I saved myself maybe $80 by replacing the stem seal and spring on a
Delta shower faucet. I'd have been really pleased with myself, but I
lost three stem springs in the process.

Not until the third one disappeard that I realized I wasn't dropping
them behind the tile -- no, they were too small and were going right
past the stem seat and into the pipe! I finally used the old spring
(sort of conical) from the previous install with the new seal .

So I fixed the drip, but with three springs in the supply line, do I now
have a bigger problem?

Thanks for your help,
Jm

"DemoDisk" wrote in message
...

I saved myself maybe $80 by replacing the stem seal and spring on a
Delta shower faucet. I'd have been really pleased with myself, but I
lost three stem springs in the process.

Not until the third one disappeard that I realized I wasn't dropping
them behind the tile -- no, they were too small and were going right
past the stem seat and into the pipe! I finally used the old spring
(sort of conical) from the previous install with the new seal .

So I fixed the drip, but with three springs in the supply line, do I now
have a bigger problem?

Thanks for your help,
Jm



Maybe not. Anything in the line will restrict the flow a bit, but
considering the shape and flow requirements, you may never notice any
difference. The sprigs will drop only to the first horizontal run and,
after a hundred years or so may corrode away completely.

DemoDisk wrote:
I saved myself maybe $80 by replacing the stem seal and spring on a
Delta shower faucet. I'd have been really pleased with myself, but I
lost three stem springs in the process.

Not until the third one disappeard that I realized I wasn't dropping
them behind the tile -- no, they were too small and were going right
past the stem seat and into the pipe! I finally used the old spring
(sort of conical) from the previous install with the new seal .

So I fixed the drip, but with three springs in the supply line, do I
now have a bigger problem?


Take it apart again, hold a bucket against the valve, and turn on the water, and
maybe you'll get them back.

"Ed Pawlowski" wrote in message
...

"DemoDisk" wrote in message
...

I saved myself maybe $80 by replacing the stem seal and spring on a
Delta shower faucet. I'd have been really pleased with myself, but I
lost three stem springs in the process.

Not until the third one disappeard that I realized I wasn't dropping
them behind the tile -- no, they were too small and were going right
past the stem seat and into the pipe! I finally used the old spring
(sort of conical) from the previous install with the new seal .

So I fixed the drip, but with three springs in the supply line, do I
now
have a bigger problem?

Thanks for your help,
Jm



Maybe not. Anything in the line will restrict the flow a bit, but
considering the shape and flow requirements, you may never notice any
difference. The sprigs will drop only to the first horizontal run
and,
after a hundred years or so may corrode away completely.

Thanks, Ed, for the reassuring answer.

"Bob F" wrote in message
...
DemoDisk wrote:
I saved myself maybe $80 by replacing the stem seal and spring on a
Delta shower faucet. I'd have been really pleased with myself, but I
lost three stem springs in the process.

Not until the third one disappeard that I realized I wasn't dropping
them behind the tile -- no, they were too small and were going right
past the stem seat and into the pipe! I finally used the old spring
(sort of conical) from the previous install with the new seal .

So I fixed the drip, but with three springs in the supply line, do I
now have a bigger problem?


Take it apart again, hold a bucket against the valve, and turn on the
water, and
maybe you'll get them back.

Wow...

The valve seat is soldered into the line behind the tile. A small,
strong magnet at the end of a thread might work, except I might lose
*that* in the line too.

I guess for now I'll just live with it.

Thanks, Bob F

On Apr 20, 5:46*am, "Ed Pawlowski" wrote:
"DemoDisk" wrote in message

...





I saved myself maybe $80 by replacing the stem seal and spring on a
Delta shower faucet. I'd have been really pleased with myself, but I
lost three stem springs in the process.

Not until the third one disappeard that I realized I wasn't dropping
them behind the tile -- no, they were too small and were going right
past the stem seat and into the pipe! *I finally used the old spring
(sort of conical) from the previous install with the new seal .

So I fixed the drip, but with three springs in the supply line, do I now
have a bigger problem?

Thanks for your help,
Jm

Maybe not. *Anything in the line will restrict the flow a bit, but
considering the shape and flow requirements, you may never notice any
difference. *The sprigs will drop only to the first horizontal run and,
after a hundred years or so may corrode away completely.

Well, the spring is steel and if the pipes are copper, it might
corrode a lot sooner than that. Hopefully just the spring will
corrode...

I'd attach a little neodymium magnet to a flexible something or other,
maybe a length of 14 gauge electric wire stripped out of some Romex,
and see if I could draw the springs out.

R

RicodJour wrote:
On Apr 20, 5:46 am, "Ed Pawlowski" wrote:
"DemoDisk" wrote in message

...





I saved myself maybe $80 by replacing the stem seal and spring on a
Delta shower faucet. I'd have been really pleased with myself, but I
lost three stem springs in the process.

Not until the third one disappeard that I realized I wasn't dropping
them behind the tile -- no, they were too small and were going right
past the stem seat and into the pipe! I finally used the old spring
(sort of conical) from the previous install with the new seal .

So I fixed the drip, but with three springs in the supply line, do
I now have a bigger problem?

Thanks for your help,
Jm

Maybe not. Anything in the line will restrict the flow a bit, but
considering the shape and flow requirements, you may never notice any
difference. The sprigs will drop only to the first horizontal run
and, after a hundred years or so may corrode away completely.

Well, the spring is steel and if the pipes are copper, it might
corrode a lot sooner than that. Hopefully just the spring will
corrode...

I'd attach a little neodymium magnet to a flexible something or other,
maybe a length of 14 gauge electric wire stripped out of some Romex,
and see if I could draw the springs out.

Actually, it is more likely stainless steel if it was in the water in usege. And
therefore, likely not magnetic.

Let's see - would a stainless spring in copper pipe cause the pipe to corrode?

[snip]


Maybe not. Anything in the line will restrict the flow a bit, but
considering the shape and flow requirements, you may never notice any
difference. The sprigs will drop only to the first horizontal run and,
after a hundred years or so may corrode away completely.

Giving you spring water :-)