Dropping water pressure during use

[leickhol]

Hello- I stumbled on this forum when searching for help on a plumbing problem, so this is my first time posting...

We installed a new shower in one bathroom and one tub/shower unit in another bathroom, both about 9 months ago. They both have identical Delta faucets and shower heads. (Of course the tub/shower also has the tub faucet/diverter.) New pipes were installed at the same time.

They both worked great for quite awhile. We could even use water in other parts of the house without it affecting pressure or temperature. Recently, however, the tub/shower has started having problems. After 2-3 minutes of shower time, the pressure starts rapidly dropping off until the water is barely a trickle. This happens even if no other water is being used. If you push the diverter down, the water gushes out of the tub faucet, but when you pull the diverter back up, it comes out good for just a second, but then goes back to a trickle.

So far, we have: removed and cleaned the shower head including screens, removed the cartridge per the instruction book cleaned it, and "shook" it (the instructions said if it rattled, it was okay, if it didn't it should be replaced. Our "rattled" so we put it back), we have flushed the pipe with water and with air.

We do have hard water, but as I said, we have cleaned everything we can think of and the pipes are new and were flushed. The other shower is continuing to work perfectly.

Any ideas?

Thank you!

[Woodbutcher]

Hi, How's the water flow if you remove the shower head and turn the shower on?
Woodbutcher

[leickhol]

Sorry, tech problems kept me off the computer and messed up my reply... :rolleyes: :rolleyes: but in case you still see this... when we take the shower head off, it still drops pressure. The odd thing is that it doesn't happen every time we use it.

Thanks

[arkayassoc]

If you have good flow out the tub nozzle, and it goes to a trickle when you flip it back to shower, I think you have a bad diverter.

[Plumber2000]

Is the diverter on the tub spout?

[leickhol]

Yes, the diverter is on the tub spout. But we also have dropping pressure when we take the shower head off and just let the water come out the shower "arm" pipe.

[leickhol]

We have never had problems with water still coming out of the tub spout when the diverter is pulled up for shower use. I thought that would have been a sign of a bad diverter... but can it still be a bad diverter? Even without "leaking" water such as happens when a diverter won't seal?

[Plumber2000]

I would not think it is the diverter, what you need top do is back flush the shower riser pipe, this will call for removal of the shower head, screwing on a 1/2" IP x hose adapter hooking up a hose to it and then turn the water on, just maybe there is something stuck in the riser at you can flush it out on the reverse flow.

[leickhol]

I believe from what I've read, that when the diverter is pulled up but water still partially comes out of the tub spout the diverter is probably bad. Also I've read that you can turn on the tub spout with the diverter down and water may leak out the shower head and that probably means the diverter is bad.

BUT, Can a diverter be to blame if there is no leaking, but the shower water pressure starts dropping sometimes after 2-3 minutes of use? There is no leaking water out of the tub spout, just dropping pressure down to about NOTHING out of the shower head. Could it stil be a diverter? :confused:

Everything has been cleaned and flushed.

Have I confused you all as much as I've confused myase? :eek:

Thank you for your continued assistance on my problem. :p

[Plumber2000]

See my last post above for another possible fix to the problem your having.

[leickhol]

Thanks Plumber2000. I'll double check with my hubby... I know he used air to back flush with an air compressor using an adaptor he had... but I'll have to see if he back-flushed with water.

It is certainly puzzling!

Thanks again,