Shower Diverter Problems: How to Fix a Shower Diverter Gate

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In case you didn’t know, the shower diverter gate is a plumbing term that is describing the valve which you use when you want to change the water flow from the faucet to the shower.

Now, as we can see, the diverter gate is actually quite an important part of the bathtub faucet.

The shower diverter gate must work flawlessly or else you wouldn’t be able to use your shower head at all.

Anyhow, since the shower diverter is usually installed to the bathtub faucet, the whole repairing process will require you to work on the faucet as well. So, we will explain to you exactly how to fix a shower diverter gate.

Let’s begin.

shower diverter problems

Preparation for the Repair of Shower Diverter Problems

Fixing a shower diverter gate is a bit tricky job to do.

Therefore, you will need all the help you can get. So, here are some of the most important tools and items that you need to have before you start repairing the shower diverter gate.

  • An adjustable wrench
  • An old piece of cloth 
  • Plumbing lubricant
  • A flashlight

Besides that, you can always use a bit of plumbing tape to secure the parts inside the place where the diverter is located. But, that’s not strictly necessary for this kind of job.

So, when you muster all these items and tools, you will be able to begin fixing a shower diverter gate. Therefore, let’s begin.

How to Fix a Shower Diverter Gate

Now, it’s quite important to follow these new few steps in order to fix a shower diverter gate. Let’s get down to business.

Step 1 – Plug the drain hole

For the first step, you will need to make sure that everything is in its place. Now, you will work with little parts such as rubber washer when it comes to this kind of repair, and you will want to be sure that nothing gets lost or misplaced.

So, take the old piece of cloth or a towel and put it over the drain hole. This will ensure that nothing gets down the drain. That way, you will not have to worry if you drop something in the bathtub since it won’t be able to go down the drain.

Step 2 – Turn off the water supply

Next thing to do before you start the repairing process is to turn off the water supply for your bathroom. Now, this is quite important since you are going to do remove parts from the faucet, and you don’t want to have any sudden water bursts.

In that light, find the shut-off valve and completely turn off the water inside your bathroom. With that being done, you can go to the next step.

Step 3 – Remove the shower diverter’s knob

The shower diverter has a knob that you will want to remove before doing anything else. Simply speaking, just remove the knob by turning it clockwise at the center of the handle. Once you do that, the diverter and the stem will be exposed for you to inspect it.

Anyhow, you can now inspect the insides of the stem and see if everything is fine there. If you find any kind of debris or build-ups, it would be good to remove it as soon as possible.

Step 4 – Detach the shower diverter from the water supply line

Now, you will need to take the adjustable wrench for this step and use it to detach the shower diverter from the faucet. Simply put, unscrew the diverter with the wrench and remove it from the faucet.

You can also use an old piece of cloth or a rug here to wrap around the diverter so the wrench doesn’t leave any scratches.

How to Fix a Shower Diverter Gate

Step 5 – Remove the rubber washer 

Once you removed the diverter from the faucet, you will be faced with two different choices.

  • First – Replace it with a brand new diverter
  • Second – Fix an already existing diverter

Since we are here to explain to you how to fix a diverter, we will focus on the second option. Now, there is a black rubber washer inside a diverter that is tightened by a screw, usually in the middle. Your job here is to unscrew it and remove the rubber washer for an inspection.

If the rubber washer is worn out, you will need to replace it. Usually, that’s the main problem of a faulty shower diverter. So, just get a new rubber washer and screw it back in the same place where you removed the old one.

Next, apply a small amount of plumbing lubricant on the rubber washer to make it softer. This way, the new rubber washer will last longer and you won’t be facing this kind of problems.

Step 6 – Inspect insides of the shower diverter

Here’s the part where you need to use a flashlight.

So, take a flashlight and point into the shower diverter. You need to inspect the insides of the shower diverter in order to see whether are there any debris or any kind of build-ups.

Step 7 – Clean it with water

If you find that the inside of the shower diverter is dirty and full of debris, it’s absolutely important to clean it with water. You can use hot water and rinse it a couple of times.

If there are still some pieces of debris and build-ups, you can always use a bit of lemon juice.

Step 8 – Reinstall it back on the faucet 

Once you do all of that, it’s time to reinstall your shower diverter back on the faucet.

Now, you will first need to screw it back onto the faucet and tighten it up with an adjustable wrench. 

Next, take the shower diverter’s knob and screw it back into the place where you removed it from.

How to Fix a Shower Diverter Gate

Conclusion: Fixing Shower Diverter Problems

That being said, we can all conclude that fixing a shower diverter is not such a hard thing to do after all. All you need to do is to follow these steps and make sure to do everything properly.

Make sure to be patient and not to rush when it comes to this kind of repairs. If you prefer some assistance, click the banner below.

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