Leaking Grohe model 34-436.

[rhoyerjr]

Leaking Grohe model 34-436.
I purchased and installed part 47-111, (thermo element cartridge ($165.00)) based on my local plumbing store recommendation that this should fix a very consistent drip from my Grohe shower faucet. My local plumbing store is normally very reliable but I do not think they know Grohe faucets very well so I am turning to this forum for advice.
While I had the facet disassembled I cleaned and lubricated everything.
I believe my problem may be one of the stop valves. Both of them had some green corrosion which I cleaned off. I also lubricated the o rings. Before I spend any more money and take the time to tear apart the faucet again does anyone have any experience and advice? Perhaps I am missing an adjustment that would stop the leak?

[jimbo]

I am not familiar with Grohe showers. However, I looked at the diagram for your valve on their website. It appears that the thermoelement part 47-111 is just that...the temperature control. For the faucet to drip, water has to be getting TO the thermoelement when it should not be. It looks like the "drip" would be caused by the stop valves ( hot or cold) , items 9 on the diagram, part number 08-355 ( 2 pcs, hot side and cold side).
However, don't go out and buy more parts on my say-so. I am just looking at a diagram for a valve I don't have my hands on. Get someone to look at it in person. Or possibly call Grohe customer service. If they are good, they can help you troubleshoot.

[rhoyerjr]

Thank you Jimbo. I agree with your assesment.
It is very difficult not only find but to get someone to visit the house to repair a leaky faucet.
I'll buy the parts and have another go at it. I can hear the drip at night, it is water torture!
Thank you for your input.

[rhoyerjr]

:) Replacing the stop valves stopped the leak.

[mike_or]

I am a novice when it comes to plumbing. I have the same leaky grohe shower and I wonder if I should attempt the same fix or get a grohe-aware plumber.

Any advice is appreciated.

[jadnashua]

Call Grohe or e-mail them. I had a faucet that leaked only when the handle was left in a particular position (single handle type). They sent me a new cartridge for free...worth asking, anyways.

[mike_or]

Thanks! Will contact Grohe as suggested

mike

[mike_or]

Hi All,
Grohe's techinical support asked me to replace the stop valves, just as jimbo suggested earlier.

"The stop valves will need to be replaced, this is part number 08.355.000
there is a company called Tapco @ 1800 782 0658 they will take orders and
ship direct.

My question to jimbo and rhoyerjr and others listening in:

Can I, as a novice, replace the stop valves myself or do I need a plumber who knows how to fix Grohe fixtures?

I looked at the fixture and it has only two screws connecting the fixure to the wall. Is it enough to undo these 2 screws, and pull out the fixture in order top replace the stop valves? Do I need any special tools? I think I need to shut off the water main before replacing the stop valves. Anything else I need to worry about?

thanks

[lambtron]

Replacing the stop valves is an expensive way to fix this problem. I am currently working to solve this same problem (a slow leak in my Integrated Grohmix 34-436), but I hope to solve it in a less costly way.

Before I explain my troubleshooting/repair procedure, here's a tip for mike_or: you don't need to shut off the whole house when servicing this valve; just turn off the service stops that are hidden behind the escutcheon. These are the large screws at the extreme left/right of the overall valve assembly. Just turn them 1/4 turn either way (so the slots are vertical instead of horizontal) and you can then dissect the valve to your heart's content without risking a flood.

Due to the architecture of this valve, a slow leak is virtually guaranteed to be caused by a leaky stop valve. Knowing this, my first goal was to determine which of the two (hot vs. cold) stop valves was leaking. To do this, I turned off first the cold, and then the hot service stops. The leaking stopped when I turned off the hot service stop, so I knew then the the leak was coming from the hot stop valve.

Next, I removed and inspected the hot stop valve assembly, Grohe part number 08-355. What I discovered was a worn o-ring on the inner plunger shaft. It is clear that this o-ring, which is the middle of three o-rings on the shaft, is responsible for blocking the water flow when the stop valve is turned off. So, it is likely that the leak can be stopped by simply replacing this o-ring, at a cost of maybe 25 cents, instead of the entire stop valve, at a cost of more than $100! Note: I cleaned the filter screen with a toothbrush under running water while the stop valve assembly was out and totally accessible.

