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Stopping
The Drip:
Fixing A Delta Rotary
Bath Faucet
|
| In
This Article:
A Delta faucet is taken apart
and the seals are replaced. |
Related
Articles:
|
| Skill Level:
2 (Basic) |
Time Taken:
1 Hour |
By
Bruce W. Maki,
Editor
This faucet had leaked about two months prior to this repair,
letting the water trickle instead of shutting off. Then the problem
went away. It returned suddenly and the homeowner wanted it fixed.
We noticed that the leak subsided when the handle was pushed
inwards. Also, the handle felt a little loose.
As with all faucet repairs, and repairs to pressurized plumbing
systems, the water supply was shut off first.
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The next step was to remove the handle. There was a plastic
cover in the center of the handle (not shown) which was
removed by prying with a small screwdriver.
The cover plate was removed by taking out two screws. |
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The cover plate was removed...
...and the chrome tube cover was pulled off. (It took quite
an effort to remove this tube.) |
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There was a tiny O-ring at the end of the shaft. It was
pried away with a small screwdriver.
Removing the O-ring allows the next parts to be removed. |
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These two parts slid off. They control where the faucet
shaft stops.
The next step, which was not at all obvious, was the
removal of the brass collar. A large pair of pliers were
needed. |
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There are many common features amongst the numerous single-handle
faucets on the market. We had never taken apart this particular
Delta faucet before, and we had to study the situation for a few
minutes before we realized that the brass collar was actually a
separate part from the rest of the brass valve housing.
In general, all single-handle faucets seem to use some method of
holding the valve cartridge in place. Some use a threaded ring-nut,
which may be knurled (ribbed) for improved grip. Some use a metal
clip (such as Moen) to retain the valve guts.
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Once the retaining collar was removed, the rest was
obvious.
A screwdriver was used to carefully pry the plastic
body away from the brass housing. |
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The valve body was pulled out. The black O-ring made for a
tight fit.
Cold water enters one hole, and hot water enters the other.
The mixed water flows back across the tan-colored plastic
body, and then goes to the tub spout. |
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The valve body itself is made of two halves.
When pried apart, the operation of the faucet becomes clear. A
smooth disk inside the left-hand piece rotates until the holes
align with one or both of the ports in the tan-colored part. |
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The seals are spring-loaded and push against the disk
mentioned above. A small screwdriver was used to pry them out.
The seals did not appear to be worn, but we bought
replacements anyway. |
 |
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The old seal on the left was shorter than the new seal,
which may explain why the valve leaked occaisionally.
The new seals were pressed in place. They protruded much
more than the old seals, which was a good sign. |
 |
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The white plastic half of the valve body had notches for
the other piece to twist and lock into.
The assembled valve body was inserted into the brass
housing and the locking ring was installed. |
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Note that in the above photo the white tab is on the left,
where before it was on the right. A friend of the homeowner
had taken apart the faucet and reassembled it backwards. The
homeowner noticed that the hot and cold water settings were
reversed. It helps to have a digital camera to record the removal
steps, in case of later memory failure !!!
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This brass piece is used to adjust the high temperature
limit. This can prevent a person (especially children) from
being scalded. The little dent has to fit on...
...the white plastic tab on the valve body. |
 |
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The brass piece has gear teeth inside, which connect
with...
...the white plastic piece. These two parts act as an
adjustable high and low limiting device, to provide stopping
points for the rotary valve. |
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Without these two parts, the valve simply spins around
freely. It will shut off, but it is difficult to find the exact
shut-off location without the limiting device.
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After the small O-ring and the handle were installed, the
faucet worked perfectly.
When installing parts that rub against O-rings, such as the
chrome tube over the valve body, we found that wetting the
O-ring made assembly much easier. |
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Tools
Used:
- Flat Blade Screwdrivers
- Philips Screwdriver
- Large
"Channel-Lock" Pliers
|
Materials Used:
- Replacement Seals (About
$3.00)
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