This is an Price Pfister shower tub combo. No scald valve system, “0x8-110a”. I have everything in the wall, but I haven’t tiled over it yet. Plumbing pipe is 1/2″ PEX, connected with SharkBite fittings (as featured in the recent FHB!).
The problem is when the tub pour is being run full blast, water starts running out the shower head, like a 1/4″ stream. This happens with just the bare brass pipe coming out of the wall, no restrictions on the tub spout from the finshed pieces. The manual states that this might be a restriction in the tub spout, but the water is coming out full thought the 1/2″ pipe.
Is this an adjustment in the valve, a product of too high water pressure, or a defective valve?
Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
If your hair looks funny, it’s because God likes to scratch his nuts. You nut, you.
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I could not find it on PF's website.
What kind of diverter does it have?
Some have the diverter built into the valve body, some use seperate valve, other uses a "stopper" in the tub spout.
If yours does not have a diverter in the valve body and don't have a separate diverter and don't have the tub spout on then there has to be some kind of restriction in the valve body that prevents full flow to the tub and some is backing up to the shower head.
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
This one has the stopper in the tub spout, and the spout is not on yet.Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
If your hair looks funny, it's because God likes to scratch his nuts. You nut, you.
I had the same problem with my bathtub. I eventually found out that the cause was built up pressure when using pex 1/2" from valve to water spout. Apparently you need to use 3/4" tubing from valve to water spout and this won't happen.
I think you have it.
Just to test the "clogged pipe" theory, I got another new fitting and some PEX remanent I had and strung them up through the wall. When I turned on the water, the backup was WORSE, even when I turned the faucet on just a little.
You happen to have a short length of 3/4" PEX you would be willing to part with?Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
If your hair looks funny, it's because God likes to scratch his nuts. You nut, you.
Yep, that was definitly it.
I just replace the tub line with high pressure washer line, 5/8" ID hose. Pours like a dream. Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
If your hair looks funny, it's because God likes to scratch his nuts. You nut, you.
A little while back I went into a bathroom store and asked the measurement of the mixing valve from the top of the tub. I have generally kept them higher than I normally see.
Anyways, the salesperson said that if I put the mixing valve too high I would get a dribble coming out of the shower head if I ran a bath. I've had that problem but never knew what caused it. Now you guys are saying about a 3/4 inch line up to the head. What a great idea! Maybe I can still keep my mixing valve higher than normal by using 3/4.
roger
Actually, the 3/4" line is only needed from the valve to the tub spout, not shower head, although I'm sure there is no problem if you do that as well. I'm not a plumbing expert but I have done a bath system with 1/2" line and had the leaking problem. When I did another bath, the plumbing sales person told me specifically that if I was using pex that the line from the valve to the tub spout had to be 3/4". I followed his advice and have had no problems.
Could also be debris from the new plumbing stuck in the valve.
Also, most new shower heads have a little slit washer internally as a "no-drip" feature. This,, along with the flow restictor usually creates enough back pressure to force all the water out the tub filler.
I've certainly had this happen; went away when I put on a modern shower head. Can't see where a 3/4" line would really be required.
You know, it's not really a "diverter" valve anymore, in the sense that there is one input and two selectable outputs. The flow path to the shower is ALWAYS open; the "diverter" just blocks the tub filler flow path.
Forrest - not a plumber
I have the exact same thing happening in one of my rentals we just finished. new Delta (or PF cant remember) turn on the tub and you get some flow through the shower head. Not all the time and not constant but it happens.
We took the tub spout off and just ran water through the copper tail piece and had no problems. Didnt see any blockages in the spout but we do have really poor flow when filling the tub.
Its all new pex from the meter on and this is the only problem we have.
Strange, it almost seems like they have a water saver device on the tub tap. This of course makes no sense (you're gonna fill the tub up regardless).
Maybe the valve is installed upside down. They are marked.
No, it was not upside down.
The SharkBite fittings are 3 in one critters, because of this they have slip pieces on the inside as well as the outside. The inside slip piece narrows the flow down to about 3/8". I think all PEX fittings are similar in this respect.
The mixing valve has a valve inside that reacts to back pressure from the tub output. If it feels back pressure it starts to close that out let and redirect it up. Due to the 3/8" restrictions in the clear line, it was partially redirecting the flow.
I repaced the line with 5/8" ID washing machine hose and barb & clamp fittings, and now it works like it should.Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
If your hair looks funny, it's because God likes to scratch his nuts. You nut, you.
I had this same problem w/ a new P/P tub/shower valve. Called their support line- what a joke. Tested w/out the spout, no fix. I don't think you could use 3/4" to the spout, as the fittings an the valve are 1/2" female threaded. This setup has small valves on the H&C sides of the mixing valve, I guess to allow you to shut off the water locally to remove the cartridge. The only fix I found was to close off the cold side until the dripping stopped. Didn't seem to appreciably affect the tub fill time. This was with the supplied showerhead. I'd like to try a 'slit washer' as another poster mentioned- have any of you seen these sold separately?I, personally, will try to never again buy a tub/shower faucet without a 'real' diverter valve, not just a stopper on the tub spout.Bill