For the past year or so we’ve had a leaky shower head. It hasn’t been a huge problem, as I could usually get the dripping to stop if I turned it off just right. Unfortunately, my wife didn’t have the magic touch, so it was pretty aggravating for her. The good news is that I fixed it.
We actually had a plumber take a look at it one time when he was out to repair something else, but he was totally useless. He opened it up, cleaned a few things off, re-assembled things, and went merrily on his way. Unfortunately, it was still leaking. Today, I decided it was high time to fix it myself. What follows is a rundown of the process, complete with pictures.
As an aside, this was such an easy fix that I can’t believe the plumber didn’t nail it — I’m guessing he either didn’t have the right parts, or couldn’t be bothered to walk out to his truck to get them. Either way, this was a quick and painless repair. I only wish I’d done it sooner.
What you’ll need
Before you get started, you’ll need to have a few things on hand.
- Allen wrench. In order to get the handle off the faucet, you’ll need an allen wrench to loosen the set screw. In our case, this required a 3/32 inch allen wrench.
- Strap wrench. Depending on how tightly things are assembled, you may need a strap wrench. It’s possible that you’ll be able to get away with your bare hands, but there’s a good chance that you won’t.
- Faucet repair kit. The most likely cause of your leaky shower head is that the rubber “seats” (small, cup-like rubber washers that rest on top of a spring inside the faucet assembly) have worn out. These will need to be replaced. You’re looking for the Delta faucet repair kit RP4993, or the generic equivalent. Lowes didn’t have the authentic Delta parts, but they did have some made by Danco that were intended for Delta/Peerless faucet repairs. They actually had multiple versions but, as near as I could tell, the rubber seats were all the same size. The springs do differ, however, so I got a pack that had two different types of springs.
- Towel or blanket. The last thing you want to so is chip or crack your shower, so grab a towel or blanket and put it on the floor of the shower. This also protects you from losing any small parts down the drain.
Disassembling the faucet
First things first. Before you start taking things apart, be sure to turn the water off. Unfortunately, we have no way to shut off the water for just the shower. Thus, I had to turn it off for the entire house.
Once the water is turned off, you’re ready to get started. Pictured below is the faucet handle prior to disassembly. Pardon the water stains, they’re a byproduct of the dripping.
The read arrow points to the set screw in the side of the handle. Use your allen wrench to loosen this screw and remove the handle.
Next, you’ll want to remove the grey plastic disc (if your faucet has one) as well as the silver (metal) sleeve. These two pieces, labeled with red arrows below, should just slide off.
You should now see something similar to what’s pictured below.
Next, you’ll need to remove the brass ring (indicated with the red arrow, above) that is holding the “guts” of the faucet assembly in place. Before you do anything, double-check to be sure the water is off. Once it’s safe to proceed, loosen the brass ring either by hand or using the strap wrench. After you’ve removed the brass ring, you should see something like what’s pictured below.
You can now remove the faucet assembly. It may be kind of stuck in place, so apply even, consistent pressure and ease it out. Even though the water supply has been turned off, you’ll likely have some water draining out of the pipes.
Opening up the faucet assembly
Once you’ve removed the faucet assembly, you should be holding something like what’s picture below in your hands.
The parts that you’re after are located on the inside (sandwiched between the blue and white halves). To open the assembly, press in on the blue half and twist. Once it comes apart, you should see something like what’s picture below.
The parts that you’re after (the rubber seats) are indicated by the red arrows. You can simply pull them out (along with the springs, if you wish) and replace them. In the picture above, you can also see the faucet repair kit that I purchased — Danco DL-17 for Delta/Peerless faucets. Note the two different spring sizes. The original springs were most similar to the shorter, fatter springs in the repair kit. They were, however, ever so slightly shorter. I decided to use the new springs to give a slightly more snug fit.
Reassembling the faucet
To put everything back together, simply reverse the steps listed above. Put the springs and rubber seats in place, compress the blue and white halves together and twist to re-join them. Next, re-insert the faucet assembly into the brass sleeve and secure in place with the brass ring (I re-tightened with the strap wrench, but I was careful no to overdo it). Now all that’s left is to slip the silver sleeve back over the assembly, put the grey plastic disc back in place, and re-attach the handle.
That’s it. I’m pleased to report that the dripping has stopped.
Assuming that you have everything that you need, the entire repair should take 15 minutes tops, and the parts cost about three dollars. Like I said above, quick and painless — and way cheaper than paying someone to fix it. Totally worth the trouble in my book.
{ 137 comments… read them below or add one }
Great information. I have been trying to fix such a leak for a friend of mine. Now I know what to do.. You did a great job simplifying the process for those who are not that handy around the house.
