plumbers on board? (bathtub fixture)

[Riley]

Any plumbers on the board?

I've got a 7 year old Moen fixture on our bathtub. The valve that controls the hand rinse thingy doesn't totally shut off the flow completely anymore. It used to work fine until about 3 months ago. I've been directed to get this fixed. as it can make a mess.

Of course it's tiled around the side of the tub so I can't get at the unit from the side or underneath.

I pulled off what I could easily, thinking it would have a cartridge or something I could service from above. The second pic is how far I got.

Note the notch in the ring, it looks like it's a groove for some SST. Anybody know how to fix this sort of thing short of pulling tiles and or calling a plumber? I bet calling a plumber would cost me my future onboard air CO2 tank system.

 

[lone gunman]

have you contacted moen yet, they offer life time wrranties on there products. i used to have one of there kitchen faucets and when it broke i just called them, told them what happened and they sent the parts for free. i dont have the # any more but go to the hardware store and look at a moen box or just try the internet, do you know the part # of the fixture, you could maybe send them the pic. and from the looks of the pic it does take a special tool or a big cresent wrench to remove, it looks like it unscrews because of the 2 flat sides kinda like a hub socket. from the sounds of it though it sounds like it needs a new seal or seat in it, it might be cuased from over tightning it when turning it of or just from age. hope some of this helps hard to say without being there but i have done my fare share of plumbing. good luck!

 

[Josh83]

Sounds like it needs a new seat. Search on line for info about rebuilding faucets or stems. It's not too hard and shouldn't cost but a few dollars for new seals and such.

 

[Riley]

I've rebuilt lots of faucets over the years. Problem is that this diverter thing is very different from your typical faucet. The large nut you see simply holds the assembly up to the tub surface. I need to pull out the center of it somehow. I think the slotted groove plays a role in that but I'm not sure.

I think I'll call Moen, that's a good idea Lone Gun.

 

[hoser]

Sorry, can't help but I asked the local plumbing supply store about which brands of faucets did he recommend. He said, "Whatever you buy, don't buy Moen. They look nice but work like crap." I ended up going with Grohe. But then again, people swear by Moen and yours lasted 7 years.

 

[Riley]

7 years isn't very long at all. Consider this is behind a tiled 1/4 height wall. IF I have to replace the tap, I'm gonna be pissed. I'm just hoping it's servicable from the top.

I'm not impressed with Moen, they are crap.

 

[White Shark]

Moen and Price Pfister are the better of the domestic lines. Kinda comparable to Jeep and Ford, other examples of domestic products. Price Pfister has lost quality since Black and Decker bought them, DeWalt Tools, and Kwikset locks in a takeover frenzy in the 90's. Moen does make some decent products that hold up, but you have a limited run Roman Tub Faucet. Unlike the $99 lav faucet, that thing will cost you $200-$400 off the shelf, or twice that if ordered. These things are very limited production items, come at a premium in price because whirlpool and soaking tubs are premium items, and the Roman Tub Faucets with handheld sprayers, with a deck mounted diverter, are about as rare as solid axle 105 series diesels in the U.S. This faucet was likely available both with, and without the diverter option. Call Moen. They do back their products well. They will take forever to ship it to you, but they will get around to getting the part to you. I know of broken parts that they have replaced multiple times without a complaint on their end. The diverter valve is not a part that you will ever find at Home Depot or Lowes, much less a specialty wholesale plumbing outfit. It will have to be ordered. I have among my many sordid talents and diverse specialties, a California General Contractors B license. One of my specialties on the license is plumbing. If you do have to pull the entire faucet, don't tear up the tile. You may be able to disconnect the drain from inside the tub, remove the faucet spout, remove the handles, escutchions, and retention rings from the stems, remove the caulking bead from the perimeter of the tub (use a razor blade to break the adhesion), and hope that the installer didn't spec cast iron or set the tub in a thinset base to stabilize the unit. After all of this, it will be easy to lift the tub out, access the hardware, replace the stems (you will find that they are probably soldered in, as flex lines usually aren't allowed in inaccessible areas), and possibly eliminate the diverter and shower handle, filling the empty holes with chrome/brass plugs when you buy a new Roman Tub Faucet. Or you can replace the Moen part from the top of the deck. This would probably be your best option. I am guessing that you have a soaking tub as whirlpools are generally required by code to have an access panel to allow resetting the GFCI switch on the pump (although I have seen pumps sealed up in fully tiled decks!). Usually the access panel is on the side or end nearest the pump which is usually opposite the drain. I have also seen access panels outside of the house when the tub is against an exterior wall, or in a closet of an adjoining bedwoom. I once saw one hidden behind a bookcase on a fanily room wall. Your drain is not visible in the post, so only you know. Grohe faucets are nice but are also really expensive. HansGrohe is their American line and much less expensive. Check out Kohler also. There are a lot of faucet companies out there, but these outfits are the largest producers of these faucet types and have good parts availabilty and support. Good luck.