Conase wrote:

Some time ago I bought a new tub spout from Home Depot. The old one was getting
slowly eaten by the water after 20 years.

Never had a problem with the old spout. No problem with the new spout UNTIL....

I try to put on the shower head by pulliing up the button on the tub spout.

Then I get this HORRIFIC groan .

I jiggle the button ON AND OFF. I hold it with my finger. I wiggle it from side
to side, etc.

Eventually it STOPS groaning.

I say it is a LOUSY tub spout that looks like the problem goes away when things
heat up and expand from the hot water.

After the INITIAL startup of the shower head, things are fine.

I was afraid that if I let the GROAN and VIBRATION continue, it would LOOSEN
the pipes.

I have NO problems with water hammer, etc. - only this problem with the "new"
tub spout. It is now almost 2 years old and the problem has not gone away. I
have just learned to work with the problem.

The shower faucet is a single handle and there are no drips and no water hammer
or groans when using the water for the tub - just the water diverter on the tub
spout.

I am planning on getting a new spout.

Any comments appreciated.

TIA

What happens if you jam the palm of your hand over the outlet of the spout to block
off the outlet and direct all of the water to the shower head?

If that stops the groan immediately, then I'll go along with it being something
wrong with the diverter valve in that "new" spout.

If it doesn't, then you probably have a loose washer in the single handle valve,
and there was just enough difference in the new spout to trigger the noise, or
maybe due to IPIA* the noise just decided to show up at the same time as you
changed out the spout.

If the noise does stop immediately upon blocking the outlet with your hand, then
your diagnosis is likely correct, you've got a defective spout, so buy yourself a
holiday present and get another one.

Happy Holidays,

Jeff

* IPIA - The innate perversity of inanimate objects....
--
Jeff Wisnia (W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)

"If you can keep smiling when things go wrong, you've thought of someone to place
the blame on."