Can a bad or clogged valve body prevent water from coming out of the shower, even with the cartridge removed?
Hey plumbers, I need some help with my shower situation. I recently redid my bathroom and put in a new tile shower. Everything was fine for a couple of weeks until the main water line under my house decided to act up. I dug down 36 inches and replaced a corroded galvanized 90 that connected to the main line from the meter. After flushing it out and hooking it back up, the water company had to come fix a main line break before the meter. It seems like a lot of dirt got in the lines during that process, because I had to clean out every valve cartridge in my house. Now, everything works except the shower. I have plenty of pressure when the cartridge is out, but nothing when it’s in. I’ve checked the cartridge and it seems fine. Even when I connect the shower directly to the main line, I still get no water. Could there be a blockage in the valve body that’s causing this issue? Any advice would be much appreciated!
Who manufactured the faucet?
Moen
If you remove the cartridge, water will still flow out.
: Nope.
Did you remove the cartridge and now have no water?
There’s a lot of water without the cartridge in, but none with it.
Those Moen cartridges have a tiny copper line inside them. It’s possible there’s a buildup clogging it. I’d suggest trying a new one before going ahead and replacing the entire valve assembly.
Oh, I’m gonna try everything before I do anything drastic. I just finished building this. The shower door hasn’t even arrived yet, haha.
Hey, I just checked out my truck and it looks like it’s the newer Posi Temp. Sometimes junk can get in there, you might want to think about replacing it. Not a whole lot else to do. Good luck with it! 👍
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Oh, absolutely, that’s it, .
Hey buddy, has been in the plumbing trade for 40 years and his expertise is top-notch.
Runs a remodeling business and you can find examples of my work on my page. I was surprised by the amount of dirt that came through the system after the water company fixed the main line. They mentioned fixing four leaks, but it’s possible that there’s dirt trapped in the cavity of the shower-only valve, causing a blockage for the tub spout. I’ve replaced many cartridges, but they rarely fail within 2 weeks. Typically, it’s the 25-year-old valve bodies that remain in good condition.
Hey there, I recently replaced all the faucets in a house and upgraded the Ballcocks in 3 new toilets I installed last month. Unfortunately, the lady’s Water Softener malfunctioned and caused a major issue with clogging. The media granules were so fine that they ended up blocking every faucet in the house.
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Can you please provide feedback on the project?
Oh no. I have to confess, I used to use a multitool to cut my pipe and ended up cleaning shavings out of the screens. I learned my lesson. haha
Added that. It must be the valves.
Did you remove the shower head? Or is there no water coming out of the tub spout?
Mentioned a walk-in shower, but the shower head is currently turned off.
You know, I was thinking maybe it has its own shut off somewhere and someone turned it off during the breaks. It should work without the valve, but I’m not sure how to plug it off.
Actually, I just finished building this shower, installed a new vanity and toilet. I haven’t had a chance to tackle the kitchen or the water heater yet since it’s a full remodel. The only thing currently connected is the bathroom, directly to the main line so far.
If it’s a straight shot and you’re pretty handy, you could maybe give an air compressor a try.
I run a remodeling business haha. I’ve never seen this much dirt come through after a main line repair before. I’m starting to think there might be some mixing ports or something inside the valve that got clogged. I’ve replaced tons of cartridges and built many showers, but in my five years of experience, I’ve never been perplexed like this. There must be something in the valve body that controls the water flow to the shower head.
Is definitely weird. It’s more difficult not being there in person. I’ve never had trouble figuring something out face to face. That’s why I recommend air. It applies more pressure without causing water to spill everywhere.
The shower head might be blocked because the cartridge is installed incorrectly or facing the wrong way.
The shower head is detached and the cartridge is inserted correctly. I’ve gone through everything. Maybe the issue is in the valve body.
Is there a balancing valve on each side of the supply in the valve body? They might be clogged with debris.
Nope, it’s Moen. I spent around $90 on it and it’s a posi temp.
Thinks the issue must be with the cartridge. If water is flowing from the valve body without the cartridge, then there must be an issue with the cart. He suggests getting a replacement for the 1225b Moen.
Oh, mentioned that currently only the cold water is connected because he’s relocating the water heater, but doesn’t think it should make a difference.
Hey, mentioned that it’s important because it’s a pressure balancing valve
Just so you know, it won’t function properly unless both hot and cold are turned on. There’s a balancer in there.
Try attaching a garden hose to the shower arm instead. Take out the cartridge
The cartridge is pretty inexpensive if it does the job
Have you inspected the shower head for any issues?
The cartridge seems to be clogged. You’ve ruled out all other possibilities.
Do you still have any galvanized pipes in your house? If so, it’s best to replace them. Start from the shower valve and work your way back. I had a piece of rust/mineral buildup come loose and get stuck in a 1/2” copper 90 just before the shower valve. Pex pipes are even narrower due to the insert fittings compared to copper pipes with external fittings.
. It was such an old quest line. Now it’s been replaced with CVPC and Pex. The only place you’ll find galvanized pipes is where the mainline emerges from the ground to the regulator, and that’s all brand new.
I would definitely replace that quest line before it becomes brittle, if it hasn’t already. I was fortunate that the only cost was a ceiling due to a faulty angle valve.
Hey, the quest is finally gone. It’s amazing it lasted this long. The house was constructed in 1980 and has undergone a complete remodel.
I’m a bit concerned because the PEX in my house is not Uponor, and I don’t think the builders were supposed to bury a steel line underground. But with the brass-plated zinc PEX insert recall, the plumbing company may have gone out of business.
Have you checked for blockages from the valve to the shower head? Did you test it with the cartridge in place but without the shower head, and it still didn’t work?
Hey, if I take off the shower head and blow through the pipe, I can feel air coming back out at the shower valve without the cartridge.
It seems like there might be an issue with the cartridge. If water is coming out of the valve even when the cartridge is not in, what else could be the issue?
Try pulling the cartridge and closing the shower curtain, then turning on the main. If no water comes out, you may have a clogged water line.
I’m way ahead of you, . The shower head has been removed, the cartridge is out, and there are all new cvpc and pex pipes under the house.
So next up is the cartridge.