely helpful.
I have been trying to drill out the set screw hole for about 2 hours and I'm getting no where. Can you help?! I'm using a 5/32" (4mm) titanium drill bit from Milwaukee (says its for metal) and it seems I've barely made any progress. What now?
When that happens, you’ve got to try and break it apart and out, piece by piece. Brutal work, but doable. Hope u were able to remove the old cartridge!
I actually reused the old handle. I need to create a how-to video on this, but I glued in a plastic anchor and installed a new screw. Works great, without having to waste money on another handle 👍🏽
Yup, I mean I love Delta products, but they did not think things through on the user service side of things! Both the Handle and the lock Ring get seized with hard water.
@@JamesFixIt ngl I just got a pipe wrench and literally just wiggled it just enough to start to bite down then release and that broke the threads. Just needed a gentle touch and to tell yourself failure is not an option 😂
@@jonjensen4514 Lol that's awesome! I'm hoping that by me adding a ton of grease to the new ring threads, I'll be able to get it to spin once it's time to do this again :D
James...what do you do if you strip the thread that attaches the handle. I doused to the handle w CLR to break down the calcium deposits wd40 it afterwards but when I turned the Allen key I apparently stripped the nut. Now I’m at a loss. Any help would be great.
Your best bet is to drill out the screw altogether, as I did in this video. Pretty terrible design, but you're pretty much forced to destroy the handle and the thread of the cartridge unfortunately.
Actually, another option would be to cut up the handle into pieces, then possibly remove the screw with a set of pliers. That might hopefully save the cartridge....
It could be covered by mildew and contaminents. You can try letting the area soak in CLR, but might need to drill out the screw, same as I did in this video. Hope this helps!
LOL, you can use a drill bit of the same size to completely drill out the screw from the handle. That being said, the handle itself tends to get stuck either way.
even the valve wouldnt come out. i had to break it up in pieces. now the new valve would seat. im going to brush the hell out of the pipe the valve goes into.
Ah sorry to hear. Hopefully a thorough brushing will solve that issue, sounds like there’s something blocking the rear area, preventing the new cartridge from seating fully.
Try using a 1/4 inch cobalt (M35 or M42) drill bit, which is 4 inches long (standard jobber size) and allows the drill chuck to clear the handle lever. This will destroy the handle but if you're original owner, Delta will send you a free replacement.
@@xscream100 I used a standard bit and it broke off trying to drill out the set screw. I still managed to get the handle off, but damaged it. I'm not the original owner of the home, but Delta still came thru and sent a replacement handle and cartridge (was leaking) free of charge!
@@macker0077 Delta doesn't check to see if you're the original owner so anytime you need a replacement part, just contact them. Most likely they will send the part unless you specifically tell them that you are not the original owner.
So why don’t you show us how to get the handle off you just go straight to having the handle off Grrrr… how do you get the handle off really talk to the setscrew I don’t have a set screw on mine
Yep, these answers are all correct; probably some small particles stuck that are getting in the way of the seals. Once cleaned out fully, leaks should not be an issue.
Just replaced my Delta Shower valve. I had a problem getting the retaining nut loose. I had hit it with WD-40 a few days earlier and also on the day I replaced it. I tried a strap wrench. No luck. Tried a large channel wrench. It still wouldn't budge. Decided to try something different. There was probably some hard water build up and I needed to break it free from the internal threads. I got a threaded hose clamp that fit the nut and made it as tight as possible. I gave it a tap with a hammer and it broke free right away and turned off easily! I also made my temp adjustments before replacing the valve so they matched the original key setting so I didn't have to keep removing the handle for each adjustment. Also noticed on the new Delta valves that they now a small slot on the top and bottom so it can be pried out with 2 screw drivers.
@@mthaongo Very glad this this technique worked for you. The other options were too destructive and probably adds hours to the project to get replacement parts. Better to reuse what you have.