Ken: Glad to be of service.
if you’re like half the other delta owners, the set screw won’t come out and it becomes a major job to remove the set screw because of all the crap that falls in the set screw hole. bad design.
Info was great, and helpful… but the brass ring
holding the ‘guts’ in on mine are frozen.
What a crappy design, the body is not mounted well enough
to take any real torque, and even with an 18″ pipe wrench to hold body in place I still can’t get it loose.
The factory should have used grease on the threads when they assembled/made the damn thing.
Very helpful article that worked out nicely for me. The brass ring was pretty tight but did come off with some hand power and a towel for grip. The faucet assembly took a little wiggling and pulling but alo came off once the water pressure was overcome. Luckily there was no need for a hand strap any other special tools. Thanks for the tips.
WHAT ABOUT DELTA 17T SERIES BREAKDOWN?????????
Jammer 6: Awesome instructions and pictures. I was about to blow a gasket and kill my nagging girlfriend about the drip from hell. Job finally done, thanks!!!!
I followed all these steps….and it still drips!!!
I am loosing my mind!
Any other suggestions????
THANK YOU SO MUCH! Just perfect for my situation. Thank you for taking the time to help folks like me. I had been dreading getting into this project, and thanks to you and the PICTURES, I knew exactly what to buy and what to do when I got it. You saved me from having to get a plumber to do this, and it was a really easy fix. No drips!
Identical problem with one difference. My handle does not had a set screw, it has a screw that runs straight through the top of the handle into the brass shaft in your (outstanding) photos. Everything is back together, but the original screw broke during the process and I need a new one. Any idea where I can get one of these? It looks like it’s about 1 and 1/8 inches.
I have almost the exact same faucet, but I can’t get my faucet assembly back in after taking it apart. It almost goes back in, but the little rubber stoppers at the end (not the ones pointed to by the red arrows above) are preventing it from sliding in. If I remove those two stoppers, it slides in great. Any suggestions?
This was so helpful, my biggest problem was getting the handle out, since the allen type screw was washed out.. so i went and bought a jigsaw and spent like 30 hours trying to get to it.. eventually, i was able to break the whole thing and the handle came out, after that the other challange was getting the brass ring out, i grabbed a hammer, started hitting it, a screwdriver, pulling it up from the sides, eventually it came out and after that everything else was a piece of cake
now i need a new handle haha
Awesome instructions. I followed your examples and all went well except I needed a shorter screw for the handle. Thank you so much.
You the MAN! First time I have fixed a shower leaking. Your instructions were to the point and with great pictures to follow. My assembly is 10 years old and was all white, no blue, with some other minor differences. But the pictures and instructions were close enough to get the job done! Thanks for saving me lots of money! Life is Golden now!
Wow, I’m so glad I fell into your website. I have TWO leaking showers (both Delta) and a hubby who refuses to do plumbing! While I am very good at replacing the seats and springs on Delta sink faucets, I have never tackled the shower. But it doesn’t look any more difficult (in fact it looks a little easier). I’m going to give it a whirl tonight. The only difference is that mine has a temperature limiter plate on it, but I assume once I take that off, everything else will be the same. THANKS, you are awesome and the pictures are excellent!
Turning which direction to lossen the brass ring?
It is very tight. Our faucet is about 17 year old.
Thanks!
Debbie said: “Turning which direction to lossen the brass ring?
It is very tight. Our faucet is about 17 year old.
Thanks!”
Thanks Deb. thats right, some of us have no knowledge of this and need to know minute details. Like how do I turn this clockwize or counter clockwize?!?!?!?
Hi all: It’s been awhile, but I’m pretty sure that it loosens by turning counter-clockwise. (Left loosy, righty tighty…)
Nice job. It took me about 25 minutes. Great pics.
Thanks for the useful information. I replaced the rubber seats and springs but it still leaked so I bought a complete new assembly and installed it. It ended up a $40 fix instead of a $4 fix. No leaks yay! Thanks again.
i followed all instructions and it’s still leaking,
What now besides a whole new valve.
I read your article after replacing the whole assembly. I got the dripping to stop but do not have the same amount of water pressure through the shower head that I had before making the change. Any idea why that might be? I took it apart and reassembled it twice to make sure I had it assembled correctly and I have the same amount of “less pressure” each time.
Thanks for the great step by step instructions with pictures.
The only problem, it still drips. Is there another set of rubber seals I can change?
Thanks. Nice job explaining and the pictures are worth an extra thousand words.
Thanks, much appreciated your how-to on fixing our pesky leak!!!
