Price Pfister shower diverter
Posted by Ron Williams on April 24, 19101 at 15:00:36:
I replaced the diverter stem in my Price Pfister 3-handle shower unit--twice. The first attempt was
with an aftermarket Danco diverter obtained at the local hardware store. However, it allowed water
to flow to the tub faucet when the shower was supposed to be in operation. Figuring that the Danco
diverter was less than superior quality, I went to a plumbing supply house and ask for the
Price Pfister diverter. The guy pulled one for me--unpackaged and brand unknown--and I figured
it ought to be the right one. Unfortunately, it has the same problem.

So, I took a closer look at these two new diverters. I did a little measuring. On both the new
diverters, the internal seal (I'm not sure if that is what it is really called, but I hope it means
something to the readers) is a smaller diameter than the one on the original diverter. It isn't smaller
by much, but it is enough, I believe, to allow water to enter the tub-side of the diverter even
when the tub-side has been closed off. By the way, both new diverters do have the washer in place
that is supposed to seal off water going to the tub when the shower is on.

I'm perplexed by this. Shouldn't aftermarket diverters (or valves for that matter) fit exactly?
Am I missing something here?

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