I'm passing this along in hopes it may save others from having to go
through the PIA repair work I just spent about 10 spare time hours doing
this week.

The design of these valves hasn't changed much in the past 20 years, and
when the diverter valve seal gets leaky, the water which leaks past it
while filling the tub or using the shower ends up BEHIND the wall the
valve is on. The diverter valve is the one which switches the water flow
from tub to the shower. There's an O-ring seal in it which doesn't last
forever.

That seal in one of the Temptrols in our home hardened up and started
leaking, and I wasn't aware of it until water started dripping through
our kitchen ceiling and into my corn flakes while our daughter was
taking one of her interminable morning showers upstairs.

In addition to the kitchen ceiling, the dribble had been soaking and
wicking through the plasterboard behind the shower wall tiles. I had to
take off about 30 tiles, replacing the soaked plasterboard with
carefully pieced in cement board and stick the tiles up again. (All the
while cursing the "quality builder" who'd cheated us by not using a
proper waterproof backer board when he built the place.)

So, those of you with Temptrol tub/shower valves would be well advised
to check that O-ring seal in the diverter valve and replace it once in a
while. Ours are about 18 years old now, but I've no idea for how many
years there may have been a slight drip coming from last weekend's
culprit.

I added a "fix" on all the Temptrols in our house by using silicone
bathtub caulk to glue a little U-shaped sheet brass "drip chute" to the
bottom of the diverter valve housing, angling it so that any future
leaks will end up on the "user side" of the tile wall, behind the bottom
of the trim plate. From there, they'll harmlessly run down the tiles and
into the bathtub.

Happy Holidays,

Jeff
--
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."

Jeff Wisnia wrote:

I'm passing this along in hopes it may save others from having to go
through the PIA repair work I just spent about 10 spare time hours doing
this week.

The design of these valves hasn't changed much in the past 20 years, and
when the diverter valve seal gets leaky, the water which leaks past it
while filling the tub or using the shower ends up BEHIND the wall the
valve is on. The diverter valve is the one which switches the water flow
from tub to the shower. There's an O-ring seal in it which doesn't last
forever.

That seal in one of the Temptrols in our home hardened up and started
leaking, and I wasn't aware of it until water started dripping through
our kitchen ceiling and into my corn flakes while our daughter was
taking one of her interminable morning showers upstairs.

Grohe makes a separate diverter valve (Classic Diverter Valve, 29 733)
that in my experience doesn't leak. I've got several of them and have
had no problems.

In addition to the kitchen ceiling, the dribble had been soaking and
wicking through the plasterboard behind the shower wall tiles. I had to
take off about 30 tiles, replacing the soaked plasterboard with
carefully pieced in cement board and stick the tiles up again. (All the
while cursing the "quality builder" who'd cheated us by not using a
proper waterproof backer board when he built the place.)

There's no excuse for not using Durock or equivalent in a bathroom.

Boden
(Course VI also)


So, those of you with Temptrol tub/shower valves would be well advised
to check that O-ring seal in the diverter valve and replace it once in a
while. Ours are about 18 years old now, but I've no idea for how many
years there may have been a slight drip coming from last weekend's
culprit.

I added a "fix" on all the Temptrols in our house by using silicone
bathtub caulk to glue a little U-shaped sheet brass "drip chute" to the
bottom of the diverter valve housing, angling it so that any future
leaks will end up on the "user side" of the tile wall, behind the bottom
of the trim plate. From there, they'll harmlessly run down the tiles and
into the bathtub.

Happy Holidays,

Jeff
--
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."