Concur with everyone about the quality of your explanation. The fix seems to have worked and cost me $4.00 at Lowes. The most challenging part of the fix for me was the loosening and removal of the screw which holds the handle on (Step 1). That took about 20 minutes and destroyed 3 Allen wrenches. However, once the handle was removed, it took about 10 minutes.
For those of you that still have a leak after completing this procedure, the next step is to replace the entire faucet assembly valve (the blue/white component). The cost of this valve was about $40 at Lowes and Lowes has a “decision tree” book on how to address most Delta repairs with cross reference to part numbers so that you purchase the proper components.
Thanks again!
I was able to get the brass nut off but it took some time. My problem now is that I can not get the assembly out. I have tried to use two screw drivers to work back and forth but I can not get it to come. I got frustrated and nervous that I was going to break something and quit, and put it back together. I am not sure what to do.
Great information. I wish I had found it before I took the beauty plate and everything apart.
I got it now though. Thanks
Great info! That brass ring was tricky for me also. Folks should also note the placement of the scald guard.
Wayne,,
Yeah i had the same problem but after a little work it came out. I just got a flat head screwdriver and stuck in between the white and the brass and twisted it a little while pulling it at the same time. Dont worry it takes a lot of pressure before it breaks out of the seal.
What great instructions. That was an easy job! The brass ring came off easy by hand. I did have problems breaking the seal on the housing…I had to wear leather gloves, and use pliers to pull straight out.
I went to a local plumbing shop in town, and they gave me a copy of the assembly drawing, which helped when I realized I didn’t know which way the seals were supposed to be.
No more complaints from the wife! Thank You
Thanks so much for the pictures and the detail about how to fix my faucet. Saved me some bucks to not have the plumber come out.
Thank you very much, all of my leaks has the same seat gasket.
I will try to help somebody in some way because you help me.
great explanation and the photos really helped. I had a stuck brass ring nut but used a propane torch to heat it a little which helped break the seal. Definitely counter-clockwise to loosen. Once that was done it took a bit of coaxing to get the housing out but then the rest of the repair went quickly. One thing that confused me a bit at the store was the diagram on the back of the Danco seal & spring package was for a sink faucet. But your photo confirmed it was correct. I appreciate you taking the time for the explanation and photos.
I have a Delta faucet but my problem is that the handle doesn’t turn completely around towards the hot side (it doesn’t get as hot as it used to). I talked to some people about it and they said that there is some sort of clip that prevents it from turning completely. Do you know anything about this or have any tips on how I can fix it?
helpppppppp!!!!!!!!!!!! somebody…
…I took the white part of the cartridge out but the blue is still inside the valve and I cant get it out…gave up after 3 hours but now I cant get the white part in..looks like the “key” on the cartrige is not engaged whit the slot in the body…OMG…anyone???? I will never complain about leaks, not will I try to fix faucets by myself….
Our single handle shower faucet has been leaking for a few months. Knowing that Delta does a lifetime warranty, I phoned them they sent the cartridge to us. My Husband has been working on this for over 7 hours today. Now we’re at a stage that we do not get ANY water from our shower. The water is turned on, all the other faucets work…but we’re unable to understand why no water in our shower. Please help.
cant get brass ring off any suggestions ?? tried strap wrench… tried praying… tried strap wrench again… seems like if i turn it any harder the thing seems like it will turn everything and break…need somebody to answer prayers
Jeff, we had the same problem with the brass ring. We used the rubber strap wrench along with some silicone spray to break up the calcium deposits that practically glued it on. After 7 hours and replacing every spring and washer possible and put it all back together……..still leaking. Calling a plumber in the morning. We also thought of just replacing the whole thing with a new faucet set up. Did you know you have to replace EVERYTHING, the brass water connectors and all, just to change your shower faucet. Son of a B I am done with this!
This is regards to murphy’s comment about getting the brass ring off the vale. First you don’t want to just turn the brass ring without holding the cartridge body,because it is connected only by those little tubes behind the cartirdge body which supplies the water(they twist easy). Second, brass is soft… So when you put your channel locks on the brass ring don’t squeeze so hard, what you are doing is squeezing so hard that the brass ring won’t turn. For example: a mason jar has a lid similar to the brass ring, right? right. My wife was squeezing the lid so hard trying to get if off,and she could not do it. I told her not to squeeze so hard and it came right off! My name Is Ross and I have been a Plumbing sevice tech for more than 15 years…Hope this helps everybody.
P.S Launching my soon!
Jeff: STOP, everything is turning and you will damage the valve. Use channel locks on the brass ring everybody. Don’t squeeze the ring so hard! but you should squeeze hard on the cartridge body with the other set of channel locks. Use 2 pair of channel locks… I have repaired 100′s of these valves.
Outstanding information. This was the best information I found on the net. I was able to complete the repairs in 10 minutes.