Unfortunately, the Grohe parts list doesn't break out assembly 08-355 into its component parts. To get around this, I removed the worn o-ring and measured it. It measures approximately 7mm inside diameter, 12mm outside diameter, 2.5mm cross section. The o-ring material is not known, but I think any common o-ring material will work as long as the rings are properly lubricated.

Another unfortunate problem is parts availability. None of my local plumbing, auto supply or hardware stores stock this o-ring size. I contacted Grohe and appealed to them for a couple of spare o-rings. They have a good reputation for customer support, so I might get lucky and receive a few from them. If not, I suppose I will order a minimum quantity (i.e., $25 worth) of o-rings from an online supplier; if it comes down to this, I will gladly send, upon receipt of a SASE, some of my surplus o-rings to others in this situation.

[Verdeboy]

Nice job! I can't believe that you can't find the correct size O-ring. I've bought little plumbing repair kits that have a zillion different sizes of O-rings. Maybe the right one is in a kit like that.

Sometimes worn O-rings have stretched a bit. Thus, a slightly smaller one might work. While you're waiting for Grohe, try using something close and see if it works. It's only a few cents, like you said.

[lambtron]

Nice job! I can't believe that you can't find the correct size O-ring.
I couldn't believe it either! I went to Home Depot, Napa Auto and a specialty plumbing supply store, and except for one o-ring I found, none of their in-stock o-rings were even close.


While you're waiting for Grohe, try using something close and see if it works. It's only a few cents, like you said.
That's good advice and exactly what I did. I purchased and installed the closest o-ring I could find, but the leak persisted and the valve exhibited a behavior that indicated a poor o-ring fit (e.g., when valve is shut off it leaks, but back it off, or play with it a little, and the leak flow rate drops to a tolerable level). At the very least I'm hoping Grohe will respond quickly with the exact specification for the o-ring so I can order a replacement and be confident it will be a good fit.

It's a mystery to me why the parts list doesn't call out items like this o-ring. O-rings receive the brunt of the wear and tear from valve operation and they typically will need to be replaced at some point in the life of a valve.

[Lancaster]

As mercenary as it sounds,my thinking is that Grohe figures they will never be able to make any money selling a replacement for that o-ring.You see more and more of this with regards to replacement parts.

I can kind of see their thought process.It costs a lot of money to maintain each part number,and they will never be able to recoup it even if they charge 5 bucks for it.

Sadly,that goes against the old American way of doing business,where repair parts was not intended to be a profit center but was tolerated as a cost of doing business.Now granted Grohe's parent is a German outfit,but more and more USA companies are doing it this way too.Ah I hate to see it happen,but its been going in that direction for 30 years now,I guess we have to learn to love it,or at least live with it..

[Mikey]

If you Google {metric o-rings} you'll get a ton of hits for o-ring suppliers. They normally have a minimum order size, but one of those "zillion o-ring" kits might satisfy it. Most of them also have customer service lines where they might offer advice on what material to use, even to a small customer.

[lambtron]

... one of those "zillion o-ring" kits might [have the o-ring you are looking for]
I searched the Internet high and low but couldn't find a kit with o-rings that are even close to the size I need. In fact, I found only one supplier that lists the needed size (and it isn't available in any of their kits), with a minimum order of $25 plus shipping.

That's the bad news, but I also have good news to report. I mentioned in an earlier post that I had emailed my o-ring query to Grohe customer support. I never received a reply, so I called them and explained my problem. The fellow I talked to never addressed the o-ring issue, but he cheerfully offered to send me two replacement stop valves at no cost to me. As promised, I received them yesterday and plan to install them today. If everything goes well, my shower will be back in business tonight.



As mercenary as it sounds,my thinking is that Grohe figures they will never be able to make any money selling a replacement for that o-ring.
In the end, it appears that Grohe is not witholding the o-ring specification in order to boost profits. Not only that, but I must pass along kudos to Grohe for their top-notch customer support.