Brilliant! So glad you posted that suggestion, it worked perfectly for me! Got a hose clamp that was just the right size, tightened it up, and then knocked it loose with a hammer. One additional tip is that it's a little tight to hit the clamp screw without risking to hit the face plate. What I found works really well is to take one side of a channel lock and rest the inner side on the screw and pound the outer side with the hammer--makes it very easy to control the angle of the force (want it to spin, obviously) and gives plenty of area to hit with the hammer without risk to that plate (I'd have taken it off, but it was caulked on so didn't want to fuss with it). Thanks so much for the tip! BTW, once I got the bonnet off, then of course the valve was being stubborn. Grabbed the brass stem part with channel locks and wiggled that up and down till the cartridge finally started to budge out a little bit. Then, I took a flat head screw driver to wedge between the cartridge body and the metal tube it's jammed into. Wiggling the stem in combination with prying out the body with the screw driver got it out after a few minutes. Looks like the new cartridges have a little pry slot built in, but the old ones don't. Good luck to anyone else struggling with this, and a huge thanks to the amazing TH-cam community for sharing helpful tips & videos!!!
@@gordonlee7027 Good to hear that this worked well for you. The alternative is not pretty. I especially like your suggestion on using the channel locks.
Thanks for making a reality based video. Nothing went like the videos for me. I just thought I was doing it wrong. I hacksaw the crap off!!
Yup! Every video I was seeing before this was like "remove this by hand, then this will go smoothly, and just put the new part in". Glad the hacksaw worked for you!
2 years later and I’m here to say that I also used a hacksaw 😂
That dremel saw bit is brillant that ended up doing the job. I was putting wd40 and trying to turn it and it was stuck, most pliers wont turn the ring since it has no grooves. Bravo 🎉
I ran into both problems you did. Had to drill everything apart and I'm so glad you made this video so I knew I wasn't messing it all up.
It definitely feels like you’re doing something wrong during the process, but better to take the external stuff apart vs destroying the internal stuff! Glad you were able to solve those issues 👌🏽
I was able to get my screw out through a combination of things. First was soaking in vinegar (this helped clean out some initial junk that was built up in the hole - it barely looked like a hex head screw in the beginning but after it was better). Next was soaking in liquid wrench for a couple hours. Then while the Allen key was inserted tapping it with a hammer to "vibrate" the screw a bit. Lastly I put the long end of the Allen key into the flame from a lighter until it was blazing hot, and put the hot end into the screw (heat can help loosen things). Took about 4 hours total and I had to grip the end of the Allen key with a wrench to provide enough force, but it finally started moving. I'm going to grease the screw when I put it back in to hopefully avoid this in the future.
Warning that liquid wrench is flammable so be careful with your open flames.
Fixed my dripping shower today with the help of this video. Didn't have a dremel to notch a groove into the bonnet, so I used a triangular file recommendeded in another video I watched. It was still a pain to get it moving, but the screwdriver-and-groove method eventually got it loose. The cartridge was a *pain* to get out of there (I now know why you cursed at that point in the video, because that's when I did as well 😆). Looks like gunk in the pipe locked the sides into little pockets of mineral deposits. That also made it a bit of a pain to get it back in. Turned it all on only to discover that the builders must have reversed my hot and cold water supplies, so I had to back and flip the cartridge to match it instead of how it was in the video. Despite those issues, everything in the video was spot on. Thank you!
Wow, definitely sounds like you had a number of hurdles to jump over, but glad that you got everything sorted out! Also, hilarious that we both cursed at the exact same moment lol!
Just replaced my Delta Shower valve. I had a problem getting the retaining nut loose. I had hit it with WD-40 a few days earlier and also on the day I replaced it. I tried a strap wrench. No luck. Tried a large channel wrench. It still wouldn't budge. Decided to try something different. There was probably some hard water build up and I needed to break it free from the internal threads. I got a threaded hose clamp that fit the nut and made it as tight as possible. I gave it a tap with a hammer and it broke free right away and turned off easily! I also made my temp adjustments before replacing the valve so they matched the original key setting so I didn't have to keep removing the handle for each adjustment. Also noticed on the new Delta valves that they now a small slot on the top and bottom so it can be pried out with 2 screw drivers.
nothing usually goes smoothly when doing repairs. this was video was exactly what I was looking for and under 7 mins. two thumbs up!!
Glad you found this video, vs all of the smoothly-done videos 😁🤘🏽thank you!!!