Thanks so much for the very detailed/informative guide…extremely helpful – I leak no more
The detailed information was a lifesaver. I was able to step through and repair the problem in less than a half hour. I certainly appreciate the help!
Worked like a charm! Thanks.
GREAT Documentation with photos!
I just finished up my leaky shower faucet and it took no time at all. However, my solution was not the springs or the seats. For me, replacing the o-rings on the opposite side of the seats and springs is what cured the leaking for me.
Just thought I would mention this if replacing the setas and springs doesn’t work for anyone else.
Many thanks for the detailed instructions.
Thank you !!!
Thanks for the info. You saved me having to call a plumber. I fixed my shower and my wife’s bath/shower in about 45 minutes. Mine was different in the way I had to disassemble the first part. I got that far before but did not know that the brass ring twisted off. The ring took a little muscle to get off but after that it was like “butter”. Thanks again.
I would advise to add one extra step to this process. Once you have everything out and before re-installing, turn the water on for a few seconds to clean out any debris. This may eliminate any problems in the future if there was some build-up or anything else lurking behind. I have come across wood chips caught in screens in several faucets. Sometimes they get in pipes during construction.
Our shower has been dripping for a month now and I was dreading calling the plumber and spending all that money, then I found your site and decided to try it myself. Your pictures were excellent and the detailed instructions were so easy to follow. My husband and I completed this in 20 minutes and the leak is gone! Thank you so much for posting!
I thank you for posting this with pictures. I’m a single mother of three teen age boys but none of my boys want to tackle this leaky problem in their bathroom. It drives me nuts. I went to OSH hardware store and talked to someone there to find out what I needed to fix my leaky Fauce. I was given a small Single Handle box which is $2.69. The person said, that is usually needed when the leak start or else I need to buy the whole package which is too expensive for me. I went on line and google leaky faucet but when I add Delta leaky faucet I saw your post. But I guess the Delta Shower Faucet in your sample is older than mine. Mine doesn’t have that blue halves. It’s just the white but I pick in I saw the two hole in the metal part of the pipe. My 15 year old son remind me that I don’t need to remove the pipe. I put a flat screwdriver and I found the OLD Seats and Springs. I replaced both Seats and springs. Put back all the parts. Turn back the water from the main. No more leaky Faucet. thank you….Thank you…thank you… God Bless You!!!!
$3.87 and 15 minutes. Thanks for doing such a great job explaining it.
Well, your article and photos were a great help. However, after replacing the springs and seats, and reassembling everything, nothing has changed. Still leaking. So, now what?
Excellent Visual Aid – worked perfectly. I am sharing this with my neighbors.
Thanks your presentation helped to get the leaky problem fixed.
Good job.
I searched several “self help” sites looking for good instructions on how to make this repair. This was by far the best. Followed the instructions (the pictures helped a lot), and everything works fine now.
Thanks for taking the time to post the info.
I got as far as “the brass ring (indicated with the red arrow, above) that is holding the “guts” of the faucet assembly in place” show in the third picture.
The brass ring is stuck. I’ve tried channel locks and I’ve tried tapping on the ring. Is it OK to use penetrating oil?
John: I would recommend a strap wrench, which is what I ended up using. No idea if penetrating oil is a good idea or not.
I found that a hose clamp and a set of channel locks did the trick.
Put the hose clamp around the collar tightly, grab the tightening screw on the hose clamp with the channel locks, and twist.
(counter-clock wise please)
Oh!! S—T!!! Big problems cant get the brass piece off … Tried the strap wrench nadda, think i,am twisting the piping in the wall oh boy any help or solutions??? Hurry water is going erery where .. OH yea also broke water shut off!!! Not a good day with Delta!! Thanks…
Worked like a charm!! thanks so much for posting this with the pics! We were told something could be replaced in the shower handle but had no idea what. after reading this I was able to go to Ace and get exactly what I needed and fix it quickly.
You’re awesome, many thanks for this detailed explaination.
Best,
Stephen
Cary, NC
Sorry to leave ya’ll on edge..Had to abandon the faucet,luckly I have two shower heads in the shower, the other not dripping yet..Well fixed the shut off, turned water on and water was pouring everwhere!! Oh yea twisted pipes in the wall.. No problem my house is on stilts so pluming was easy to get to ..Thanks Delta ..And all this with a broke leg!! Hope everone else has better luck… Glenn in Florida!!!
i wanted to personally thank you for this article. I tried replacing the springs and washer first but still leaked, so i got the entire assembly at the box store and the leak is repaired. The back caliper broke off in the pipe housing and was a real beast to get out. I want to say thanks again your site helped save me hundreds on a visit!
