Shower leak and knob questions

Hi,

Plumbing novice needs help. We have a leaky shower faucet. The system has three knobs--one hot, one cold, one diverter. I've been told by the folks at Lowe's that I need to replace the diverter stem, but that I need to bring it in to make sure I get the right replacement. So far, so good. (Though if any of you have a different diagnosis, I'd be happy to hear it.) But when I went to remove the stem today, I couldn't get the diverter knob off to get at it. All three knobs have exposed center screws. I removed the diverter knob's screw, but I couldn't get the knob to come off. It acts like the screw is still there (only allows its normal movement). I looked for set screws--nothing. I resisted really cranking on it for fear of breaking something. Is there a trick here? Any advice will be much appreciated.

TIA,

jwr

It is corroded on to the stem. They make handle pullers that remove them. You can also try heating gently but hot with a torch and that may work. Also penetrating fluid like PB Blaster found at Low*s, might help.

Cass,

Thanks for your reply. I'll try a handle puller.

jwr

Here's a photo of a handle puller:

If the tip starts to bend, back off and reposition it better. Then continue applying pressure by turning the handle.

Thanks, Verdeboy. Looks like just like the puller I purchased last night. I'll try it out later today.

jwr

All right. The handle puller worked like a dream. I pulled the stem and replaced the washer at the end (small black, not larger white), but now no water comes out of the shower head when I turn on the diverter. I suspect I need to adjust the stem somehow. When I first reinstalled teh valve, the diverter knob wouldn't turn at all. I've mucked around with it for a while and can't seem to get it to work right. It turns a little bit now, but as I said I'm getting no water form the shower. All assistance appreciated.

Thanks,

jwr

First of all, a leaky shower faucet means that either the hot or the cold faucet stems need to be rebuilt or replaced or the seats need to be replaced, if they are no good. The diverter is not involved.

You may have plugged up the shower head with debris from the diverter. Unscrew the shower head and see if water comes out of the pipe. If not, you might have some debris in the diverter stem, and you will have to remove the diverter stem to get it out. It might be best to open one of the other valves for a few seconds to clear out this debris once you've removed the diverter stem. I'm assuming you have water coming out of the tub spout. Is that correct?

You may just need to take the diverter stem apart and apply plumber's grease to the threads to make it turn easier. Or just replace the diverter stem altogether. You'll still need to remove the hot and cold stems to fix your leak, however.