Great video and helped me today get the bonnet nut off. My experience is that my Monitor handle used a 3/32 hex to get it off. Used some CLR to clean it a week ago before attempting this job. I got a new bonnet nut and Monitor handle from Home Depot online in case everything went wrong. I was able to get the handle off (it was fused with calcium so that took a bit of wrangling) with a hex wrench and bonnet nut off with scoring it using a Dremel and tapping with a screwdriver and hammer. Success!! The worst part was getting the cartridge out. Top came off and then the bottom was stuck in the hole. I managed to break the white plastic outside housing to reveal some metal holes which I used needle nose pliers to wiggle and loosen it. Lots of calcium scale so I cleaned it and scraped some lime scale out. Everything went together easily. Changed the white dial hot adjustment to all the way left. (Lift and turn to adjust) and then turned the water off and nothing!! Turned off the water, took out the cartridge and I had water flowing out the cartridge holes so that was good! I then decided everything was good, reassembled and then turned the water on. Nothing!!! I just have a shower head so I took the shower head off and water spewed out. Seems I had vacuum or blockage. Whatever. Everything works great! Hope my experience helps someone else, but this video got me 85% there. Thanks!!
Thanks for this. I have a leak and was unsure about the process. Now I can do it myself instead of the $229 I was quoted.
Mike Baylus very cool. Best of luck!
I got out of Work at 2 am after a 14 hrs shift
Idk why I thought It was a good idea to tackle this job after my Shower started leaking.I encountered so many problemsssss
Now it's 550 am and I am Watching your video in the Home Depot parking lot waiting for them to open.
Oh man, I've been in that exact same spot before! Were you able to get the right parts and get this taken care of?
Informative video. I wish we could have seen what you did from the very start.
Thank you! Good point on the steps required for removing the fascia of the shower trim and I will create a new how-to 👌🏽
Solid video. I wished I watched yours before I try to tackle one of our bathrooms.
In my attempt to replace the cartridge I found that the brass bonnet nut was stuck so I over tourqued it with a wrench bending the copper behind the wall. I ended up having to hire a plumber to do a complete shower valve replacement to the tune of $800. 😡
Bummer, and sorry to hear! These units have a very poor design, with nothing in mind for the homeowner to service in the long run. A lot of people end up having the same experience as you, unfortunately. :(
Thanks, I was able to fix mine thanks to the video. I didn't have any plumbers grease but everything moved very easily on and off. I replaced the cartridge, same model. One thing not covered was the adjustment. Before you turned the water back on I am guessing you either adjusted or didn't need to adjust. Mine didn't go all the way to hot so I had to pull out the white part, twist it a little and then it would go all the way to hot. But I had the instruction manual for that :)
Glad it helped. Good point about the hot water adjustment. I always just leave mine on full hot, as I don't like to set my water heater too hot :)
I removed my 15 year old stuck Delta bonnet nut by carefully tapping all around it with a crescent wrench a few times, came off by hand in a just a few minutes. As others have mentioned the bonnet nut is made of soft brass, so using a wrench or vice grips to torque it off won't work, in fact the more force you use, the more it will resist.
Very cool info. Thanks!
New to your channel! But you nailed this video! I have the exact problem you had. I hope I can get a new bonnet nut When I replace the cartridge! I sure hope this setscrew I drilled out Can be replaced and the handle goes back on securely. Thanks for your good work
Thank you for the grate feedback! I was pretty frustrated trying to unscrew it like all of the demo videos, but no one showed a fully seized bonnet nut. Glad it helped!
I have been unable to find a replacement bonnet nut. My Home Depot and Lowe’s do not have Delta branded replacements (they have Moen and a generic). Luckily when I cut the bonnet not with my Dremel, I did not have to cut it all the way through and was able to use a screwdriver to break it off of the valve stem. It was a good thing I didn’t cut it all the way through because I was able to screw it back on and keep it tight. Even though the nut is nowhere near as strong, it is holding the new cartridge well in its seat and it is not leaking… Yet.
Finally, a real-world fkn life video. I dealt with the same problem today. Sht engineering. Great video. Thanks.
Glad it helped! Yup, poor design altogether. My second shower started dripping badly, and I will need to do this all over again 😭
Thx, man. I’m fixing my Oma’s right now, wish me luck 🤝
Good luck!
Fantastic stuff, as I ran into 2 of the same problems that you encountered and was able to fix them with no hassles. The bonnet fix was the clincher, because my work flow came to a halt due to that little bugger. Thank you very much for posting this video. Cheers!
