Delta shower facet system won't stop dripping

11 months ago

last modified: 11 months ago

Six years ago, we remodeled our bathroom and shower stall. This time, we used a Delta Lahara system, which looks like identical to the current iteration Delta Delta Monitor 17 Series Dual Function Pressure Balanced Shower System with Integrated Volume Control, Shower Head, and Hand Shower.

A couple months ago (and almost six years later), the hand-held started a constant slow drip - all day - and finally got bad enough that we called our plumber. Shower has a tile & grout floor, so 7/24 water isn't good. And we had no dripping problems until lately.

Plumber said the cartridge in the main wall part needed to be replaced (Delta P46463) due to mineral/lime buildup from our water supply. No surprise there, I guess.

We had that replaced and at the same time replaced 1) the shower head that was in bad shape from all the lime buildup and 2) the hand-held head, which was malfunctioning and needed to be replaced.

The hand-held, which sits lower than the upper stationary shower head, continues to drip. I would blame it on gravity except this did not happen for the previous 5 1/2 years.

Whole house water pressure regulator valve has been tested twice in the last week and is working properly, so that is ruled out as a culprit.

Before I call the plumber back, is there anything else that can be looked at?

https://www.fergusonhome.com/delta-dss-lahara-1701/s973688

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Comments (5)

dani_m08
11 months ago
One of the reasons I selected Delta for two of my guest bathroom renovations + Brizio for my primary bath is because Delta has a universal valve that was used in the walls (Brizio is owned by Delta) which allows me to change trim kits without doing anything inside the wall.

Also, I thought Delta had a good warranty. Would your cartridge be covered under it?

If you don't receive the answers you need here - go to Terry Love Plumbing Forum. Terry Love actually passed away fairly recently - but there are many pros on the forum still providing advice/answering questions.
Cavimum thanked dani_m08
blubird
11 months ago
Did your plumber replace the seats and springs which sit behind the cartridge? I've replaced ours several times over the more than 20 years which stops the dripping. I have never had to replace the cartridge.
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klem1
11 months ago
Why are you waiting until you surf the net for answers berore calling plumber back out? You paid to HAVE THE PROBLEM FIXED , not for plumber to guess and be paid until he guesses right.
Cavimum
Original Author
11 months ago

>>>"Did your plumber replace the seats and springs which sit behind the cartridge?"

I have no idea and the office may not know. They are shown on the Exploded Parts List so I'm hoping that was done. This is a good question , and why I appreciate the responses here. The two plumbers who came out (one installed, next one to trouble-shoot the unsolved drips) are fairly young, so perhaps not well experienced. (In our local market, it is hard to get workers and then keep them.)

dani_M08 - Good thought on the warranty. I will give Delta a phone call and see what they say.
Cavimum
Original Author
11 months ago
Follow-up in case this helps anyone else: dani_M08 had the most useful idea --- the warranty! Never occurred to me it might cover ten years. I called Delta and their tech person sent me a new cartridge for both the main water and one for the diverter (switches from hand-held to shower head) at no cost to me. Arrived two days later. Plumber came out again - at no charge - installed both, and everything is working correctly.