Worked perfectly! Thanks
Great directions and pictures. Got the seats and springs replaced but now the hot water does not turn on. Checked the main water supply and the hot water going into the tub. Not sure what is up.
Thanks for the posting! Our shower had been leaking for a couple of months and getting worse by the day. Checked the second bath in our home and same story but more water leaking. I was able to replace the parts in both showers start to finish in under ten minutes. No more leaks!
Excellent posting!
Great post. Worked perfectly. Picture’s worth a thousand.
Excellent explaination. $4.25 parts from Lowe’s & 15 minutes time (after I found the correct allen wrench). Thanks!!!!!!!!
We tried this for our leaking faucet and it did not work. Had to end up replacing the whole cartridge which was $50.00!
Germaine: Bummer, but look at it this way… Way cheaper than a plumber!
Excellent step by step! The best tool anyone can have is instructions. They saved me time and money! Tip; A rubber jar lid openner from the cupboard worked just as good as the rubber strap tool would have for loosening brass. Thanks for the info.
I’m standing in the bathroom right now with my laptop on the bathroom counter. Fabulous tutorial. I spent five dollars and some change. You saved me a lot of money. Thank you so much. This was the BEST self-help plumbing site I could find. Again, thank you.
These instructions were amazing and easy to do. Thank you sooooooo much for the great visual and step by step guide. I went to Home Depot to buy the washers but they showed me the whole unit replacement. I opted to buy the whole unit instead and not replace the washers. The whole unit costs $38.
Fantastically simple, thanks to your clear instructions and (as noted by others) your great use of photos. Thanks again!
I tried the inexpensive way first and had no luck so ended up replacing the entire cartridge. Sure it was $40 instead of $4, but the leak is now gone. These instructions and pics kept me from twisting and prying things into a mess and removed all guesswork. Thanks.
You Know What ?
THANK YOU
Thanks a lot
These instructions are perfect and the reseal was easy to do. Thank you very much for putting this out on the web, you’ve help a lot of folks with your visual aid and step by step guide. I went to Home Depot and found the Danco DL-17 seal kit; purchased two since we have his/her shower controls and did both units in just 20 minutes. 2 seal kits $7.56 and 20 minutes to install, you can’t beat it… Just a note: One of units still leaked slightly, but after turning it on and off 10 times quickly it quit, it just had to seat the new seals I guess. No more leaks !!!
Thanks again… Craig in Buford, GA
Excellent instructions the pictures really helped! I went to Ace Hardware and bought the seats and springs for a low price hoping this was going to fix my dripping shower head. I replaced the seats and springs and re-assembled. When I turned on the water it continued to leak with the new seats and springs. I ended up replacing the cartridge and it works fine. The cartridge was $40.00 dollars at Home Depot. Thanks again for the great instructions. It would have cost me lots more if I had to call someone to fix it. Thanks!!
Same here, tried the seats and springs but it still dripped….Went back to Lowe’s and purchased the cartridge and problem solved. Instructions w/pictures are spot on for for the disassembly and reassembly.
THANKS!!
I am a nurse and I did this all by myself. Still was leaking after I put in replacement parts, but it was 10 years old. So at Lowes I had also bought the whole replacement part. Work’s like a dream!!!! TYTYTY
Cartridge was $29. at Lowes!!!
Thank you for an amazingly easy to follow set of instructions. The guy at Lowes actually laughed at me when I told him what I was doing….sucker, I fixed it in 10 minutes using my bike multi tool!
OMG Thank you for posting this easy step by step method!!! It NEVER fails that when my husband leaves for a deployment~something breaks and i’m left holding the hammer, screwdriver or last time it was the septic filter!!!
30 mins and $0. Thanks!
Good lesson: never trust the plumber! My shower was installed during my house remodling by “professional” guys. I noticed the hot water and cold water was reversed and they said that was impossible. After 3 months, the shower started leaking. Only followed your instructions, I dissassembled the shower and found the problem was in your figure 6: they installed the hot water side to the wrong side! After I switched to the correct side, the leak is gone and the hot water is flowing from the left-side.
Mike: You did a great job with this posting including the pictures and all. I was having trouble getting the bonnet nut off, so I called a plumber. He said he could not do it and would probably break it, he wanted to replace the whole shower assembly! So, I tried again by first squirting a lot of LimeAway all over the bonnet nut, and then some WD40. At that point it came loose. I did not worry about appearances and got it off with a monkey wrench with a 12 inch handle. I made sure to hold the back of the assembly very stable while I cranked on the monkey wrench so as to not break the whole assembly away from the hot and cold water inlet piping.