Although the leak problem is now apparently resolved, I am still disturbed by the wastefulness of the solution. There may be some valid technical reason for replacing the entire stop valve instead of just the o-ring, but I sense that "the baby is being thrown out with the bath water."

[lambtron]

Final Report:

I installed a new hot stop valve yesterday and the leak is fixed.

Although the cold stop valve wasn't leaking, I did notice some wear on the same o-ring that failed in the hot stop valve. Also, the outsides of both the hot and cold stop valves were discolored and not mirror-smooth like the new stop valves. This deterioration didn't appear to be present on the inner surfaces of the valve cylinders, but these surfaces are difficult to inspect and any degradation of surface smoothness here will lead to rapid o-ring deterioration. For these reasons (and since Grohe sent me a pair of new stop valves) I decided to replace the cold stop valve too.

Summary:

Showerhead leaks in Grohe model 34-436 valves will always be caused by a malfunctioning stop valve (Grohe part number 08-355). More specifically, the cause will be a failed middle o-ring on the inner plunger shaft of the stop valve. This critical o-ring can fail due to abrasion as a result of (1) particles in the water supply passing through the stop valve filter, or (2) degradation of surface smoothness inside the stop valve cylinder, or (3) loss of o-ring lubricant.

The life of the critical o-ring can be extended by periodically cleaning the stop valve filters and lubricating the inner shaft's o-rings.

When the critical o-ring fails, stop valve replacement is the recommended cure unless (1) a properly fitting o-ring replacement can be found, and (2) it is known that the inner surface of the stop valve cylinder is in excellent, mirror-smooth condition.

[noplumbingability]

Wow.

I am having this exact same problem. The 34436 was installed in May of 1997. When the lever is turned all the way to the left the tub spout leaks. My assesment was the same, I concluded it was the stop valves. I tried to find the right sized o-rings, but to no avail.

I ended up calling Grohe parts (630) 582-7711 and asked for technical assistance. They agreed that it was the stop valves (part no. 08.355) and I asked if I could replace just plunger in the stop valves. They said no, but there is a washer set that I can use to replace all of those washers and o-rings. THe part number for that is 47.045, and it lists for $26.00. It has the o-rings for the hot and cold sides and the replacement screens for the stop valves.

I am curretly looking for local distributors so I can buy one on the way home from work.

Per the Grohe technician's advice I plan to replace the rings on the plunger and lube them. I may replace all of the o-rings that are available in the set. I have seen no evidence of pitting or corrosion in the valves, so I am thinking it is just the rings.


So far Grohe's assistance has been very helpful for me.

I do find it kind of strange that a several people have written here with pretty much the same problem in the past couple of months.

I will write back with my results.

Thanks,
NoPlumbingAbility :confused:

[noplumbingability]

Well, I purchased The Grohe replacement washer set (part number 47.045) from a local Grohe dealer. I replaced all three o-rings on the plunger in the stop valve on both sides. I also replaced an o-ring in the outside of the stop valve (the part that holds the screen) on the hot and cold sides. The leaking stopped.

The replacement washer set contains far more washers than I needed for this job, but that is OK. I hope I never need the remaining washers to replace o-rings in the thermoelement.

I was happy to replace the middle washer on the valve stop plunger and the washer by the screen, as both were pretty well flattened, and one fell apart as I tried to remove it.

The washer replacement kit came with a small amount of Grohe's lubricant, which I applied before re-assembling the stop valve, Things went back together pretty easily.

SO, overall Grohe support and thier local dealer helped me get a solution to this problem. I think there is another washer set available that replaces just the two washers on the stop valve assembly (near the screen). This washer set may have done the trick as well. I do not have that part number in front of me, but it consists of a total of 4 washers, two for each side.

This is a great forum, and I will probably return seeking advice on other stuff in the future.



