How to Replace a Shower Mixing Valve | This Old House
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- Опубликовано: 2 сен 2014
- Fixing a faulty valve with This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey. (See below for a shopping list and tools.)
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The homeowner complains that his shower that won't provide full water pressure when both hot and cold water are mixed together. Richard determines that the problem is with the pressure-balancing cartridge inside the mixing valve and he takes the homeowner to a local plumbing supply company to get the necessary repair parts. While there, Richard also asks for a new trim package, which will update the look of the valve. Back at the condominium, Richard removes the old handle and face plate. He then closes the shut-off valves, removes the valve cap, and pulls out the old pressure-balancing unit. He then attaches new o-rings and inserts the new cartridge. He then installs a new cap with some plumber's grease for lubrication. Richard then installs a new sub-base and attaches the new trim and handle.
Shopping List for Replacing a Shower Mixing Valve:
- new shower valve
- plumber's grease, for lubricating O-rings
Tools for Replacing a Shower Mixing Valve:
- utility knife
- screwdriver
- pliers
- hex-key wrench
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How to Replace a Shower Mixing Valve | This Old House
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This video just saved us hours of frustration. House built 1902. Shower updated 2015. Access panel for shower is behind the sink vanity. When he mentioned having to tear that out I said WAIT, let’s watch this video. Because this shower featured the shut offs On the main valve, we looked there first, and realized tearing the vanity out was unnecessary. Less than a half-hour job, and our problem is fixed! THANK YOU!!!!!
sell the house.. ton of mold
I'm glad we found you thank you.
clear, well shot, professional, finally...thanks!
Thank you for sharing.
Camera viewing excellent.
Step by step. Awesome.
Excellent video, very professional and detailed, thank you very much
Weren't you ever forced to watch 'this old house'? This is was a TV show way before RUclips..
This video probably saved me at least $200
I didn't know you could replace a shower valve from inside the tub. When my dad and I repaired the shower at his house we went in the closet behind the shower and removed part of the back wall behind the shower. Besides replacing the valve, we also installed brand new piping.
2020 June and this helped me big time. Thx
Hi. I must commend you on the great work you do. I am having a problem with a balance mixer. I have been getting very low pressure for the shower and spout for hot and cold. The water especially from the shower struggles to come out and it 'coughs' as if there is air inthe line. I checked the water heater (solar) and gave it a few knocks. Brown water from what seems galvanized pipes came out but the problem remains. My question is if the hot water is not flowing properly, vould an imbalance of pressure cause low pressure? Kind regards
So, my Kohler shower was alway only one temp...hot. I couldn't figure out why. I pulled both the mixer and the pressure balance unit. The mixer was fine but the old pressure balance unit was bad. I opened it up (it was an older one with the bolts instead of the rivets holding the two sides together). When I pulled it apart, the diaphram in the middle was badly deteriorated. Ha! Since it was basically falling apart, the water was getting mixed there as well and since my hot was a higher pressure than the cold, it dominated and the mixing valve didn't affect the overall temp. Replaced it and now it works again.
Thanks for the tip.
We have exactly the same problem with Kohler shower, that's why I'm looking for these videos today.
Great little tutorial 🚿
Thank you for this video.
Thank you sir
My domicile apartment actually has it's own water heater, and a master shut off valve for the water,all in a small closet boiler room. 😗
Oh the good old days of beautiful simplicity. The new shower panels are almost disposable as they’re too hard to fix
Electric showers are the best type of shower to have unlike the mixer shower
Electric showers are totally safe as the electrical components are sealed off from the water
@@stephensnell1379 Why is that? Are you saying that old school valves are dangerous? Do electric vavles last 30+ years....I doubt it.
@@suckOnThese3 it is because Electric Showers adjust to changes in water pressure and will keep the temperature constant
Excellent
he does turn on water at 3:58 he even mentions it. good job turning an old looking faucet look better than before.
Great video!
