My shower just randomly stops working and completely cuts off. Try it again in five minutes and works fine. The sink and bath continue to work when this happens. Not sure what could cause something like this. Any suggestions?

 

Hi there,
How old is the shower valve and what kind, (single, two, or three handle type faucet)?

I am thinking if is a single handle fct. and is fairly new I want to say it has something to do with the pressure balance control in the faucet.

You may just need to take it apart and free it up or replace the cartridge. If it is fairly new, you can call the manufacturer and you may get a new cartridge for free.

Most faucets today carry a lifetime warranty on parts and finish. but you have to call them.

 

Try it with the shower head removed.

 

I'm not sure exactly how old the shower is but the house was built in 96. So I would think it's the original one. It is a single handle faucet.
When you say "replace the cartridge," what do you mean? I am not familiar with shower work. So any suggestions are welcome.
Thanks for responding.

 

Hi again,

The cartridge is inside the shower valve itself. You would need to remove the fct. handle, Then remove the guts (cartridge).

I would say if it is that old it is probably rust or scale or something causing the problem.
After shutting off the water you will need to remove the cartridge and bring it with you if you can, and if not draw what it looks like with measurements etc. then go to a plumbing supply house or a hardware store. Depending on the type of cartridge you may need to search around for the part, so be prepared to reinstall the old cart. until you get the new one.

Look on the cover plate and see if there is a brand name on it. It won't give you a model # but if you at least know who makes it you will have a better chance of finding the parts.

If all else fails, replace complete faucet. You might need a professional licensed plumber for that.

Good Luck, Mark

 

Thanks for the advice! I'll give that a try.

 

I've seen this weird behavior when a bit of debris is floating in the system. A hunk of rubber washer from a corroded shutoff valve for example, may be too large to pass the shower's flow limiting disc. So the debris hangs around, periodically blocking the flow. The solution is to remove constrictive parts, and flush the pipes.

 

I am not being funny here but,

could someone be playing a joke on you and be turning off the water while you are in the shower?


Hmmmmm, something to think about !

 

Gosh, I really hope not. If that's the case, I am living in a horror movie. It's just my wife and I that live there and it's happened to her a couple of times too. I thought about that actually, but let's just hope its debris!
I am going to check your recommendations this weekend when I get more time. Thanks again for replying with those suggestions.