How to Clean a Clogged Shower Cartridge | Ask This Old House

Ask This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey travels to New York City to teach a homeowner how to clean her shower cartridge when it gets clogged
#ThisOldHouse #AskTOH
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Time: 3-4 hours
Cost: $0
Skill Level: Moderate
Tools:
Allen wrench [amzn.to/2zroqyo]
Drop cloth [amzn.to/3da8XkF]
Open end adjustable wrench [amzn.to/3d7xFlT]
Toothbrush [amzn.to/3esCSVI]
Shopping List:
Vinegar [amzn.to/2XzdExT]
Steps for cleaning a clogged shower cartridge:
1. Start by covering up the shower drain with a drop cloth to prevent any pieces from falling down the drain.
2. Remove the handles, escutcheons, and cover plate for the shower valve.
a. This will vary, depending on the manufacturer. In general, look for small circles that could be concealing screws that are holding the handles in place. These can usually be removed with an Allen wrench.
b. Be careful to loosen only the handles and not actually turn them; otherwise, the water will turn on.
3. Shut the hot and cold water lines off. Sometimes, these will be in the wall next to the valve and can be closed with a screwdriver and with a shutoff. If not, the water may need to be shut off at the main line.
4. Loosen the nut holding the shower cartridge in place with an open end adjustable wrench.
5. Carefully pull the shower cartridge straight out of the valve. Do this carefully to prevent any damage to either the cartridge or the valve.
6. Scrub the cartridge until all impurities are off of it. This can be done with any soft bristled brush, including a toothbrush, and a little bit of water.
7. In a bowl, mix a little bit of water and white vinegar. Soak the cartridge in the mixture for a couple of hours.
8. Place the cartridge back in the valve and tighten it in place with the nut.
9. Turn the hot and cold water back on.
10. Add the cover plate, escutcheons, and shower handles based on the manufacturer’s design.
Resources:
Every plumbing manufacturer has a slightly different shower valve, so it’s important to match the manufacturer when buying replacement cartridges. Depending on the shower valve, replacement cartridges can be found online, in plumbing supply houses, or for more common valves, in home centers. The shower valve the homeowner had in this piece was a DaVinci Thermostatic Mixer, which she sourced from AF Supply in Manhattan (www.afsupply.com/).
In some cases, the cartridge might just need to be cleaned, which can be done with a little bit of vinegar and a toothbrush, which can be found at any grocery store.
A 4-in-1 screwdriver and a pair of slip joint pliers are needed to remove the trim and access the cartridge. These can also be found at home centers.
Expert assistance with this segment was provided by Aladdin Plumbing Corp. (www.aladdinplumbingcorp.com/).
About Ask This Old House TV:
Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we're ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers-and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O'Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Jenn Nawada.
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Keywords:
This Old House, Ask This Old House, DIY, Home Improvement, DIY Ideas, Renovation, Renovation Ideas, How To Fix, How To Install, How To Build
Watch the full episode:
www.thisoldhouse.com/season-1...
How to Clean a Clogged Shower Cartridge | Ask This Old House
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[@prestoncox]

Perfect demonstration for what I need. Thanks ToH team

[@bengt_axle]

It's 2020 and they still use pine slats of wood to make a huge water tight tank that sits on top of all other apartments? Wow, that's cool. BTW, some cartridges do not have screens, and if you hear some rattling it may be the rust particles and sediment that are trapped in the valve body.

[@lordlucan7655]

A good instruction video for people with little or no experience . The only thing i would do as a beginner would be to lay out all the removed parts / screws / covers in the positions i removed them to ensure everything goes back exactly as it was . How many times have i ended up with diffferent length screws and different length chrome covers . The other thing i once had was the delight to find the tiler had left no room to even get a spanner into the recess , out came the grinder and diamond blade .

[@bettydarling2445]

Exactly what I needed.

[@MichaelAuslanderJr]

This is like the 10th straight video that hasn’t hit subscription boxes. @ This Old House your KZbin post settings are screwed up.

[@nickmaynard]

Yep, they’re not coming up for me either.

[@tambarlas5248]

Same with me

[@squirrellyboe7421]

@Joe Kinchicken "woke"? Meaning what?

[@benpat100]

Click the bell next to the subscribe button also sometimes videos are unhidden rather than uploaded.

[@jere4524]

Totally amazing!

[@txshah78]

TOH is a great show. Keep up the good work

[@MrEpwn]

I'm just here to listen to Richard pronounce the word "water"

[@hoangmdao9755]

Hi Richard, how to pull out an old three valves after removing their screws? I watched many your instructions to learn about removing and replacing basement shower stems. I have used D40 on leaking valves on and they are not moving at all. Thx. Hoang

[@sleekmr2]

Thanks for this video. I think my shower cartridge is clogged. I'm getting more hot water than cold. All the other faucets in the home is fine but the shower gets mostly warm to hot water. Gonna attempt a cleaning after watching this video. If I use cleaning vinegar to soak the cartridge do you still recommend mixing it with water?

[@mp-xt2rg]

Wouldn't it just make more sense to install a filter where the line comes in? They're cheap. Swap the elements every year and avoid the hassle.