Richard!! Beautiful
I am glad I found this video- hope it's as easy as it seems. As I describe my problem, after setting my shower temp, 12:00 on the dial, the temp would drift to the cold, and during the shower I keep having to turn it toward the hot or it would eventually go completely cold. Now, I am aware that the cold water pressure is overpowering the hot. The mixing valve seems to be the problem alright.
My third floor condo was built in 1978, and I suspect the equipment is that old. I have a new higher quality hot water heater with all the bells and whistles, so I know that's not part of the equation. One question I have, and which I couldn't see in the video, was, do I have water shutoffs within the wall, as he was glad to find? If not, I am going to have to have the building's water shut off in order to fix this, in which case I will be forced to hire a plumber to do the job, and I am hard put to afford one. I still marvel at the idiocy of not having individual main water shutoff valves for each unit. Can anyone explain that logic? Any further advice is welcome! Thanks!
@DJ TRIX Actually, we can't. You can only shut off the hot water at the heater, but there is no valve to shut off the cold water that supplies the hot water heater and to the rest of the unit. The supply to the entire building needs to be shut off from the main. That's why I called the design idiocy. It also forces us to bear the cost of a plumber to fix plumbing that we could otherwise do ourselves. We previously owned our own house, and in 20 years never had to call a plumber because it was easier and cheaper to DIY . In this video, the plumber noted that there were two screw valves in the wall that could shut off that faucet while the work was done. We can't see if it has those valves without cutting the hole larger. If it has them- we are in like Flynn
jus wanna say thanks for video I had a different set up but I was wondering why valve was not coming out, thanks to the video I dig out using the adaptor to turn valve then walaa! it was so easy and now my two sons can shower wout using my master bedroom bathroom 😂 thanks again great video and demonstration
You should use plumber's grease on new O rings regardless.
this one looks like a really easy job
I did similar job on my dad's shower. It was a "pausie-valve" replacement. The only hard part was busting the screws lose because they were so carotid from hard water build up.
You have to be something of a jugular to hold down a full-time job and do plumbing on the side.
L
@@utubewillyman you gotta be careful if you do those two jobs, if you don’t pay taxes, they could send you to federal prison, and if you say the wrong thing in there, someone could try and take a shank to your juggler
@@moshewakatelutiw6233 I'd be careful not to commit any infarctions of tax law.
Very interesting
I have the same ancient valve. What is the brand of the replacement?
Technically it's a mixing valve but usually called a shower valve assembly or single handled valve
I was about to beat the wall out. Thx
i noticed you put on a new shower handle unit, is that required or can the shower mixer valve itself be replaced?
I wish they also tell you which parts to buy and where to get them. How do you make sure the new handles will work with the old holes and hardware?
In the full episode, they go to a plumbing supply store and look through the different trim options.
@@mikemarino5762 so bay that easy or quick!
It’s a man thing you wouldn’t understand
Is there any way to make the shower handle stick out any further? Its doesnt look like The ISS enough.
He opened the shutoff on 3:57. LOL.
What he forgot to do was to adjust the screw in back of the handle to adjust or limit hot water mix. I wonder what he meant by full hot maybe scalding hot. I would also check old o-ring debris that may have ended up in showerhead.
This will limit water pressure.
Good observation on the pressure adjustment. On the plugged shower head, if it passes good volume water in any position, that's all it must do, the shower head is ok. The problem will be in the controls. 👍
YOU ABSOLUTELY NEED TO TELL PEOPLE THAT YOU NEED TO GET A COMPATIBLE REPLACEMENT. Evidently you cant just replace a moan valve with a Koehler valve. You need to know the brand of your current valve. I bought a new faucet and the new pressure balancing unit was not compatible with the old one. You make it look so easy but you need to know your current valve brand.
My faucet doesn't have the screw to turn the water on and off. How would I test the water to make sure I don't have build up?
Richard, I have the same valve system. I just replace the system and now I am not getting hot water until the handle is at the top. There is no middle warm setting. I called Kohler and they said valve was design to stop at the top 120 degree. I am only getting 95 at the top and with the fine turning hex needle. My heater is set 120. Should I set it higher to get 120 at the shower.
