I need plumbing advice

DownSouth
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Tallapoosa, GA US
10/26/2011 8:46am Edited Date/Time 1/24/2012 7:36am
I'm trying to fix a leaking shower valve. It is a Peerless. I do not have the model#/instructions/parts list for it and can't find an exploded diagram online. It has a ball shaped knob that twists side to side to side for temp and moves up and down for on/off.

Does anyone know how this comes apart? I thought the dome shaped piece with the knurled ring would thread off but my channel locks are not budging it and I do not want to destroy it.

Or is this type of valve not fixable at all and just needs to be replaced? I am hoping to avoid going through the drywall on the adjacent wall to replace the entire assembly.

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Sondy132001
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Mission Viejo, CA US
10/26/2011 9:10am Edited Date/Time 10/26/2011 9:10am
dude call a plumber Wink water or electricity you just don't mess with !

S
Hman144
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York, PA US
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798th
10/26/2011 9:16am
Probably not worth trying to repair- the parts, (if you can find them), plus your time are probably more than the cost to replace. Even if you do get the old piece apart, you're likely to find or cause more problems. Shut off the supply, drain it, and replace it. You'll be much better off.

H
motogeezer
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Yorba Linda, CA US
10/26/2011 9:21am
Looks like it's glued together with hard water deposits.

Soak it with some vinegar, and try again.

I found a similar valve, and it looks like it comes apart behind the chrome trim piece.

Pan down for exploded view:

Valve

There's also a customer support link on there.
DownSouth
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Tallapoosa, GA US
10/26/2011 9:35am
motogeezer wrote:
Looks like it's glued together with hard water deposits. Soak it with some vinegar, and try again. I found a similar valve, and it looks like...
Looks like it's glued together with hard water deposits.

Soak it with some vinegar, and try again.

I found a similar valve, and it looks like it comes apart behind the chrome trim piece.

Pan down for exploded view:

Valve

There's also a customer support link on there.
That looks similar. The cylindrical trim piece behind the dome part spins freely but the dome is frozen solid. I will give some vinegar a try.

The Shop

DownSouth
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10/26/2011 10:01am
Well, I just destroyed it. Time to start cutting drywall and get out the torch and sweat some copper.
motogeezer
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10/26/2011 10:10am
I hate it when that happens.
indy_maico
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Indianapolis, IN US
10/26/2011 1:04pm
DownSouth wrote:
Well, I just destroyed it. Time to start cutting drywall and get out the torch and sweat some copper.
Use PEX tubing and Sharkbite or Gatorbite fittings. I just used them to plumb my shower prior to a new tile job.

Cut the copper tubing with a good tubing cutter, slip these on and forget about soldering copper pipes forever.

http://www.sharkbiteplumbing.com/
lumpy790
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York, SC US
10/26/2011 1:16pm
100% hate doing pluming ......but I am to cheap to pay a plumber
Hman144
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10/26/2011 2:08pm
You didn't take my advice the first time, maybe this time.......

X2 on the PEX/sharkbite. A little more salty on the purchase, but the time savings is incredible. The first time I used the stuff I told myself it was too easy to possibly be functional. I was wrong.

H
Sondy132001
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10/26/2011 2:11pm
DownSouth wrote:
Well, I just destroyed it. Time to start cutting drywall and get out the torch and sweat some copper.
indy_maico wrote:
Use PEX tubing and Sharkbite or Gatorbite fittings. I just used them to plumb my shower prior to a new tile job. Cut the copper tubing...
Use PEX tubing and Sharkbite or Gatorbite fittings. I just used them to plumb my shower prior to a new tile job.

Cut the copper tubing with a good tubing cutter, slip these on and forget about soldering copper pipes forever.

http://www.sharkbiteplumbing.com/
wow that's nifty, it's like plumbing for women haha Woohoo

S
indy_maico
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Indianapolis, IN US
10/26/2011 2:26pm
Hman144 wrote:
You didn't take my advice the first time, maybe this time....... X2 on the PEX/sharkbite. A little more salty on the purchase, but the time savings...
You didn't take my advice the first time, maybe this time.......

X2 on the PEX/sharkbite. A little more salty on the purchase, but the time savings is incredible. The first time I used the stuff I told myself it was too easy to possibly be functional. I was wrong.

H
Yeah, Lowe's carries the Gatorbite brand, and when a guy in the plumbing aisle told me that was all he ever uses in new home construction, I bought the stuff.

When I took it home,laid it out, cut and shut, and saw how ez it was, I thought 'it can't possibly work!'

I had my wife watch it when I turned on the water expecting a scream to 'shut it off', but it never came!

The stuff definitely takes the pain of soldering copper out of the equation.
lumpy790
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York, SC US
10/26/2011 3:57pm
call Joe the plumber ....... never mind he's in politics now
DownSouth
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10/26/2011 4:32pm
Hman144 wrote:
You didn't take my advice the first time, maybe this time....... X2 on the PEX/sharkbite. A little more salty on the purchase, but the time savings...
You didn't take my advice the first time, maybe this time.......