Thanks,
NoPlumbingAbility:eek:

[bang0r]

I bump into this thread while researching how to trouble shoot a recently developed weak water flow from a grohe 34436 valve. I have eleminated any blockage in the hand shower head and flex host. One noticable symptom is that adjusting temperature may result in a temporary increase in water flow.

User "lambtron"'s 10-05-2006 posting referenced a stop valve filter. Where is such filter located?

Currently, I have disassemble sufficient parts to expose the frontal wax cartridge, and shut off the hot/cold service stops.
What is a safe way to take out the wax cartridge?

Below are the URLs to the valve schematics and part list:
http://db.grohecatalog.com/upload/p_explo/E34436US.jpg
http://db.grohecatalog.com/upload/p_spare/sp34436.gif

Thanks in advance.

[bang0r]

After some tinkering, I was able to access the stop valve, and find that the
filter is a piece of wire mesh wrapped around the middle of the valve stem.
The filter is cloaked with debris. After cleaning the filter and flushing the
valve, the water flow is backed to normal.

The comments in this forum has been extremely helpful.
Thanks again.

[KT444]

Hi, this is my first try at using a forum. I happened to run into this string and was glad to read that you have been able to fix the problem of low water pressure. I am having the same problem. I have taken the front of the valve off but can't figure out how to take the stop valves out to clean the filter. I took out the two slotted screws which exposed the ends of shafts Iin the stop valves) that can be rotated clockwise and counter clockwise as well. these shafts are held in place with flanged hex nuts which I cannot access with a wrench to unscrew and the shafts stick out too far to put a socket on these nuts. i would really appreciate any details that you can provide as to how you took the stop valves out and also if any special tools were needed.
Thanks in advance for your help.

[bang0r]

KT444,
I happen to have a socket deep enough to use the wrench to take out the stope valve.

[KT444]

Thank you for the response. I did get a deep well socket and cleaned out the stop valve. I tried the shower and the pressure is great. However, when I tried to put the valve back together, a strong stream of water comes out of the stop valve split screws. I was wondering if you have an idea as to what I am doing wrong. Also, I don't understand why there are holes in the screw caps for water to come out since it can only go into the wall.
Thanks for your help.

[radarguy]

Thanks to this forum for giving me enough information to start my repairs. My eight year old Grohe shower valve 34-436 was dripping. I could not find the O-ring repair kit mentioned above at any dealer or even the Connecticut Grohe distributor. However, two of the three I talked to said that the solution was replacement of the complete stop valve assembly, not the O-rings. The other did not offer a comment. It seems the cost of the assembly is $160 (not sure if that’s for a pair or not). I e-mailed Grohe tech service (see http://www.groheamerica.com/s/25_4066/page/modules/iframe/index.php?if_url=http://12.130.64.173/contactus2.htm) and asked if O-rings only would do the job. They said I should replace the whole stop valve assembly and sent a pair to me under warranty. P/N 08 355 00M. My experience follows. Do it at your own risk. I suggest that you get the valve assemblies from Grohe and then use a plumber if you have any trepidation.

Make sure you mark each part as to the order removed and which side faces forward. Use the diagrams at the locations listed below to help you:
http://db.grohecatalog.com/upload/p_explo/E34436US.jpg
http://db.grohecatalog.com/upload/p_spare/sp34436.gif

You will need a 17 mm socket to remove the stop valve assembly. Since the stop valves are spring loaded and push into the assembly, it does not have to be a deep socket.

Replacement is a little tricky because the whole volume control assembly (including the stop valves and yoke) wants to push outwards until the retaining ring that holds the volume lever is replaced. When the assembly moves out too far, water squirts out of the holes as mentioned in a previous post. Since you have to turn on the service stops before replacing the escutcheon, volume control lever and retaining ring, it becomes impossible unless you shut off the water to the bathroom first.

