Delta cartridge problems

[vistaman]

Back in February, planning our bathroom remodel and shopping for advice and recommendations for a new valve, advised to go with Delta. Didn't work out to well , my tale of woe follows:

As you can see we're several months down the road on this one, finished our remodel about a month ago. I did choose the Delta Universal valve w/ScrewStops and added a 17430 trim kit (the 17 series controls volume with one lever and temperature with another). Looks great, installation was a breeze, except...

I've had a problem with this setup since installation. The lever for volume has an approximate "arc" of turn of about 90 degrees from closed shut to full open. The first drop of water doesn't come out of this thing until I've turned the lever through a bit more than 45 degrees of the arc, then water continues to increase in volume until I hit the stop at about 90 degrees of arc.

That means that I'm moving the lever a bit more than halfway before anything starts to happen! The amount of volume at full on is "sufficient", but not very great. It's difficult to quantify that, except to say it's certainly less than the old valve/trim gave us (from the 60's: two separate handles, etc). You sorta feel that if only the lever could continue to turn an additional 45 degrees you'd get all the volume you could handle <g>...

Fooled with it a bit to see what I could have done wrong , but everything looked OK. I called Delta. Their response was to ask me to pull the cartridge and shake it, see it "rattled" to make sure it was not locked up. Did that, it rattled as it is supposed to.

As [bad] luck would have it, after removing the cartridge to check it out, a cover and spring from the Cartridge Adapter Assembly popped off the adapter and went down the drain, no luck in finding it. Sooo, called Delta back, they very nicely agreed to send a replacement Cartridge Adapter Assembly, a small plastic part with some O-rings, springs, covers, etc, which fits into the valve body outlets. Took about 2 weeks to get here.

Installed the adapter assembly, reinstalled the cartridge and trim, tested and still the same as first reported: no water comes out of the spout until about halfway through the turn of the lever. I called Delta to tell them we were back in business, the cartridge did rattle, and the problem was the same as intially reported. They very nicely agreed to send a replacement 17 Series cartridge in case the cartrige I had was bad, and it also took about 2 weeks to get here. They are very kind, willing, helpful folks, and I appreciate all they've done so far.

The cartridge arrived earlier this week and the first chance I had to play with it was yesterday. Removed the cartridge (and the adapter assembly, because they had also sent a new one of those with the cartridge), reinstalled the whole deal, no luck, same thing, bit more than halfway through the turn before any water.

Called Delta this morning, reported my results, placed on hold while they checked things out. They come back on the line and tell me that it is "normal" for the lever to have that much "drag" (their term for this) on it.

So we're done. Wish to heck I'd never chosen Delta, and I sure won't chose them for the 2nd bathroom that starts next month. This was our "dream" bath, a complete down to the studs remodel, new everything and we've a decidedly crummy bath/shower experience.

Just in case anyone here has some insight into what is happening, or any recommendations, I'd appreciate any and all comments that might lead to some better outcome

vista...

[Terry]

Not enough volume from the tub spout? or from the shower head?

New shower heads are restricted to 2.5 gallons a minute.
It wouldn't matter how big the faucet was, they have limiting on them.
I've seen some homeowners drill out the restricter to get more flow in the shower head.

[vistaman]

Not enough volume from the tub spout? or from the shower head?

New shower heads are restricted to 2.5 gallons a minute.
It wouldn't matter how big the faucet was, they have limiting on them.
I've seen some homeowners drill out the restricter to get more flow in the shower head.

Hi Terry,

Ahh, OK I understand The shower head ouptput is OK, the tub spout is a little slow, but probably correct. It's not so much the volume, it's the lack of volume control <g>. It just seems unusual to have this much "drag" on the opening of the cartridge. Have you seen this before? Is it "usual" in your experience? Delta say it's normal.

vista...

[Redwood]

You may want a plumber to look at this onsite...

Just to have a visual of what exactly is going on. There may be some trouble relaying the exact nature of the problem via phone and internet.

I have installed a few of the 1700 series valves and I consider them to be some of the best out there. I'm having trouble visualizing the exact problem you are having.

[vistaman]

You may want a plumber to look at this onsite...

Just to have a visual of what exactly is going on. There may be some trouble relaying the exact nature of the problem via phone and internet.

I have installed a few of the 1700 series valves and I consider them to be some of the best out there. I'm having trouble visualizing the exact problem you are having.

I actually got this one based on your recommendation Not sure though what you think isn't being exact enough about the description of the problem. I'll try again:

The volume lever is designed to move only a quarter turn from lock to lock, from closed to open, from full Off to full On.

But, water only starts to come out of the spout after moving the lever a bit more than halfway to full On. The first half of the quarter turn, no water.

This "dead" area, that is what Delta calls "drag". And they say that it is "normal" for there to be 45 degrees of drag.