[@AlvisWuNewYorkCity]

I am from Brooklyn New York City :)

[@martyvanord984]

There is one thing in addition to sediment, occasionally an animal will die in the tank. A filtration system like a reverse osmosis filter or a bacteria-rated ceramic filter is a good idea. That is if drinking the water.

[@Alex-pj6tc]

Need help! I installed new rough in valve in my house and no now there's no hot water. What I did wrong? Probably hot and cold water mix in the valve. How can I fix it?

[@bert1913]

I had no idea that there are water towers in New York. Btw, a little silicone grease on the orings wouldn't be a bad idea

[@vegajf51]

I could never imagine living in a place like this... no yard, driveway, place for kids to play, having to get permission to do stuff in your own home.... I always find it amazing how other people live and assume they think similarly of the way I live.... LOL

[@brucekuehnle7742]

Very useful. Thanks !!!

[@paulrooster2108]

You heard the lady - it's a " strange " New York thang

[@larrylove1]

I love it 😀

[@allentoyokawa9068]

@@paulrooster2108 he

[@DeWittPotts]

The water system that feeds New York City is over a century old. The reservoirs are up in Ulster County and the water flows down to the city without the use of pumps. The whole system is gravity fed and there are no filters on the water. That means that sediment from the reservoir will end up in the rooftop water tanks.

[@dwarden3]

Dont forget to purge the line and lubed the orings before reassembly.

[@allentoyokawa9068]

There are big cities all over, yet they still use old fashion tanks like this in NYC?

[@samathsamath8224]

Only problem you have to do this frequently. Any thoughts

[@RobertLeBlancPhoto]

I'd install a "whole house" filtration system, at least a cartridge pre-filter for my apartment. No way I'm gonna put up with that in a luxury apartment in NYC.

[@shadowblack1987]

can't do that in 90% of apartments.

[@Ariccio123]

@@shadowblack1987 I mean, you can, but you're gonna have to install one for each riser, which would be hilarious.

[@PaulKing1]

This looks like a brand new valve with non-crusty threads. Any tips for if the valve has a lot of hard water and is reluctant to come off?

[@AStanton1966]

You probably need a persuader. Add a section of pipe over the handle of the wrench to give it more leverage. Then give it the Old Grundy!

[@alexshuparski]

Geometry of tank has nothing to do with the water pressure, you gain about half a PSI per foot of elevation. That vessel can be 100 feet across or 2 inches pressure at the bottom is going to be identical if height is equal.

[@alexshuparski]

Of course, when you reduce the volume you increase the pressure. Just like a thumb on a hose.

[@teejay2556]

No silicone grease on those o rings?

[@PiraticalJess]

The height of the building determines the pressure, but the size and shape of the holding tank has no effect on that.

[@emoryjenkins6481]

Unless it's a really tall tank

[@dutchylondon]

Paid £400 to get new cartridges for shower and tap and for a plumber to fix same fitting. After watching I would still pay! Lol

[@kef103]

Why didn’t you flush the rough in valve in the wall before putting the cartridge back? I did and what came out at first was NASTY … I would not want my water going through that junk

[@JS-yc8wj]

I hate those built in water stops, they leak the first time you have to shut off the water to do calcified cartridge replacement. what's the point your pretty much replacing those stops after you turn the water back on to shut off the water to your whole house remove those stops and replacement after trying to test. most people won't even know those stops leak when turning them on and then you have a water damage complaint below you.

[@user-nh3gu1ge3d]

Imagine paying $800 for a plumber to do a tiny thing like this. (S)he should move yesterday.

[@JanGokor]

Its not a tiny thing, he mentioned it before the video you have to add the building onto your general liability insurance, then you have to deal with liability issues if the valve your using to turn off the water to shower valve breaks on you, you have a emergency and have to turn off the water to the building go to the hardware store hope and prey they have one of those isolation valve kits in stock go back to the home and reinstall it. Also you have to be there for 2-4 soaking that cartridge in that vinegar solution. Don't be so ignorant. Plumbers protect the health of this Nation and all other nations. We are out here working during a global pandemic so you have water to wash your hand and so when you flush a toilet it goes to where it needs to be. Also your heating. Air conditioning gas for your stove. My God humble yourself. Hundred or millions maybe over a billion people in this world don't have drinking water as clean as the water in your toilet

[@mrchow3233]

Gokor Abadzhyan Asa Gokor jan. Sranc tex@ dir lol

[@JanGokor]

@@mrchow3233 lol

[@tommybattista]

The “(s)he” really got me😂

[@user-nh3gu1ge3d]

@@tommybattista Hahaha thanks. I really can't tell.

[@rahnaustin]

What to do if the knob covering the cartridge is stuck. I’ve pulled the set screw and it won’t budge. Any ideas?

[@researchandbuild1751]

Its a giant toliet tank on rop the building haha

[@debaragon5255]

Ohhhmygossh that is a really CRAZY IDEA TO HAVE A TANK THAT B I G ON A TALL AZZZZ BUILDING. BOY OHHH BOY IF THAT THING SPRINGS A LEAK.... TALK ABOUT A SHOWER... HUH

[@venkychunky1]

Those huge tanks are completely built using wood? Or is there an inner metal container?