Mike, You da man! Thanks for the great explanation and illustration. At first glance I was thinking I needed to call a plumber to tear into the faucet. However, I just finished the repair. I did have to replace the internal guts, the washer alone did not solve it. However, sounds like most hardware stores that sell Delta parts stock this item.
I am trying to remove the handle from the Delta shower faucet but I have not been successful. We tried the allen wrench to remove the screw, WD4 and cleaning the hold. I think now we have stripped the screw hold. Any suggestions on how to get the handle off now? Please reply because I am trying to have this done myself instead of calling a plummer. I was hoping this was going to be simple but it has not been.
Thank you! My faucet was slightly different but you gave me enough details and great photos for me to be able to fix this in about 10 minutes.
Like most everyone else leaving a comment…thanks! Thought I was going to have to replace the whole unit but after a few minutes and less than $4 in parts it works like a charm. The only thing I did different was to use a little silicone grease on all the O-rings to keep them pliable and form good seals. Thanks again!
Great article, thank you! In my case it wasn’t the valve seats, but rather the seal between the two halves that had popped out when the pipes froze. I was able to fix it with no additional parts in about 20 minutes total. This article saved me both time and money and made it a piece of cake to learn how to repair these faucets. Thanks again!
Cheers!
Thanks! Very well done and helpful! Your images provided confidence the retainer ring was indeed threaded despite being stuck hard. Had to use two pipe wrenches (one to hold the base to avoid damaging the fitting). 12 year old house,with extremely hard water. I spent the extra $40 to replaced the unit, and it definitely solved the drip. Note that the old unit was all white. It also had brass and plastic pieces along with an o-ring to achieve hot/cold range adjustment. The replacement unit matched your images exactly and worked fine. Just required one additional step to reposition the white top to allow for hotter water adjustment.
This was sooo helpful. I had to replace the whole cartridge, but I don’t want to even think how much it would have cost to have a plumber do it.
great instructions. I went with the whole assembly (35 bucks Lowes). Newer
faucets now have a brass collar which screwed right off. If you can get the old assembly off putting the new one is very easy.
AWESOME! Saved me big time from calling the plumber. Thanks.
Thanks I looked all day to find the right Fix yours looks great should be a snap
ON the brass ring, could not get it off, I remembered how you can heat up a fitting to get it off. I used a hair dryer on high and heated it for 3 to 4 min. Then used the channel locks to hold the inner part in the wall and a pipe wrench on the brass ring, took all I had but got it off. Thanks.
BOUGHT STUFF AT HOME DEPOT $5.00 AND TOOK 15 MINUTES TO REPAIR. MY FAUCET WAS A LITTLE HARD TO PULL OFF BECAUSE OF LIME BUILD UP BUT WENT SMOOTH.
Great instructions. They were very clear and the pictures matched what I saw almost perfectly. I too, unfortunately, had difficulty removing the brass ring. I was to this point before I sought out these instructions. I had tugged on the brass ring with a pipe wrench and since it wouldn’t budge I googled how to repair a Delta shower faucet, thinking that maybe I was doing something wrong. After reading through these comments, I tried WD-40. Still wouldn’t budge. By this time I noticed (even though the water to the house was turned off) water dripping inside the wall at the back of the valve. I finally tried the hair dryer trick and was able to remove the brass ring. This was a great suggestion and I wish I would have tried this first. The reason that water was behind the valve was that I broke the valve. I had to call a plumber to come out and install the replacement valve that I purchased from Lowes for $120. The plumber took about 2 hours and charged me $345. This seemed a little steep to me since other than maybe soldier it was all labor. I even provided the 1/2 copper pipe used to install the valve.
So far my total bill has reached $465 and I still have to hire someone to fix the drywall and install wallpaper. This will probably mean that we have to wallpaper the entire bathroom. Anyway, this ended up being an expensive ordeal which took up the whole day.
Please don’t think that I’m bashing these instructions. I’m not. I think that they were great. I’ve done repairs like this in the past and would attempt this one again. This job just went wrong. It was my fault that I couldn’t get the stubburn brass ring off withoug breaking the valve.
Writing this to express my appreciation for your instructions. After reading about five other posts, I was getting ready to call the plumber and get clobbered again. However, I started to dismantle the leaky system and found it to be alot easier than I thought. Also, nice to have a Lowes and a Home Depot nearby. I discovered that I have a Delta shower faucet series 600 that was installed when the house was built in 1991. Even though your instructions are for a different series, there is much similarity of how to dismantle these systems. I spent about two hours because I cleaned the removed parts so well as a jeweler would clean your watch.
Presto, the leak coming from the shower head has stopped so thanks again for the inspiration.
Forgot to mention that the part that did the trick for me was a Danco repair kit for Delta Faucets with #212 Stainless Steel Ball Both Old and New Styles. The package says #6P17954. It cost $12.91. The fellow at Home Depot told me that this is all I would need and that I didn’t have to replace the Cartrage. I worked.
