Our shower went from working perfectly to suddenly having virtually no cold water (all other fixtures in the house are normal). It goes from barely a trickle of cold when first turned on to full-blast hot when turned further. Turn it back to cold (toward off) and it goes back to a trickle. From my online researching, I assume there's a cartridge in there that needs replaced. I've removed as many parts as I could get to come off easily in hopes that it would be enough for me to at least identify a manufacturer so that I could go buy the required cartridge and perhaps extraction tool. However, what I'm seeing differs from all the videos I've watched on YouTube, and I've yet to notice any sort of identification other than the numbers stamped on the back of the valve, which haven't turned up anything conclusive on Google. Are these photos enough for anybody to identify what I need? What are my next steps to getting this taken apart? I've not uncovered any sort of retention clip, so I assume I have some more unassembly to do first.

I didn't notice at first, but the camera flash made it pretty clear I needed to put a wrench on that collar. It twisted off easily leaving me access to the cartridge stamped 507902 on its bottom side. I easily pulled out the front half but will have to fight getting the rest of it out. It looks like this is a part I'm going to have to order, so I'll have a couple days to work on it while waiting for the new one.

good job !!!
while the cartridge is out, turn on the integral stops to blow out any possible debris.

The first thing that comes to mind is Danze.

Be sure when you have a helper turn on the main valve and you open the stops to flush that you have a towel ready to capture any debris and/or filter screens so uou can replace them after you clean them.

srloren, I assumed that he knew the valve had integral stops .

BlueCalcite, in case you didn't know, those screwdriver slotted things behind the tub wall are integral stops. (shutoffs).
use those to isolate the shower valve and still have water thru the house.

Yes, I discovered those shutoffs. That's where I've shut the water off, which if obviously a life-saver for a multi-day project like this over having to shut it off to the entire house. I actually got the remainder of the cartridge out this afternoon much easier than I thought. It was just a matter of burying my face into the side of the wall while I used my left hand to brace the pipes from behind and my right hand to wiggle the heck out of it with the vise grips. My arms were long enough with about a micron to spare. The new part is ordered, but it's going to be the better part of a week. So I want to open those shutoffs one at a time to flush out any debris? I assume that I'll have pretty good control over the flow if I just turn those screws slow enough. Are the screens similar to those on washing machine inlets? Where are they located, and how do I replace them if they come flying out?



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there are no screens inside there.
a company would have to be pretty sadistic to install filter screens in a location that required complete dis-assembly to access them.
so just put a towel into the hole so the water won't go behind the tub wall, pull the curtain and let the water go.

Sadistic would be a fair description for some of these Manufacturers.

I didn't think I'd be back here after just two years, but I just had to replace this cartridge again. Is that a normal lifespan? Are some of these designs just junk, or did I get a lemon?

Anyway, the $50 is already spent, and I have a different problem now. The threads on the cheap plastic cover piece (what's the proper name?) are trashed and it won't catch.




Is this a unique part to this valve/cartridge assembly? If so, I haven't had any luck finding it. Any ideas?



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What is the manufacture of this valve,

This is what I have and there is nothing on the valve or on the web about which one this is,

Thanks in advance for any help

Bill