+michel burte ll Did you notice his shoulder was wet when he was installing the new handle?
My house has an old Pegasus shower I had to remove the shower handle and cartridge was unsalvageable it was torn and broken inside, I been looking everywhere for a new cartridge that fits and can not find one any suggestions or idea what valve I have?
Hey, Did you ever find one? My Pegasus isn’t working any more and I can’t find it anywhere online either 🙄
What's the part number for the valve cartridge?
Q: my shower mixer is about 50 yrs old. Would my old plumbing accept a new mixer?
Or would imeedto open the wall and re-plumb first??
Plumbers get paid on the gross value of the job, so they want a bigger paycheck.
my tub is have a problem if not hot it's cold will not mix right have single turn knob like this one. Less then two years ago i had this problem and called a plumber in he took the cartridge out and let me without a tub for 2 weeks. He then put a new cartridge in and it work again. MY question is is it the mixer or the cartridge that is bad pressure is bad sometimes but then gets better not leaks that i can see
It is best to fix it yourself otherwise not only will you be left with no shower for days on end it will also cost you quite a bit of money
It is your pressure balance cartridge unit needs to be replaced. I have similar problem and Kohler sent me a replacement.
do you need to turn off water to house first? main water?
You are dumb
If you listened to the video properly the reason the shut off valves are there is it clearly indicates that it's an apartment building
Got a question for you This old house. I turn my shower on with a pull on valve and when I get the temp set to hop in the shower, shortly thereafter it slowly gets colder and I have to turn the valve hotter. I have to do this every couple minutes. Does the problem have to do with the valve or the water heater? Because if I turn it to full hot, it will still burn you.
1977rw I have the same problem! Get cold fast and have to keep turning it up. Only and up being able to ttake a 5 min shower and as a female with long hair 5 mins isn't enough time
I have a similar issue. Since the problem with the water temperature only happens in the shower and not on any of my other faucets, it must be the mixing valve. I bet that this is the case with yours as well.
Is there a video on how to fix when you pull the shower plunger on the tub faucet to get water only out of the shower but no matter how hard you pull you still get water from
Both?
This is the problem I'm having 😭
Do you know what is the sub base part number ? I tried to google it but cannot find one. Thank you.
Michael, Did you ever find the part number? I have the exact unit of the one that was replaced in this video (Kohler Alterna) and can't find out what the replacement is. Thank you.
What if my shower has two different knobs for hot and cold and there’s one in the middle to turn the shower on
After taking it apart "take 3....ACTION!"
What kind of water shutoff valves are so small and operated by a screwdriver?
The kind you hope you have behind the shower faucet handles!!! You will also hope that a flathead screwdriver is all you need to shut them off and that they aren't so corroded that when you barely turn the screwdriver the entire shutoff valve literally disintegrates right in front of you making it impossible to shut off the valve without a street key. Jus sayin'..
Geeze, that handle stick out as far as the tub spout.
In between what step did turn water back on?
He turns it back on at 3:55
Did not show two very important steps before starting. 1. Always find the shut off valve first and be sure you know how to use it in case the job goes bad. In this case I'm not sure I'd want to risk working on this without waiting for an apartment water shut down. 2. How do you decide ahead what replacement parts to get to be prepared? It was like magic. He had just the right parts.
It was literally the first thing he said . “Thank god the shut off valves are right there. I’ve seen cases where they’re not there.” 🙃
What about for one where the hot and cold are separated
A bit of a power struggle at 6:02 lol
I replace the whole valve assembly. Cold water pressure real good hot water pressure still low when full hot
Look up video for valve adjustment
I have the same problem
The builders of this building was smart to get a easy to repair kohler valve that can be easily repaired even after 22 years. The delta ones bonnet nut would had frozed in place and probably snap off the whole valve if you try to remove it. Wished delta would stick to airlines business and not interfere with the plumbing industry
I bought my house new and ever since the beginning, there's one shower in the house that barely gets lukewarm while the other showers can get scorching hot. Even the sink in that room can get hot water. Do you think replacing this valve would work? Because even when it was new, it wasnt hot enough. But at the same time, I dont think its the water heater because everywhere else has hot water. Does anyone have any idea as to what to do? Thank you in advance, appreciate it.
pressure balance valve behind shower handle is probably bad it's also called a anti scald valve to help keep you from getting burned, If a piece of dirt from new got in it can keep the little piston type valve from working right.