Thanks, it took a few minutes. However, it still leaks even after I cleaned the deposits first. What do you think?
David: Good question. Maybe the cartridge itself is shot? I’m not sure. Replacing the seats and springs fixed the problem for me and many readers, but some have said that they ended up replacing the entire cartridge (more expensive, but still cheaper than a plumber). Good luck.
Thank’s for the Great instructions. Changed the whole unit out and not a drip insight. Have two other bath/showers with the same setup so ready! Thank’s again!!
Thanks. It took 15 minutes, used new springs and washers from Lowes for $4.00. The photos really helped.
Awesome instructions– called Delta and they sent me replacement parts at no charge. I couldn’t figure out how to install though. I tried the Delta website but there weren’t any instructions for shower faucets. I googled and your instructions and pictures came up. Perfect — it was just what I needed to fix the job. No more leaks ! Thank You!!!!
Like everyone else, I want to say thanks!!! Normally I would just call a plumber for something like this. But your instructions were so easy to follow, I decided to give it a try. Replacing the washers and springs didn’t do the trick. But a second trip to the store for a new cartridge got the job done. The only problem is now my wife wants me to do more DIY repair jobs around the house.
Great info. very helpful. Fixed mine in approx. 15 minutes. Mine was also leaking about a year, got tired of hearing the drip. Excellent display of all prceedures. Thank you! $2.47 invested and no more drip.
Great instructions! For those that are still leaking a little after repair, check the two O-rings on the back side of the blue part. Mine had a little bit of lime build up in the holes where it fits back into the valve , and it was cutting the O-rings when I put them back in. Yet another trip to HD for new O-rings and a good scrubbing with CLR = no more drips!
Got it all done, but now the water pressure is severly lacking and can’t get the water very warm. There isn’t as much rotation in the handle…any ideas???
THANK YOU!!! I tried to replace the washers and springs, but it still leaked. I ended up buying a new cartridge and replacing that myself – NO MORE LEAKS!!!! Your instructions and detailed photos helped tremendously – gave me the confidence that this wasn’t the HUGE job I thought it was. Saved me time and money – you rock:-)
I had this same problem. Mine was not only the seats, but also all of the o rings were cracked or shredding. I ended up replacing the whole cartridge (still cheep then calling a plumber). However, when I reassembled the faucet, the hot/cold position reversed. Before the handle turned counter clockwise with 1/4 turn being cold, 1/2 turn warm, fully open Hot. After, a 1/4 turn is Hot, 1/2 still warm, and fully open cold. I have no idea why. Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions? Otherwise, this article was dead on the money, the pictures could have been taken of my shower! Thanks!!!
@Jaam2k Take the cartridge out and flip it. There is a “hot” label on one side, make it go to the other side and you should be good.
I got information on how to fix this leaky shower head from my supervisor. He told me to just buy the entire cartridge, so that’s what I did. Since I’m not all that handy, I had my son help me out. Together we fixed the shower, but it still leaks. I don’t know what else to do at this point. Everything in your photographs is the same thing we did, but leaking still. I am tired of all the drips! What can I do?
Great info. Got this from Google. It really helped with disassembly. I had to replace the whole cartridge after I tried two sets of seals. The guy at the plumbing supply store said that’s what he sees more often than not. But thanks for putting the directions on this site. It saved me having to call in a plumber.
RIGHT ON THE MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!
I bought the replacement cartridge at Lowes but the two cylinders on the rear of the new cartridge (blue) were not the same length (shorter) as on the original (white) cartridge. It didn’t work. So I simply removed the washers and springs from the new cartridge and installed them on the old cartridge. It worked, no more leak, but the two washers and springs cost me $39.
perfect, the internet is great. this worked like a charm and saved gas because i did not need to return to home depot to ask more questions
Hi everyone…great pictures above…..however, we are not just leaking we are cracked and the water is spraying through the handle….I dont know where to start on getting a whole new unit since this one does not have a model number except for the washer….Like a person mentioned we are white also not blue….so where do I go to find a replacement nozzle for my shower??? well without having to buy a whole new unit and take the plumbing apart anyway??? please help!!! thanks
Just finished doing two ten year old shower faucets and no more drips. The only difficulty was in backing out the set-screws that hold the handles onto the shafts. That little screw turned a 10 min. job into an hour and a half. The poor design allows water and soap to enter the access hole in the handle which causes corrosion to form on the set-screw making them nearly impossible to remove. Why couldn’t they plug the holes with a small plastic cap? Before reassembling everything I cleaned all of the corrosion off the parts and lubricated the threads to make it easier the next time they have to be removed. I also put a dab of caulk in the access hole to keep out the water. The caulk is easily removed for the next repair.