[@carolinaeric8500]

They are all wood like an old fashioned barrel

[@vegajf51]

When the wood gets wet it swells up tight and doesn't leak.

[@richardmoss5934]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/aZKcqmCMq5Z4bZo

[@calvinlim9485]

Wood is also insulative, so it doesn't freeze and self cooling with evaporation so it doesn't get boiling hot in the summer

[@elninostorm]

What is with this comment section? Did Stormfront go down for a little while and ya'll got bored?

[@4realjacob637]

Small shower for 2 people

[@xtoysoldiierx7]

800 a pop , couldn't you just installing shut off to isolate you apartment ?

[@compactcow]

@Joe Kinchicken *they don't have to know*

[@shadowblack1987]

@@compactcow they do if you don't want to lose your place

[@Ariccio123]

The whole apartment? Buildings in nyc aren't built like that.

[@m42037]

Why not replace the whole fixture instead of changing the cartridge, the plumber lady on the phone told me it would be 600 to come out and replace the cartridge lol

[@saeedsobhani1981]

What a heck going on down there. They charge 800$ rent of apartment for this job. Then client has to do plumbing herself?

[@raymondkemper8473]

a

[@nikkilester5977]

Notice how he didn't do any of the work keep from going to jail it's New York City

[@normanboyes4983]

$800 a day for a plumber and they cannot even install the shower mixing valve correctly - no screw fixings into structure.

[@screwhead873]

Not!

[@zv3000]

Ok so basically a fancy name for renting an apartment. OR more specifically a rent to buy contract or did i misunderstand something?

[@shadowblack1987]

@Joe Kinchicken wrong on all accounts, nice try

[@shadowblack1987]

You pay less than buying outright, it's cheaper to get into. On the long run you might lose out though. Much better than renting which is a black hole of eating your money. Don' tlisten to Kinchicken, he is an idiot. Most likely one of those trump voter.

[@iamsmartacus]

It's buying, not renting. However, unlike a condo, instead of buying your individual unit, you are buying a percentage share of the entire building and are then entitled to live in one of the units. A downside is that if you want to move out, you can't just sell your share to anyone who can afford it. The coop board has to approve the buyer, and if they don't like them as a person, they are free to block the sale.

[@Shadow_wo1f05]

Can’t afford a plumber but can afford a Apple Watch lol

[@francesbreen1973]

So great how she doesn’t strangle him when he mansplains the simple bits.

[@allentoyokawa9068]

he

[@chiranagheorghitaeugeniuth98]

come on man. Flush the pipes before you reinstall that cartrige

[@battheman777]

I know the point of this video is the shower thing, but all I can keep thinking is how grateful I am not to live in New York.

[@dgschindele]

I am bothered by this video in a couple small but significant ways...the plumbing was relatively new, so, it's not a problem-yet. But Richard really should have found a whole-unit shut-off before proceeding. Critical! If those shower shutoffs were limed up enough to not work, yikes. And that will become a bigger problem with time. Also, you did not instruct the owner to not close her shower shutoffs too tightly--just enough to stop water flow. Or to lubricate the cartridge before re-inserting it. Or to back off the shutoff just shy of fully-open. Did you instruct the owner to work all her shutoffs periodically to prevent them from liming up? Otherwise they won't work just when you need them. I'm no plumber, but these shortcomings still scare me.

[@ThatBulgarian]

7:45 women using a wrench be like

[@drumdude10]

He/She/They/zir did a great job

[@Rent305]

Amen and a-women lol.

[@adamzeke1841]

this woke house

[@adamcosta4610]

Adam Zeke very good lol

[@rustyrelicsfarm2406]

GROW UP YOU DINOSAUR

[@adamcosta4610]

God cities are awful.

[@SmellyCheeseBro]

I would rather live in the middle of Idaho than NYC. Awful

[@SandraWade666]

@@SmellyCheeseBro Y'all must be really old.

[@SmellyCheeseBro]

@@SandraWade666 Im 22 xD

[@SandraWade666]

@@SmellyCheeseBro Well that's even sadder. Get out of your bubble and explore some cities, goodness sakes

[@SmellyCheeseBro]

@@SandraWade666 Yeah I have. They suck. People like you live there

[@jakeywiebe]

He looks and sounds like a lady.

[@jdorffer]

Stay out of NYC this is a union city

[@SureShotImages]

Any my god do the residents pay for it lmao.

[@glynnsea]

So is Hollywood, the crew who filmed this are all your union brothers and sisters too

[@xavi587]

New York. No thanks

[@bravobravoh1344]

Had to quit watching when she said my wife and I moved in shortly after our son was born.

[@aldrinw706]

Imagine being homophobic 2020

[@allentoyokawa9068]

ikr, gross

[@curiousgeorge986]

Is that a dude or woman?

[@David_Hogue]

Woman, coach Richard says she at the end if that helps.

[@TGYTS]

Oh, lesbians. get. to. the. point.

[@raymondkemper8473]

a