The squirting water is a normal consequence of the stop valve design and is usually prevented from happening by an O-ring internal to the valve. When the valve is pushed out too far, the O-ring becomes useless and hence the squirt of water. This will not happen with the volume control lever retaining ring in place unless the yoke plate attached to the stop valves is not adjusted properly (perhaps this is the problem observed in the previous post). I suspect that the hole is there to relieve air pressure internal to the stop valve as the yoke pulls it in and out. However, if the O-ring should fail, it will be a heck of a mess that you won’t detect until the walls or ceiling show signs of water damage. I hope I’m wrong about this observation, but I don’t think so.

You must adjust the yoke assembly before replacing the escutcheon. This means you first have to put the yoke, volume control lever and retaining ring in place without the escutcheon and adjust the yoke position by turning the white Teflon ring (using the volume handle) counter clockwise until it stops. This is the off position. Mark the position of the white ring at that point. Then disassemble and reassemble with the escutcheon in place and positioning your mark properly. Don’t forget to turn the service stops on. Turn the bathroom supply on after assembly.

[kris1]

so where does the leak actually occur from the thermostat ? I have a similar grohe fixture. I see a leak after 45 minutes. on the other side of the wall from the shower stall in by guest bedroom carpet.

[artbeat]

It started as a leaky faucet and the valve being to tight for my wife to turn on the faucet. So I ended up changing the thermoelement cartridge and the stop valve and my faucet had no leak and was easy to turn on the faucet lever. But now my hot and cold doesn't work I only get one temperature in water. I just can't figure out, could it be the service stop or should I give up? Any ideas I would appreciate any advice that could be given? Thanks.

[Peanut9199]

Check to see if the water is piped correctly to your valve.
A lot of times a plumber will reverse the hot and cold and this will mess up the thermostatic cartridge.
A plumber when finding this error will put in a reverse cartridge instead of re-piping the valve.
When you replaced the cartridge you may have put in the correct one for the valve but not for the piping.

[daffy]

Perhaps someone can help to diagnose my problems with a 1-year old Grohe 34-436 unit (at this stage I must admit that it’s had the problems since it was installed – it’s taken me until now to try and solve them ;), prompted by finding this thread and realizing that others have problems with this unit as well…!):

1) Although the input water supply temperatures are 72 and 122, the full range (from full cold to full hot – past the stop) from the valve is only 96 to 104 degrees.

2) The water flow is relatively weak, and the water only comes on after the lever is moved past the half way point.

I have stripped the unit and cleaned the filters (didn’t have much gunk on them) and with the stop valves and element removed flushed the system (and this showed that the supply pressure was ‘good’ although I don’t know how to measure it more precisely).

And a reassembly question – do the stop valves tighten onto the black plastic escutcheon attachment collar, or do they tighten directly onto the brass body?

I used the Grohe ‘contact us’ system to seek their suggestions but didn’t get a response. Any ideas out there…???

[Peanut9199]

If you get differing tempertures i would say it was the cartridge, but if your getting low flow i would say there is a blockage.
The stops and valves thread directly into the body.
2941
On the unit there is two stops and two stop valves with strainers have you checked all of them?
You can also give them a call
GROHE AMERICA, INC.
241 Covington Drive
Bloomingdale, IL 60108
U.S.A.
Phone: 630-582-7711
FAX: 630-582-7722

[daffy]

Many thanks for the suggestions.

At least part of the problem was that the installers (all 4 of them puzzled over how to install this fitting) screwed the inner stop valves onto the rim of the black plastic escutcheon attachment collar rather than directly onto the brass body of the fitting - that restricted the amount of inner stop valve movement. Last night I quickly fixed this and there is now much greater temperature variation and slightly greater water pressure from the shower head (a Relexa Ultra - perhaps this isn't a great shower head for strong water flow?).

I haven't yet stripped out the outer stops - I was using them to shut off the supply and didn't realize that they have filter screens as well; I'll do that in the weekend.

THANKS !

[tedkunich]

I replaced the o-rings in the stop valves last night to fix the leaking shower, but this morning all I got was hot water out of the tap. My guess is that debris got into the thermo unit, but I am unsure how this item is removed. I tried loosening it with the 22mm hex, but it only budged a degree or two - is this a threaded unit? This is an older model (my guess is 10-15years old put in by the house's prior owner).