Great instructions, in and out in 20 minutes (had a little problem with brass collar, used a oil filter wrench around a piece of old cloth belt to loosen). Thanks so much for pictures and direction.
My first mistake was using channel locks to try and get the brass ring off. Don’t do it try tapping around it and use your hand. If that doesn’t work get the strap wrench. Bigger is not always better
hi, is this seats and spring thing will work for the faucet too? i have same problem but with faucets leaking! pls reply or email me thanks
@ kangjagir@hotmail.com
Hi, I changed both seats and springs but water still leaking! what should I do next? Thanks for help
Bought the replacement cartridge and after 15 minutes, I had my water back on, shower working like brand new and best of all, NO LEAK! My brass ring screwed off with no problems and the old cartridge popped right out like a turkey thermometer! Thanks for the insight, I thought I would have to call out a plumber. The leak really didn’t bother me but my wife swore she could hear it dripping at night, through the bathroom doors and over the squeaky ceiling fan! I’ll get extra loving this weekend and a nomination for Handyman of the Year
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Well, unfortunately it didn’t work for me. I don’t know why. I bought the replacement springs and seats and a strap wrench (I couldn’t budge the brass ring to begin with either), made the replacements as instructed and it’s leaking exactly as before. I guess I’ll have to buy the replacement cartridge, but mine has no markings on it to identify which one I need to buy (it’s white, not blue), so I don’t know what to do. Can’t afford to buy anything more right now anyway. Can’t wait until I get my $100 water bill instead of my usual $20.
Since I bought my house 7 years ago, I’ve often wondered what kind of an ordeal it was going to be to fix my two Delta faucet showers. Now I know. And, it was easy with your great descriptive photos and guide. Thanks.
Awesome instructions and illustrations! You are a life saver!! Thanks!
I followed the instructions in replacing the seats and springs but the shower still leaks. Maybe I need to replace the part that holds the seat/springs.
Excellent instructions and illustrations. Easy fix for $5.00.
Would anyone help me how to remove the cover from the beginning? I used allen wrench to loose the screw but the screw seemed worn out because it was too tight and I kept turning without really turning the screw. Now allen wrench does not work any more…What can I do? Does Plumber has special tood for this? Thank you for your advice.
I have a delta 1748 faucet, there is no set screw. It just has a top that rotates to adjust temp. and a handle that turns the water on.
So can someone tell me please how do I get those handles off?
Thanks. Doesn’t seem to have any type of cover to pop off, Help!
While at the hardware store buying seats and springs, a plumber stopped me and asked what I was doing. I had the ‘faucet assembly’ in my hand (blue and white, shown above). He told me the best bet would be to replace the entire thing (faucet assembly). For $30, it was worth it. The leak stopped as soon as I got it installed.
Fantastic web site. A lot of useful information here. I’m sending it to several pals ans additionally sharing in delicious. And of course, thank you in your effort!
Well, we have had terrible water pressure in both of our showers.
The plummer said he probably needed to clean the cartridges because of calcium build up. Then he said he couldn’t get the ring off the faucet and didn’t want to heat it because of the liability. Apparently Delta made a model with thin rings that get stuck? He suggests we replace the whole faucet and shower head in both showers and they need to cut access holes for both. Just wondering if I am getting a bunch of crap?
I have a problem w/ low pressure out of my delta single handle shower. Replaced 2 shower heads checked it with just a bare pipe not enought volume or flow. Water press in rest of home is good. I removed the handle & trim pieces cant get the brass ring to budge,used a strap wrench then monkee type pipe wrench feels like it is going to break of ring dosent move but the whole assembly twist a bit.. can I use butane or propane? Would a hair dryer realy help?
I have a Delta Monitor series 1700 tub/shower faucet assembly. In the cold position I get little to no water. In the hot position O.K. The unit has two levers, one on top of the other. The large one is a on -off control, the smaller one on top is temperature control.The unit is 10 years old, and the brass collar that holds the assembly in the unit is very,very tight. I figure it needs rebuilt, but was unsure if the collar was made to take apart,as it resist seperating with large pliers, and a backup pipe wrench. How strong can I apply force?? (counter-clockwise, correct??) Thanks in advance for any help. Larry
Really good instructions. I’m sure I’ll be able to complete the repairs —if only I could get the handle off!! I was able to remove the 1/8″ set screw after about 45 minutes (it kept falling off the Allen wrench back into the hole) but I cannot get the handle off. I tried prying with a screwdriver, but the resistance was so great I chickened out. Do I just jerk the thing off by any means possible?