X2 on the PEX/sharkbite. A little more salty on the purchase, but the time savings is incredible. The first time I used the stuff I told myself it was too easy to possibly be functional. I was wrong.

H
How did I not take your advice? I pretty much knew when I started that I would have to replace the entire valve assembly, I just wanted to try and take it apart first and see what could be done before I had to open up the wall.

My torch is MIA, my brother may have swiped it from my garage. I may go the sharkbite route if I can't locate the torch soon but those things are damn expensive, almost 8 bucks a pop last time I used some.
mx400bee
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Kannapolis, NC US
10/26/2011 5:26pm
I would replace that Peerless valve with a Moen if the faceplate covered the existing cutout. They even make a bigger faceplate if needed. I can`t recall ever having to replace anything other than a cartridge on a Moen and if the homeowner calls Moen they send it free. Taking it out only requires removing 3 screws, the handle stop and the cartridge clip.
BUTCH
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WA US
10/26/2011 6:19pm
DownSouth wrote:
Well, I just destroyed it. Time to start cutting drywall and get out the torch and sweat some copper.
Fuck'n Rookie!Laughing
jonjon714
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Virginia Beach, VA US
10/26/2011 6:37pm
After taking a closer look at the picture, I believe the first install was a little lite on the silicone. Better make it three tubes this go round.
borg
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Long Beach, CA US
10/26/2011 7:12pm
If you want to use sharkbite on your own house then go for it. I do this for a living and would never use that stuff. It relies on a rubber o ring to seal. chemicals in the water and cold weather can effect that seal. I don't like callbacks. Especially when the leak is behind tile or swamps out a ceiling from the second floor.
jmar
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Oklahoma City, OK US
10/26/2011 7:50pm
borg wrote:
If you want to use sharkbite on your own house then go for it. I do this for a living and would never use that stuff...
If you want to use sharkbite on your own house then go for it. I do this for a living and would never use that stuff. It relies on a rubber o ring to seal. chemicals in the water and cold weather can effect that seal. I don't like callbacks. Especially when the leak is behind tile or swamps out a ceiling from the second floor.
Borg is right, take his advise, and go back with sweated copper, and a quality mixing valve.

From what little I can see on the photo, it looks like a cheap mixing valve that wouldn't be worth repairing anyway.
borg
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10/26/2011 8:07pm
borg wrote:
If you want to use sharkbite on your own house then go for it. I do this for a living and would never use that stuff...
If you want to use sharkbite on your own house then go for it. I do this for a living and would never use that stuff. It relies on a rubber o ring to seal. chemicals in the water and cold weather can effect that seal. I don't like callbacks. Especially when the leak is behind tile or swamps out a ceiling from the second floor.
jmar wrote:
Borg is right, take his advise, and go back with sweated copper, and a quality mixing valve. From what little I can see on the photo...
Borg is right, take his advise, and go back with sweated copper, and a quality mixing valve.

From what little I can see on the photo, it looks like a cheap mixing valve that wouldn't be worth repairing anyway.
I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. Callbacks are a bitch.

The valve is an old one that most places wont even sell anymore. At least in California you are required to use balanced pressure shower valves. You can get a Moen, Delta or Price Pfister at Depot for about 100 bucks. When they crap out, you replace the cartridge for about 1/2 that and you're good for another 10 years. It takes about 5 minutes.
SEEMEFIRST
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Arlington, TX US
10/26/2011 9:11pm
You have black mold! You'll have to tear the house down!!!

Bastards were going through telling everyone that a few yeas ago. Really? Wow the hell did people live before this?
jmar
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Oklahoma City, OK US
10/26/2011 9:21pm
SEEMEFIRST wrote:
You have black mold! You'll have to tear the house down!!! Bastards were going through telling everyone that a few yeas ago. Really? Wow the hell...
You have black mold! You'll have to tear the house down!!!

Bastards were going through telling everyone that a few yeas ago. Really? Wow the hell did people live before this?
Asbestos is about played out. They need a new boogie man for a cash cow. . Put lead paint on that list of boggie men also.
SEEMEFIRST
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10/26/2011 9:23pm
LEAD PAINT!!! ARRRGGGHHH!!!
borg
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Long Beach, CA US
10/27/2011 6:52am
SEEMEFIRST wrote:
LEAD PAINT!!! ARRRGGGHHH!!!
Oh yeah! You have to have a Lead Paint Abatement certification to demo 6 square feet of any interior wall in any house built before the mid 70's in California.. There are 5 separate certifications. A guy like me has to have at least 2 of these certifications to put a typical doorway in an interior wall in your house.

More California idiocy: The permit fees for a 650 sq/ft addition I did in Long Beach? $4,500.00. FOR A FUCKING PERMIT!

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