Is there any trick to remove the cartridge?


Thanks,

Ted

[Norval Jones]

I've had this for several years now. When it first started leaking, I just tried replacing the o-rings. It stopped the leak, but all I could get was hot water.

The only thing that fixes the leak and allows the water to balance (to get both hot and cold water) is to replace both the thermo element valve and the both of the stop valves.

You'll need both the 47.111 and the 08.355.

I have replaced all three of those valves twice now, (last time in March of 2005) and it has started to leak again.

I've contacted Grohe, to see if they will send more replacements. We'll see what happens.

Also, it is somewhat difficult to get the parts back together, that is, setting the part that goes behind the handle in the right place as well as where to place the temp. gauge. If you try to hire a plumber that isn't familiar with these then it might cost you quite a bit if it takes him a long time. You might ask them if they know how to replace them before you get them to come out.

If you're able to do it yourself, get a digital camera and take pictures as you disassemble it. It will still be fairly difficult, but it will help if you can see how it looked before.

[frustratedplumber]

This forum has been very helpful. I also called Grohe and the helpful service rep told me that my 7-year old facet was still under warranty. They are sending me two complete stop valves free of charge. However, I also found the o-ring set for the valve stem & stop valve exterior (47 045) available online at Guillens. Although this is listed for the 34 434 facet, don't be deterred. The stop valve 08 355 is the same as for the 34 436 facet.

[forhabi]

This forum is great, thanks all for the awesome info.

We bought a house last year and inherited a bathroom with a Grohe model 34-436 faucet for the shower (for a shower pan) – possibly the best part if the bathroom. The faucet was working great, but when removing the baseboard in the bathroom I saw a little bit of mold and a wet spot at the edge of the shower pan under the baseboard. I figured it might be the grout around the pan that was leaking, but then also noticed a gap between the shower pan and the escutcheon. So I tightened the plate to move it closer to the wall… and that’s when the problem started.

The lever became very tight when the faucet was moved into the close position and the shower started to drip, ever so slightly. Probably a drop every 15 seconds. This was before a read this thread, so I was not confident on opening up the faucet to see what was going on. After reading this post it sounds to me that my stop valves might not be a problem, but instead possibly a faulty installation?

When I loosen the screws that hold the escutcheon, the lever becomes less tight when closing the faucet. Has anyone had this kind of a problem? is the escutcheon supposed to move when the lever is turned (it gets pulled in when the lever is moved right to close the shower). Any ideas on what I should look into first?

Looking at the exploded diagram of the faucet, it looks like the escutcheon is supposed to screw into the plaster guard. Is the plaster guard then supposed to move with the yoke?

What is the compensating ring part number 47 347 supposed to do? would that help in my case?

[jadnashua]

The plaster guard is typically removed after tiling/plastering. It is there to protect the valve from getting all covered with crud while you are doing the finished wall. I did not look at the cutaway drawing, but the compensation ring may have one of several functions: it could be a limit stop as part of the federally mandated anti-scald rules, it could be an adapter to allow the handle to fit to that valve body, or some other purpose.

But, especially if the valve body is not installed in the wall plumb, tightening down the plate might put some twist on the valve and supply lines. Especially if they used the threaded connections and they weren't done well, that pressure could allow leaks to occur.

[Howard Emerson]

The plaster guard is typically removed after tiling/plastering. It is there to protect the valve from getting all covered with crud while you are doing the finished wall. I did not look at the cutaway drawing, but the compensation ring may have one of several functions: it could be a limit stop as part of the federally mandated anti-scald rules, it could be an adapter to allow the handle to fit to that valve body, or some other purpose.

But, especially if the valve body is not installed in the wall plumb, tightening down the plate might put some twist on the valve and supply lines. Especially if they used the threaded connections and they weren't done well, that pressure could allow leaks to occur.

Jad,
I installed a Hansgrohe with the plaster guard, and aside from trimming it flush with tile and then cutting out the center part that forms the 'water test' device, the rest stays in the wall, as per the instructions.