In your experience with the 1700 series, when you would turn on the water, did it take opening the valve more than halfway through its' range before any water would come out of the spout?

[RonIdaho]

Hi,
We just installed 3 Delta 17455 kits which have the same RP46463 cartridge and R10000 valve body you do. I checked one and it does the same thing you're describing--roughly halfway on (45 degrees) before flow starts. I run the tub at full bore anyway so not a problem. The flow is slower than the old Moen valves that were replaced. The shower is adequate but is probably slower than its predecessor too. I have pix posted on my thread (Delta faucets and saving the wall tiles).

I don't mind the flow difference that much, just getting used to the difference with the old setup we've had since 1989. What bugs me is the plastic "grate" in the faucet outlet that causes the water to splatter as it exits. Jeeze, why didn't they just leave it with an unrestricted outflow? I pull the shower knob up a quarter inch and that puts enough back pressure on the system that the water exits without splashing back on the tub rim, so for now that's what we're doing.
Hope this helps,
RonIdaho

[kplunk]

Has anyone experienced this problem. I just installed this cartridge, and after installation, the water will not shut off, no matter what position the control handle is set. the water changes temp, but it never stops. i have two cartridges doing the same thing. They are back to back on the installation.

[jimbo]

Kplunk....did you install the correct cartridge? There are new and old versions, of the cartridge, and they are not interchangeable.

[hj]

My initial reaction is that you did not insert the seat adapter that fastens inside the faucet to make it compatible with the 1700 cartridge.

[clroger]

Anyone know if it is possible to go from a Delta 1500 series to beyond the 1700 series ?

Wife picked out Mandara 144962-ss to replace and upgrade our fiberglass shower.

Is it possible to just buy the shower parts without having to throw away the valve and tub parts, what a waste of money. Come on Delta.

thx all

[Robert Pace]

I have the same problem !!!!! Delta told me they have seen this problem before. Poor engineering if you ask me. New cartridge does the same thing. Should have bought a Moen.

Back in February, planning our bathroom remodel and shopping for advice and recommendations for a new valve, advised to go with Delta. Didn't work out to well , my tale of woe follows:

As you can see we're several months down the road on this one, finished our remodel about a month ago. I did choose the Delta Universal valve w/ScrewStops and added a 17430 trim kit (the 17 series controls volume with one lever and temperature with another). Looks great, installation was a breeze, except...

I've had a problem with this setup since installation. The lever for volume has an approximate "arc" of turn of about 90 degrees from closed shut to full open. The first drop of water doesn't come out of this thing until I've turned the lever through a bit more than 45 degrees of the arc, then water continues to increase in volume until I hit the stop at about 90 degrees of arc.

That means that I'm moving the lever a bit more than halfway before anything starts to happen! The amount of volume at full on is "sufficient", but not very great. It's difficult to quantify that, except to say it's certainly less than the old valve/trim gave us (from the 60's: two separate handles, etc). You sorta feel that if only the lever could continue to turn an additional 45 degrees you'd get all the volume you could handle <g>...

Fooled with it a bit to see what I could have done wrong , but everything looked OK. I called Delta. Their response was to ask me to pull the cartridge and shake it, see it "rattled" to make sure it was not locked up. Did that, it rattled as it is supposed to.

As [bad] luck would have it, after removing the cartridge to check it out, a cover and spring from the Cartridge Adapter Assembly popped off the adapter and went down the drain, no luck in finding it. Sooo, called Delta back, they very nicely agreed to send a replacement Cartridge Adapter Assembly, a small plastic part with some O-rings, springs, covers, etc, which fits into the valve body outlets. Took about 2 weeks to get here.

Installed the adapter assembly, reinstalled the cartridge and trim, tested and still the same as first reported: no water comes out of the spout until about halfway through the turn of the lever. I called Delta to tell them we were back in business, the cartridge did rattle, and the problem was the same as intially reported. They very nicely agreed to send a replacement 17 Series cartridge in case the cartrige I had was bad, and it also took about 2 weeks to get here. They are very kind, willing, helpful folks, and I appreciate all they've done so far.

The cartridge arrived earlier this week and the first chance I had to play with it was yesterday. Removed the cartridge (and the adapter assembly, because they had also sent a new one of those with the cartridge), reinstalled the whole deal, no luck, same thing, bit more than halfway through the turn before any water.

Called Delta this morning, reported my results, placed on hold while they checked things out. They come back on the line and tell me that it is "normal" for the lever to have that much "drag" (their term for this) on it.

So we're done. Wish to heck I'd never chosen Delta, and I sure won't chose them for the 2nd bathroom that starts next month. This was our "dream" bath, a complete down to the studs remodel, new everything and we've a decidedly crummy bath/shower experience.

Just in case anyone here has some insight into what is happening, or any recommendations, I'd appreciate any and all comments that might lead to some better outcome

vista...