Not really inspection related - I’m helping a friend fix/replace a seized and leaking hot water valve at a bathroom sink. It’s a pretty high-end house and the faucet handles are set into the backsplash/mirror.
Total longshot - does anyone recognize a manufacturer for this type of cartridge? There are no brand names anywhere on the equipment so I’m kind of stuck. I checked the local big box stores and came up with nothing. Surfed the net through the mainstream manufacturers’ websites and didn’t find anything… although I feel I could have gone down that rabbit hole for hours and days.
How does one go about sourcing a replacement part in this instance? Does “Phil the Plumber” recognize these things? I’ve done a decent number of cartridge replacements over the years and never had a problem finding a part. This one is looking more complicated.
I do not known the module.
Try looking at what faucets are in the kitchen or other bathrooms.
It’s brass stem and could be ceramic disk.
You are going to need screw driver, crescent and basin wrenches.
Did you turn off the main water valve and empty the water pressure below that line?
Any time I ran into ceased water faucets, I ran all the water in the unit. I turned on showers, sinks and flushed toilets and then tried to open the ceased valve to get the water flowing. It reduces the flow in the domestic potable water supply pipes.
Once the stuck valve is open you turn off the main water supply valve and remove the stem.
Bring the stem to the local hardware store and Bob should be your uncle unless the model is discontinued.
Thanks for the reply… yeah, it’s kind of a mess. There are no shutoffs under the sink or elsewhere so I’ll just kill the main once I get the part. Of course, this makes removing the bad part to carry to the store impossible without leaving the house with no water. And I still need to get the right wrench to get to the recessed nut and get the valve out of the wall. It’s still functional but just hard to turn and drips/leaks. A perfect example of overcomplicating stuff. I’ve never once stood at my bathroom sink and wished the handle were sticking out of the mirror
I had a similar problem with a shower cartridge that was leaking. No identification marks whatsoever! After several months of looking online (i shut the tub off after every shower) i visited a plumbing supply place on a whim. An older gentleman there recognized the valve as American Standard even though they didn’t have one. Turns out the valve is discontinued with no old stock available. The guy that recognized the valve was on his last day of work!
Fix was to cut open the opposite wall and replace the entire shower assembly (easier than removing the tub surround). Works great, got a fixture upgrade, no leaks. All I have to do is repair the drywall . . . .
Try taking a picture of the spout or the handle and doing an image search in Google app. Otherwise, take the cartridge to a Doit Best or Ace and finding an old timer.
First off, you’d have a better chance searching for an online image match of the handle/spigot. There are probably 1000 cartridges that look like that from the top. Do you have some pics? That can help, at a minimum, identify the brand and possibly the model. Once you have the model, you’re usually good to go. Plumbing suppliers can help with that. That’s how I’ve found some of the replacement cartridges for work I’ve done. You also want to count the splines to assist in your search.
The big box stores could not possibly carry even a representative amount of cartridges for every brand and model. I take the cartridge to my local plumbing supplier. My supplier has a chart with images of cartridges you can compare yours to. Not 100% guaranteed, but a great option.
Thanks everyone - all the valves I’ve ever replaced just pull right out after unscrewing a nut or pulling a clip. I’ve never had much trouble just taking the part to the store and getting a replacement but I knew this one might be a challenge. Complicating things is that this is on Maui and there just isn’t much in the way of parts available. I was trying to save my friend a couple bucks but he’ll probably just end up calling a plumber.
Matt,
I would go to a plumbing supply store such as Ferguson (looks like there is one on Maui). The guys behind the desk are pretty helpful in my experience and they deal with plumbing professionals all day long so they will have a lot more experience with odd ball fixtures. If they can’t ID it they may be able to refer you to a plumber who can.