HE

[Tom94024]

I've read all these reply's about the Grohe stop valves but nobody mentioned a temp problem. I've had my Grohe shower for 8 years and about every 2-3 years the temp gets stuck. Twice it has been stuck on cold and once on hot. Meaning I turn the temp knob and nothing happens. In the past I have removed and "backflushed" the cartridge and cleaned the screen on it and this fixed the problem. This time it is stuck on hot(about 90F) and cleaning the cartridge isn't working. I have tried to take the cartridge apart without much luck. It does split in half where the screen is but that's is the best I have been able to do. I don't want to spend $150 on a new cartridge if I can fix this one but I don't have a diagram or instructions on how to disassemble the cartridge. I'm asking Grohe the same questions. Did someone say they don't answer emails and I should call them????

[bang0r]

My 34436 has exhibited the temperature stuck-at symptom as indicated in the post "Grohe 34 436 Temp Problem" by Tom94024. Grohe's tech support recommends replacing the thermoelement cartridge. I just received the part. But I am having difficulties taking out the old cartridge, and is about to stripping the 24mm hex nut. Ways that I have tried include using the 24mm wrench as indicated in the documentation, using two pipe wrench in opposite direction and WD-40. If you have experience taking out the cartridge or similar parts, your comment on how to take out a stuck part will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[bang0r]

I'd like to update the forum that the stuck cartridge has been taken out and replaced by the new one. Grohe's technical support provides a lot of help and good advice. Wrench doesn't work for me. A 24mm or 15/16" socket with sufficient depth makes the difference. An inexpensive set by Stanley (~$19) is available at my local Walmart.

[cwmacphail]

I phoned Grohe (Homeowner-Distributor Warranty dept) today about slow leak in my 34-436 Grohmix shower control (9 years old - installed in 2001). I told them I had removed the stop valves and the o-rings appeared worn. They are shipping me an o-ring kit at no charge.

[DanOh62]

I have the same problem so I thought I'd post to help others find the o-ring kit. First I am not a plumber but a doe-it-yourselfer so take my feedback with that in mind.
Problem: Dripping Grohe 08 355 Shower Faucet. I went to http://www.grohecatalog.com/line/Grohmix/Shower%7CSafety-Valves/ which is the Grohe America Web site for Shower Product Line for Grohmix. After reviewing 4 of the different products on this web page like Integrated Thermostat Valve 34 436 (http://www.grohecatalog.com/product/34436), Thermostat Valve 34 457, Thermostat Valve 34 456, and Thermostat Valve 34 434 (http://www.grohecatalog.com/product/34434) I noticed the guts of this product line for the most part were very similiar. I noticed a couple of these products used the same Washer set product No. 47 045 so I assume that most if not all products within the Grohmix product line can use the washer set kit.

I found the part 47 045 at http://www.americanhomeplus.com/ for $21.28 + $9.95 shipping a total of $31.23

Suggestion: Call Grohe first to see if they will send you a washer kit at no charge.

[makeforchoke]

great posts!!! I have zero plumbing skills but I fixed the leak with the help of this blog. you're all invited to dinner. Thanks!!!

[dl2011]

Thank you for the response. I did get a deep well socket and cleaned out the stop valve. I tried the shower and the pressure is great. However, when I tried to put the valve back together, a strong stream of water comes out of the stop valve split screws. I was wondering if you have an idea as to what I am doing wrong. Also, I don't understand why there are holes in the screw caps for water to come out since it can only go into the wall.
Thanks for your help.

Hi, I have the same problem with water coming out from the two screws that are holding the stop valves to the guide plate. I contacted Grohe. To solve the problem, they told me to turn the on/off handle 8-12 times to get out the air that are trapped inside the stop values. I tried it but the water is still coming out. I am waiting for Grohe to see what else to try. In the mean time, how did you solve the problem or does anyone know how to solve this problem?

I have also tried to see if there is any adjustment with the position of the guide plate, and it doesn't seem to have any play for adjustment.

I appreciate any info you have that can help me solve this problem. Thx.