Glad to hear that you got it fixed! I was ready to rip the entire Delta system outta the wall lol!
Can you get that bonnet nut at lowes or home depot??
This helped me remove the brass bonnet that caused me to remove two different valves. Now I have two more leaking shower that I feel I can tackle successfully.
Very cool! Thanks for commenting!
I had the exact same replacement. Home built in 1999 and 2/21 replacement. Couple of lessons learned. 1. Plumber quotes were $300 to $1000. 2. If you are the original homeowner, Delta will ship you the cartridge unit for free. 3. Like his, I had the copper and plastic pieces on the top of my old cartridge. They are not needed with the new cartridge.
Wow, thanks for the info!
Thank you so much. Saved me so much cash and enjoyed learning and fixing.
Glad it helped!
Another way to remove a stuck setscrew in a Delta bathtub faucet (Monitor 1400) handle is to use a 3/8" left-hand drill bit. Use short bursts with the drill in reverse (the cutting direction for LH drill bits) and the setscrew might loosen. When the drill bit bites into the setscrew head, the torque might be enough to loosen the stuck setscrew. Worked for me and the setscrew was reusable.
I actually did this exact same thing with my second shower, but the handle still did not budge. The allen head ended up getting ruined, unfortunately, so I was not able to reuse it. Glad it worked for you!
@@JamesFixIt Sorry to hear that. I've added a task to my schedule to remove the shower faucet handle monthly to demineralize it. That should minimize mineral buildup so that the setscrew won't ever get stuck again. BTW, I meant 3/16", not 3/8".
my other bath shower started leaking behind the wall,i opened it up and it was leaking between where the male copper fitting was screwed into the valve and soldered onto the pipe,I had a plumier come as i didnt want to fool with solder and he cut the pipe and removed the fitting with a wrench and screwed in a fitting with a compression nut onto the copper pipe and had me fixed in a short bit,dam i was so concerned about soldering the fitting i didnt even think about doing that ,oh well live and learn
We 40 the handle a day before if possible . Never cut the lock nut , use wd40 and most important a chain wrench instead of pliers
Unfortunately, WD40 did not work, neither did soaking it in PB Blaster :(
That little screw on handle is almost impossible to remove for me but I'm soaking it in a solution called green gobbler which is 6x the strength of regular vinegar so hopefully after leaving it soaking overnight I see results! Lol
Wow good to know. I definitely need something stronger than Vinegar :) . Thanks
@@JamesFixIt It ended up cleaning it really well but I couldn't remove the screw so I had to drill it out and the cartridge is super stuck too. I just plugged everything up for now so I can turn back on the water. Best way to do it is using a tool on Amazon called Delta 1300 & 1400 Cartridge Puller Removal Tool which makes removal of the cartridge super easy but it's $175 though.
@@GenEmperor wasting your $$$, the cartage is just plastic with a bit of metal in it use a heat gun and screw a big screw into it and then heat up the pipe that the cartage is stuck in and then just wiggle it till it comes out, take your time it will come out dont get frustrated with it.
@@JamesFixIt what size bit for the handle screw?
Last month, I got a stuck bonnet nut loosened on my same model Delta shower faucet by liberally spraying it all around on its front and back with WD40, letting it sit like that for at least 24 hours and moderately banging on it all around with my channel locks. "How stuck was it?" you may ask. Well, my guess is that it last saw light in May 1998 when this home was built.
I replaced it with a new bonnet nut. It wasn't brass; it looked chrome-plated. I ensured to liberally apply silicone lubricant to the threads on the nut before installing it by only hand-tightening it. My next challenge is removing the cartridge. My guess is that it, too, last saw light when they finished construction on this home. It seems that the large O-ring at the front has fused itself with the valve body. I hope to rescue the cartridge because perhaps replacing the seats & springs would restore the flow of hot water.
1998! Wow, you got me beat by about 4 years :)
Mine was a bit easier. Maybe because it was built in 1999? I did the same things except I tried tightening the nut slightly before giving up and considering cutting tools. It actually came right off after that! Getting the cartridge out was scary but after a few minutes of wiggling, it came out. I hope you were successful. I decided to just purchase a Danco cartridge for $24 rather than trying to refurbish the original one.
