I'm having some problems with a Delta shower faucet handle replacement.

Problem #1: After initially replacing the old with the new I noticed a leak coming out of the new handle. The water also would not shut off completely (from the shower head) after this initial replacement. This was a pretty sizable drip and only stopped when I closed the shut-off valve. I made the assumption that both issues were due to bad seats (gaskets?), springs and packing, so I went to the hardware store and picked up what I'm pretty sure are the right parts. (The faucet kit did not coming with these things...) They certainly seem to match what came out of the old faucet.

Problem #2: After replacing the old seats, springs and packing there is still a bit of a drip from the handle (though not as bad). However, now the water pressure coming from the shower head is completely zapped. I've done nothing to throttle back the pressure and the water pressure was working fine before I tried replacing everything. The lines coming to the shower are completely open. (Shower is in the basement... I have access to the individual cold/hot shut offs from an adjacent unfinished utility room. Helpful!)

I did not replace the ball, which I will try tomorrow. Is there any chance the ball is what's causing the leak and/or the low pressure? Also, there doesn't seem to be a groove for the ball to fit in (like with a comparable ball sink faucet). Is it possible I have the ball aligned wrong? I could probably tighten the packing down a bit more as well, if that's possibly the issue. There doesn't appear to be any water coming from behind the shower or from any other locations. I should also note that the shower head is new and was working fine with the old faucet. (I knew I should have just left it alone...) I've always had skin-peeling water pressure out of this shower.

Any advice is greatly appreciated!!

[www.plumbingsupply.com]

The diagram on our sponsor's site is here for reference. It sounds like the ball may have been installed improperly, or something came apart as you were reassembling on the first try; it is possible that the ball was damaged at that time, or the repair parts may not be the correct parts. Before you go any further, remove the shower head and turn on the shower and see if the pressure is good. It may simply be debris in the flow restrictor in the shower head. After you do that, shut the water off to the valve and disassemble. Turn on the hot for two seconds fully, then the cold for two seconds to flush out anything that may have broken free and gotten lodged in the valve body. The water should just blast out of the valve.

I glanced through a couple sites and found this one for step by step reassembly. I do recommend lubing up the internal parts with silicone plumber's grease for easier assembly and longer trouble free use. [www.masterplumber.net]



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If the ball has a diamond shaped stem, it does not use a pin for its alignment. How about a photo of the valve, preferably without the large trim plate, so we can see which valve you have.