Moen or Delta Tub and Shower Faucet?

[Rod M1]

I have an old Gerber Shower the seat keeps leaking after repeat rebuilds. I would like to replace with a new Moen or Delta Facet is one brand better and easier to rebuild then the other? I'm looking for a model like the below picture.


Moen
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...169034-3631059

[hj]

It is a personal preference, but I would not recommend, or furnish, either to my customers. Both have plastic parts that break. My preferred two handle valve is a Price Pfister. It is all brass, and since it has a ceramic seat stem, it is essentially "lifetime", and has a lifetime guarantee. If it should require repairs, and the only one I have had to do so was when a rock got caught in the ceramic opening and cracked it, you merely screw in a new stem.

[Rod M1]

Thanks for the suggestion. I looked at them and they are defiantly better built. I’m probable going the go this way. But I'm wondering if a good supply house has repair parts for the valve instead of replacing the whole thing. I’m mostly concerned of the plastic part (like a cam) just behind the knob is that available separate?.

[hj]

Anything you break, and you have to really work at it to do it, will be sent to you by PP if you give them a call.

[jumpyg]

I would stay away from any faucets that have clear plastic knobs and such. They tend to attract soap scum and are very difficult to keep clean. An all chrome faucet, on the other hand, will clean up very nicely. I have several old Moen faucets with those style plastic handles and they look dreadful. The chrome parts can be cleaned up, but the plastic really cannot.

[Taylor]

I called Delta when I discovered the shower valve was largely plastic, asking if they had an all-metal version. They said that plastic had the advantage that it did not accumulate minerals or deteriorate with standing water, and that there were stainless steel parts in the plastic where it needed strength. Any comments on that?

I admit the Delta faucet feels a bit flimsy when I work it, and I'm considering replacing it as part of a general bathroom remodel. Is Price-Pfister also good for single-handle shower valves?

Is there any way of finding out how far behind the finish wall the PP shower valve must be (this would be OX8/JX8 for the Marielle single-handle shower) short of buying the part? I don't know why this information isn't available on the web. With Delta I had to buy the part and get out a measuring tape to figure it out, it wasn't even with the installation instructions!

Thanks for any help.

[hj]

The parts on Delta that break are the stem extensions and the handle rotation stop tabs. Price Pfister has a wide range of mounting adjustment and if it is too deep they have an extension kit to bring the handles forward. I am going to guess that the PP mounts about 1 1/2" behind the wall, but measuring it, or referring to the instructions, would be a more accurate way. When it comes to single handle tub/shower valves then the decision reverses. The only one I recommend, or furnish, is the Delta 1700 series with separate temperature and volume/flow handles. Although the "king" of two handle valves is a special Price Pfister which is really a single handle one with a second handle for adjusting volume, not to turn it on or off. It woud fit in place of your existing one after the two holes in the tile were made slightly larger.

[Taylor]

Thanks, this is very helpful. It turns out my existing shower valve is Delta 1755. Do you have a reference on that "king" of two handle valves? For us the style would be PP Marielle or Delta Victorian... Unfortunately it looks like Marielle only comes with the single-handle valve, zut alors....

PS sorry Rod for the thread hijack, but my questions seemed to fit in very naturally here....

[Rod M1]

PS sorry Rod for the thread hijack, but my questions seemed to fit in very naturally here....

Don't be sorry its useful information and that is what this board is all about. PF parts are about twice as much as the others! But I think they are much heavier built mostly brass compared to mostly plastic on the others. I plan on replacing the knobs with SS ones when the plastic gets grungy anyways. Thanks for your impute.


PS I would like the model number for the KING to.

[hj]

Whywould you buy any parts, unless it was an emergency and you could not wait. PP will mail you just about anything that goes bad. As for the valve, I don't have my invoice for the last one so I will have to look it up tomorrow. It comes in three parts. The body that goes inside the wall, the trim pieces in whichever finish you want, and the handles, again whichever style and finish you want.

[Taylor]

HJ, I'm interpreting what you're saying as being that the 2-handle "King" valve you refer to can be used with Marielle (which according to PP's challenged web site only comes with a single handle) by installing a second handle of the same style and finish. Presumably one would special order the second handle at the same time as the valve.

Would the PP valve be more prone to mineral build-up because of the greater extent of metal parts?

[hj]

The valve body is #0X2-110A and the trim is T02-81X(a), the (a) being the code for the finish you want. They only show chrome, chrome and brass, or all brass, but may have added Oiled Bronze by now. One set of handles is 2GL-SLB(a), I believe. You order the handles as a unit, but not sure if they have a Marielle style.

[Rod M1]

Whywould you buy any parts, unless it was an emergency and you could not wait. PP will mail you just about anything that goes bad. As for the valve, I don't have my invoice for the last one so I will have to look it up tomorrow. It comes in three parts. The body that goes inside the wall, the trim pieces in whichever finish you want, and the handles, again whichever style and finish you want.

I didn't think PP had a lifetime warranty on their parts just on the finish. That’s good to now sow buy the time you read this I should have one in my hands. Thanks for the advice

[Taylor]

Thanks this thread has been very helpful. I had the opportunity to go through the PP special order catalog last night, it does appear to be restricted to certain styles, and Marielle docs only list OX8/JX8 as compatible valve (this is also the only valve without ceramic parts.....) but I will contact them directly. It sounds like your criticism of alternatives to PP would apply to lavatory faucets that would match tub/shower faucet....

[hj]

Unless it were a single handle faucet then yes. In fact I had a customer call yesterday who has Moen Monticello lavatory faucets. While he was gone a hot water stem and handle blew out and flooded the place. Why it blew out is a mystery, unless it had partially been unscrewed sometime in the past and the process of opening and closing the faucet eventually got it to the point where water pressure could finish the job.