The handle set-screw on mine was junk. I tried drilling it out (up to 1/4" drill bit so far) but the handle STILL won't come off. If I go any larger diameter, what am I going to use to secure handle during reassembly?
Your video says "reinstall" set-screw. With what - a 3/8" bolt?
I have the same problem
Handle won't come off after drilling
I used to be apts maint and the best is put W40 and wait in order to remove the ring👍👍
Nice, thanks for the feedback! 👍
I put WD-40 on it the night before the cartridge arrived. It was still stuck. I ended up tapping the ring all around with the pliers, then turning it clockwise slightly, then the other way to take it off. Completed the repair yesterday and my shower floor is still dry.
What size drill bit did you need to sufficiently drill out the hex screw without damaging the handle itself?
very good valve body same like my yes easy no seepping good thank
Good to hear!
well I had no issue removing the retaining screw with the Allen wrench. but it made no damn difference!!! the handle was stuck in place thanks to really bad corrosion!! I originally was going to change the whole cartridge but needed to verify which version of the cartridge i have.. forget that!! I'm replacing everything!!
Oh no! I did this same process on my second shower and also was able to remove the Allen screw, and like you, the handle would still not budge. I ended up just drilling through the hole to break up the cartridge, as I already planned to replace the entire thing as well.
Thanks for sharing this, super helpful to know what I needed before starting!
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you, this Video help me out immensely
Glad it helped!
What part number or size do you use to replace the allen screw? Thank you so much for making this video!
Mine was a 3mm
Thanks for your video!
Thank you for watching, and you are welcome!
Great video man, thanks
Glad it was helpful!!
Nice video, thank you
You’re welcome!
Great how d u adjust the hot and cold?
The plastic disc behind the handle can be rotated clockwise to reduce the lever from going full hot. Turn it full counterclockwise for full hot.
I could remove the screw after so many vinegar and WD-40, and now the handle is stuck. Any ideas?
I would try something a bit stronger like PB blaster and moving back and forth. If that doesn’t work, you may have to cut it off 😕
Do you have any video on how to drill our the bit ours is stripped too can't get past that part.
Hello, I did work on my second shower and I actually got the bolt out. But I'd recommend getting reverse drill bits. That should help to drill out the old bolt.
Ji. I just installed a 46074 in my shower but my hot water is not very hot. Did I do something wrong?
The cartridge does have a hot water adjustment on the front end (before you install the handle). You can verify that the adjustment is set to 100% hot.
Everything went fine. But I could not pull out previous cartridge. Tried o shake it up down left right many rimes. Also applied WD40 around but no success. Although it moves very little up and down. I think when they installed it. They might have use strong silicon. Can anybody can help me to solve this problem. I have new cartridge and like to replace it. Thank
You should try a stronger penetrant; PB Blaster, Deep Creep, Knock'ER Loose, etc. and cover with plastic wrap to let it penetrate for at least 15mins. I've seen people accidentally break the old cartridge, and unfortunately that is what you might have to resort to and remove it piece by piece if those stronger penetrants don't work.
So, I am doing research about this because two different plumbers in my area want to charge me apx. $2,000 to cut the drywall behind the shower and replace the whole shower kit because they cannot get the handle off! Then I will have to pay drywall person to replace or add an access panel on the wall! My Plumber friends, from where I use to live, informed me that they should not have to go through all that!!
Wow! Definitely trying to get you for your $$$$! While the handle does get stuck, anyone that is somewhat handy should be able to drill out the screw and remove it, as I did in this video. Hope you can find someone more qualified (AND HONEST) as all parts for this are less than $100.
@@JamesFixIt Thank you for your advice!! I have had two large companies come out and they both came to the same conclusion : Cut open the wall behind the shower and replace the who shower Kit!! To bad you aren't in this area!!
@@JamesFixIt -finally found a plumbing company who replacd the leaking /stuck tub faucet. The went through the tile...cut slightly larger hole and added a lrger coverplate--Took them 3 hours, and cost me $400-- Such a big difference in cost and mess. Where other companies wanted to cut through the wall and charge me $2,000.00!! Thanks to your video, I kepr researching and reaching out to finally find a great company--sharing your video with them. so BIG THANKS !!!!
Thx for this man
Appreciate it
For sure! Hope it helped you!
