Plugged shower hot water line
#1
12-25-21, 11:08 AM
Plugged shower hot water line
I have a house built in 1963 with mostly peerless, faucet fittings. The fitting setup in the bathroom with a tub, has a dual knob control for hot and cold water separately. The cold water is running strong, but not the hot. (this is for either the shower OR the tub fill spout. Guessing that the line into the faucet is plugged with the hardwater crap that plugs other screens in the house, I need to get to this one. I have taken off the knob, and there is a chrome plated tube firmly mounted that is not moving with reasonable force. From Internet photos it looks like I have to insert a special socket into this tube, and try to break the fitting free from the hot water pipe without breaking anything. There IS an access panel to the area behind the tub in a closet that backs up to the tub area, Before I unload this closet (wifes, you get it) Is there a quicker, safer way to get at this plugged line etc with normal handyman tools?
Last edited by WML13; 12-25-21 at 11:12 AM. Reason: verbage
#2
12-25-21, 01:01 PM
Member
It's so rare that a line is plugged it's not even an option.
A valve, a diverter, a cartridge are the primary candidates!
A valve, a diverter, a cartridge are the primary candidates!
#3
12-25-21, 01:09 PM
Group Moderator
#5
12-25-21, 01:45 PM
Im sorry , but I have never had any luck posting pictures. What I have is a chrome spout fastened to the top of the tub, with two round plastic handles fastened to the valve stems coming out of the wall above the spout. I have taken the plastic handles off held by philips screws. and removed the nut that is covered by the crome tubes that surround the valve stems. Now I am just looking at a chrome tube with maybe a 1/4" stem with serations to fit into the plastic knobs so they will turn it on and off. From some internet directions, it looks like I need to slip a socket into the chrome tube to engage a nut of some type behind the wall. I just don't want to start yanking on this without some guidance. I am going up to take the access panel off behind and see what i can see there.
#6
12-25-21, 02:43 PM
Group Moderator
#8
12-25-21, 03:24 PM
Group Moderator
Usually it gets replaced. Hard to know until you see it.
You may have to take it out to ID it and put it back in for now.
You may have to take it out to ID it and put it back in for now.
#9
12-25-21, 05:07 PM
Well after seeing the pic you posted of the special socket wrenches needed for this job, It reminded me that I had a set I got from my Dad after he passed. Never knew what they were for but the set with double ends, different sizes was lined up in my toolbox I keep in the garage. This holiday just turned to the GOOD side!
Thanks for the replies and the pics!
Thanks for the replies and the pics!
#10
12-25-21, 07:00 PM
Its fixed. Could not get any of the wrenches in the set to fit between the chrome tube and the 1/4" valve shaft. Put a pair of Channel locks on the chrome tube and started to turn it counterclockwise. It was under pressure at this point and it blew out an obstruction and water flowed out into the bathtub like it should. I found the Ilger name stamped on the fitting somewhere. At this point I'm thinking that there is a seal or. washer under the chrome tube but it is flowing and not leaking so I am leaving it alone!
#11
12-25-21, 07:40 PM
Out of curiosity I looked up ELGER brand parts and saw an obsolete part available ElgerBinford EL103 rebuild kit that looks just like what I have from the outside of the wall. Since turning the chrome piece released the obstruction, I'm guessing the chrome piece mimics a socket wrench, and could possibly be how you remove the rest of the assembly to get to the O rings and or seals that are below it. Seems like a scary way to engineer something like that, so I WILL get behind it thru the access panel to look for possible leaks.
#12
12-28-21, 11:34 AM
Got behind the connections and nothing was leaking. AND the water is flowing like it should OUT of the spout that goes to the tub and to the shower connection. Go figure, but some black crap shot out with the water too so i got lucky Happy New Year!