@@goaheadmakeourdayscooterpe9644 thank you so much! I'll look into that!
Can you please share your ow fix and what you personally learned and issues you ran into... Thanks..your post is similar to my situation...
I thank you in advance.
LLT, Middletown CT
@@goaheadmakeourdayscooterpe9644 that's a great suggestion.. thanks
Can you do the next gen valve replacement for Koehler???
don't forget to turn the water back on!
If you were paying attention, he said he opened it back up.
Have you turn the water back on ?
Replaced with an equally hideous valve
you can see the valve, it is inside.. can you see through metal?? 🤔
Come on Melissa, you’re breaking balls for no reason.
Escutcheon is the word you’re looking for. But yes I thought the same. The first one looked better
This is obviously the slums bro.
😂😂😂
Sure, if you want your shower handle 8" off the wall ...
So that sleeve that doubles as a wrench is part of the assembled valve aesthetics? Yikes!
Dang valve so long you can turn the tub on from the living room
Don't forget to turn the water back on when the new valve is fitted.
You prune if you listen properly Richard mentioned he turned the water valves(the screw on the hot and cold side) back on
Sloppy cut out on the tile work.
Wait Wait. What if the tile guys hadn't made such a big hole ?
Turn off the house water
Everything was perfectly done but you forget to turn on the lines before you put the new piece showing en this video
Actually Richard DID turn the Water back by using the screw on both the hot and cold side,he even mentioned it and when he tested the Shower and tbe water came out the Shower head too meaning the water was turned back on
Damn Kohler..
What about Kohler. From experience they make really high quality products.
imagine if you slip and hit that thing your dead ahahahah
Remove mixer valve
I appreciate the video but I just have to point this out. This is what happens when you allow plumbers to pick trim/fixtures. You’ll end up with the ugliest shower valve you’ve ever seen. 😂 everything was going well until he said “hey, hand me that trim piece, will ya?”
Dang this was made 6 years ago feels so old. Great video though
It looks like it sticks out really far
Only use powers
He didn't test / show how to test the new valve mixer for leakage before covering the valve!
Your shirt is wet. So you must have let it rain down on you by mistake at some point, lol.
the replacement handle is an abomination…. and i didn’t see you reopen the cold and water shutoffs...
Why is it so long?!?!?
He reopened them at 3:55
First thing you do is place a cloth or towel over the drain........................Mr. Professional. Saw a towel at 4:15 but that's the first thing you should suggest to DIY'ers before they start taking out screws.
Does anybody mind explaining me what was the real problem there? He just replaced the whole assembly, but didnt explain really anything in details.
I guess there was something wrong inside the mixing valve (the last piece he removed). I'm not sure they can be taken apart for an autopsy and probably not worth his time. It would have been nice if he had a studio segment where he had a mixing valve disassembled or bisected and explained to the young host how they worked and how they could fail. I enjoy those segments.
That handle sticks out too much!
i don't have a shower tap/valve issue and I am not thinking of replacing them :P
You never turned the water back on.
Jason he turns it back on at 3:55
We have no audio
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Be free from your sin and live your life for The Lord Jesus. Turn to God and repent from sexual sins now.
Yeah anyone can do this - what most of us want to see is you replace the manifold as well…lmao. Now you’ll be challenged.
🤬
Your didn't replace the mixing valve all you did was rebuild it .
You didnt replace the valve. You just replaced the valve cartridge. Not what im looking for.
Start hammering at the wall buddy. Good luck
Do we need shut off water in the house before? And open it after ?
That video was awful
I expect more from such a reputable show.
Does a lever valve come off also?
Excavate and index......big words for a plumber. 🤣
Great video!