I removed the Allen screw on my shower faucet it was a bit tricky, but now the handle won't come out, I hammered it softly around, heated it up with a heat gun, prayed it with a wrench and the darn thing won't come out, so I still have a leak there. Any ideas?
Same problem here, thought it was just me. I can't even get past the second step, after taking out the allen screw
Same here. Did you figure it out? Please help
Wow, I'm surprised you were able to get that allen screw out. Any luck with this? I'd probably just cut the handle off at that point lol.
I am having the exact same problem, finally worked the Allen wrench out, but now I can’t get the handle off at all!
What happens if you don’t grease the new 0 rings? Genuine question
do you need to unscrew the retaining nut all the way out to be able to put the handle off?
No, just enough so there is no contact onto the cartridge end. BUT, these usually lockup with hard water damage, so removing the handle is usually always a challange.
@@JamesFixIt i got the retaining nut to loosen, so should i just wiggle the handle off? How would i know if I have loosened the retaining nut enough?
Great tip thanks
Glad to help
Plumbing is so fun. I like it when it helps me rotate my money back into big manufactures companies. So you need a new cartridge, then you find out the handle wont go back on. They will sell you a new one that fits your new improved valve. Cause why would you want to reuse the old one rite?
White part broke off and now I cannot get the blue part out, please tell me all I have to do is remove this piece by piece and insert the new carriage and I’m done?
Yes, basically the old cartridge can split in half and all you have to do is remove the rest of it. Just be very careful to not mar the metal surface of the rough in and you'll be fine once you pop in a new cartridge!
looking good
Thank you! Cheers!
Nice job! Thanks for sharing this.
Thanks! I appreciate it!!
I gather you did have to use a new set screw; the handle was not affected when you drilled the old one out?
So what I did was used hot glue to coat the stem and placed the handle over it. Works solid, and because it doesn’t have any metal to metal contact, there’s no hard water deposits to make it stuck again, I just need to apply heat to soften the glue 😁
I took the screw out of my handle and it want come off. I pulled and wiggled some what hard. Im scared i will break it. Any suggestions?
I had the same thing happen to my second shower, where I was able to remove the screw, yet the handle did not budge. If you have some time, try soaking it in some type of solution like CLR. I ended up just drilling into the cartridge end (like in this video) and installing a fresh cartridge. I was able to put the same handle on, but I actually used hot glue to reattach it. If I ever need to remove it, I can just apply some heat to melt the glue, but most importantly, the glue will fill in the cracks and not let any water/corrosion in.
I have a Delta Monitor as well that I need to change the cartridge...there is no serial number or series number...the house was built in 2002....20 year old house...How would I know what Series Cartridge to get. your faucet looks almost the same...The handle on mine is round and not as wide...
My home is a 2001, and chances are you have the same cartridge as shown here. Unfortunately, the only true way of finding out is by taking it apart.
There are several different handle styles for this series, and they all are cross compatible.
@@JamesFixIt I sent pictures to Delta, they said it is a 1300 series
I try to take the part to change it I couldn’t what should I do ?
Are you referring to the cartridge? Sometimes they get stuck with very hard water. And if that's the case, you will need to pull with some force, which might probably break it, and you will need to remove it piece by piece. Make sure to try and let it soak in some CLR or apply a bit of heat to help.
What bit did you use to drill out the handle screw? Anything special?
I used a regular bit for this one, but I'd recommend picking up some reverse drill bits.
So what do you do when the lower half of the cartridge gets stuck in there?
Might have to soak it further in something like CLR or Limeaway to help. If not, you'll have to break up the plastics piece by piece :/
"i was able to pull the cartridge out with a little bit of force" - that's cute. Mine is stuck so hard you could hoist a fucking tractor with it.
John Deere could benefit from that cartridge! On the flip side, the cartridge in Delta’s instructional video fell out when the guy sneezed.
Don’t count on your kids to do it, we’re the ones they call with any problems.
Hehe good point...I can totally see myself at 80 helping my 59 year old son with stuff like this LOL! 😂
The inner cartridge is stuck in there. Any recommendations on removing it?
Mine is too. I pulled out the white part and it literally split in two; the white part with the brass nob came out. The blue part is still stuck in there. WTF? I'm thinking of drilling the blue plastic part out. This is the only choice I can think of. Bad idea?
