Valve Noise

Hey guys a quick question again. I finally finished the bathroom remodel! The other night I was in the adjacent room to the shower and while my wife was taking a shower i heard a rattling sound coming from the main valve. We are using a Kohler Rite-Temp Pressure Valve and a Kohler 3-way control valve for a separate handheld. The drywall on the adjacent shower wall is still off so I could hear specifically that it was coming from the Rite-Temp valve. It sounds like a piece of solder may be rattling around, a tinny sound.

My thought was to shut off the shut off valves for the shower and remove the face plate and take out the valve controller to see if there is anything in there.

Does this sound right or are these valves just noisey?

Thanks, Mike

Assuming that it is a pressure balance valve, (and I don't know for sureif it is, but it probably is) then there is a spool valve that moves back and forth as the incoming pressure changes to keep the balance of hot to cold water you've selected the same. Its primary function is to compensate if someone flushes a toilet, or something changes the overall pressure on one supply or the other and keep from scalding you. You may be hearing that moving. Are you on a pump and well or city water? I'm guessing here, but if on a well, you may be getting fluctuations while the pump is running, and those minor pressure variations are causing it to move thatvalve. Now, this could be totally bogus. You could have a little piece of debris in the valve itself rattling around as the water is flowing.

I'm sure someone else will have some more enlightened ideas...interested myself in what is the real answer.

It is a pressure balancing valve. I'm on city/county water. We have very good pressure, only 1 block from the water treatment plant. During the time I heard the noise, I don't think anything else was running.

Thanks, Mike

Mike ,
I've run into this too . Taking out the spool and checking with flashlight i did find debris.Just be real creful with these kohlers,,,,parts EVERYWHERE !
cal

Last night I listened for the noise again and it was gone. I'm thinking it may be debris. I'll take the shower head off and try to flush things out first before I start dismantling things.

Thanks for the feedback.