@@cpe1704tks. I pulled it really hard. I asked my wife to push against the main line so I don't break it as I pulled.
What about the seats inside the brass housing?
Johnny Aguilar In this Monitor model, the cartridge mounts directly into the housing. I believe the Multi Choice models are the units that have those additional seats and springs.
Struggled to get the handle off and then unable to remove bonnet nut!!! Try this it worked for me drained system left basement tap open and POURED CLR down the shower outlet pipe through cartridge. Let sit for 10 mins. TADAA hope it helps someone out. Cost is minimal.
That’s awesome 👏🏽
Hi Bob I am having trouble getting my handle off. I removed the set screw but handle won’t come off. How did u get the handle off?
@@Keyshadarling pry from side to side, while pulling if that doesn’t work you can drill out set screw with bit slightly smaller than set screw diameter ( make sure you are dead centre) once handle is removed pick out any threads remaining and replace set screw. Clean valve seat thoroughly with steel wool and CLR needs to be spotless and you’re off to the races. Set screws are super cheap. Also some taps have lifetime warranty you can replacement cartridge mailed to you for free!
@@bobthibodeau5699 thanks for the reply I appreciate it!
And make sure you put plumbers grease on the set screw, retaining collar/bonnet nut and Cartridge O-rings when putting things back together. Next time it should be much easier. I too had struggles, breaking the handle and fighting to get the cartridge retaining collar/bonnet off. CLR was definitely helpful.
just get a good quality drill bit the size of the set screw hole and drill it out will take you about 3-5 minutes at the most to do that
I have been trying to drill out the set screw hole for about 2 hours and I'm getting no where. Can you help?! I'm using a 5/32" (4mm) titanium drill bit from Milwaukee (says its for metal) and it seems I've barely made any progress. What now?
Would have worked. Ended up breaking the old cartridge in the pipe as I tried to remove it. Now it's stuck with no way to get a grip
When that happens, you’ve got to try and break it apart and out, piece by piece. Brutal work, but doable. Hope u were able to remove the old cartridge!
I broke the white plastic housing and there are some holes I got needle nose pliers into and jiggles it until it came loose.
Did you replace the handle? Or use the old one?
I actually reused the old handle. I need to create a how-to video on this, but I glued in a plastic anchor and installed a new screw. Works great, without having to waste money on another handle 👍🏽
@@JamesFixIt never thought of that. Good idea!
Where did you find the replacement bonnet? Do you happen to have a part number?
I got it on Amazon: DELTA FAUCET RP22734 Delta Faucet Unplated Bonnet Nut. Hope this helps!
I got all pieces off. Can not get the back of stem out. The front part came off. How do I get it out
I had to drill out the handle just to find out I probably got to also dremel out the ring 😭
Yup, I mean I love Delta products, but they did not think things through on the user service side of things! Both the Handle and the lock Ring get seized with hard water.
@@JamesFixIt ngl I just got a pipe wrench and literally just wiggled it just enough to start to bite down then release and that broke the threads. Just needed a gentle touch and to tell yourself failure is not an option 😂
@@jonjensen4514 Lol that's awesome! I'm hoping that by me adding a ton of grease to the new ring threads, I'll be able to get it to spin once it's time to do this again :D
James...what do you do if you strip the thread that attaches the handle. I doused to the handle w CLR to break down the calcium deposits wd40 it afterwards but when I turned the Allen key I apparently stripped the nut. Now I’m at a loss. Any help would be great.
I am having the exact same problem. The handle is stuck. I am thinking about just ripping off the whole thing now. any suggestions ?...
Your best bet is to drill out the screw altogether, as I did in this video. Pretty terrible design, but you're pretty much forced to destroy the handle and the thread of the cartridge unfortunately.
Actually, another option would be to cut up the handle into pieces, then possibly remove the screw with a set of pliers. That might hopefully save the cartridge....
There’s no visible Allen screw in the shower handle,what do I do?
It could be covered by mildew and contaminents. You can try letting the area soak in CLR, but might need to drill out the screw, same as I did in this video. Hope this helps!
What exactly does it mean to drill it out? Like what should I use? Talk to me like I’m a small child.
LOL, you can use a drill bit of the same size to completely drill out the screw from the handle. That being said, the handle itself tends to get stuck either way.
even the valve wouldnt come out. i had to break it up in pieces. now the new valve would seat. im going to brush the hell out of the pipe the valve goes into.
Ah sorry to hear. Hopefully a thorough brushing will solve that issue, sounds like there’s something blocking the rear area, preventing the new cartridge from seating fully.
Tried to dremel the ring off and cut into my metal pipe…now I don’t know what to do
Hopefully you didn't cut too far into the threaded pipe, but I've had luck with this product: amzn.to/3lZZtP2
Hello, What size drill bit did you use? I tried a 1/8 inch drill bit and nothing happened.
Try using a 1/4 inch cobalt (M35 or M42) drill bit, which is 4 inches long (standard jobber size) and allows the drill chuck to clear the handle lever. This will destroy the handle but if you're original owner, Delta will send you a free replacement.
@@xscream100 I used a standard bit and it broke off trying to drill out the set screw. I still managed to get the handle off, but damaged it. I'm not the original owner of the home, but Delta still came thru and sent a replacement handle and cartridge (was leaking) free of charge!
@@macker0077 Delta doesn't check to see if you're the original owner so anytime you need a replacement part, just contact them. Most likely they will send the part unless you specifically tell them that you are not the original owner.
@@xscream100 Thanks, good to know.
You went through all that when you could have hit it off in seconds with the delta bonnet nut wrench
So why don’t you show us how to get the handle off you just go straight to having the handle off Grrrr… how do you get the handle off really talk to the setscrew I don’t have a set screw on mine
After I drilled out the set screw, there was nothing else holding it on. The handle slid right off. Let me know if you’re still having issues!
What happens if you replace it and it still leaks?
It shouldn't. you probably got particles /sediment inside the valve that you should have cleaned out before putting the new one in.
@@fayewong21 I used sandpaper to clean the inside first before I put it in
Yep, these answers are all correct; probably some small particles stuck that are getting in the way of the seals. Once cleaned out fully, leaks should not be an issue.
Very Good!... 84
Thank you! Cheers!
Just replaced my Delta Shower valve. I had a problem getting the retaining nut loose. I had hit it with WD-40 a few days earlier and also on the day I replaced it. I tried a strap wrench. No luck. Tried a large channel wrench. It still wouldn't budge. Decided to try something different. There was probably some hard water build up and I needed to break it free from the internal threads. I got a threaded hose clamp that fit the nut and made it as tight as possible. I gave it a tap with a hammer and it broke free right away and turned off easily! I also made my temp adjustments before replacing the valve so they matched the original key setting so I didn't have to keep removing the handle for each adjustment. Also noticed on the new Delta valves that they now a small slot on the top and bottom so it can be pried out with 2 screw drivers.
Wow, I've never heard of using a hose clamp like this. Will have to keep that in mind for the future. Thanks!
I told my husband to try your way and yet it’s come right off. Thank you so much for sharing your tip
@@mthaongo Very glad this this technique worked for you. The other options were too destructive and probably adds hours to the project to get replacement parts. Better to reuse what you have.
Brilliant! So glad you posted that suggestion, it worked perfectly for me! Got a hose clamp that was just the right size, tightened it up, and then knocked it loose with a hammer. One additional tip is that it's a little tight to hit the clamp screw without risking to hit the face plate. What I found works really well is to take one side of a channel lock and rest the inner side on the screw and pound the outer side with the hammer--makes it very easy to control the angle of the force (want it to spin, obviously) and gives plenty of area to hit with the hammer without risk to that plate (I'd have taken it off, but it was caulked on so didn't want to fuss with it). Thanks so much for the tip!
BTW, once I got the bonnet off, then of course the valve was being stubborn. Grabbed the brass stem part with channel locks and wiggled that up and down till the cartridge finally started to budge out a little bit. Then, I took a flat head screw driver to wedge between the cartridge body and the metal tube it's jammed into. Wiggling the stem in combination with prying out the body with the screw driver got it out after a few minutes. Looks like the new cartridges have a little pry slot built in, but the old ones don't.
Good luck to anyone else struggling with this, and a huge thanks to the amazing TH-cam community for sharing helpful tips & videos!!!
@@gordonlee7027 Good to hear that this worked well for you. The alternative is not pretty. I especially like your suggestion on using the channel locks.