Hello, and thanks. Any help would be greatly appreciated. The cold water started leaking in our shower. It turned out that a Price Pfister ceramic shower stem can't be repaired and that you can't just replace the washer - you have to purchase and install a new stem. I did so, but it continues to leak and I cannot figure out why. This is very odd - if I turn off my water, remove the stem, then reinstall it and turn the water on, it does not leak. However, once I turn that faucet on, then turn it off again it leaks. Why would it not leak initially, but then leak after turned on and off?

Thanks very much in advance for any assistance that someone may be able to provide.

did you turn the water on (briefly) with the stem removed?
could be some debris in there ?

Hi, and thanks. No, I have shined a flashlight in there and do not see anything. The weird thing is that if I turn off the water, remove it, replace it, and turn the water back on there is no leak. Then if I turn the faucet, water runs, turn it off, it leaks again. Logically it should still leak as soon as I turn the water back on.

in the wide world of plumbing, there are many things that defy logic.

I'm grasping at straws here but what happens if you install the stem, put it in the open position then turn the water back on. see if it will shut???

Are you



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I can try that

Yes, it is leaking. It never stops unless I turn off the water outside. I wound up getting a cap from a plumbing supply so I can take off the shower head and cap it to keep it from running constantly but this is a brand-new stem and I cannot for the life of me figure out why it is still leaking, or why when it is reinstalled and is in the off position that does not start leaking when I turn on the water. It only leaks after I turn the faucet on and then turn it off again.

Did you get a factory cartridge or a aftermarket such as Danco? Aftermarket ones are quite inferior. The factory cartridge is # 910-030. Also make sure you have only one cap gasket installed. The cap gasket is on the bonnet threads between the cartridge and valve body. Some times the old one stays on the valve body and a new one installed with the new cartridge.

Follow Marliman's advice! I had the same thing happen and sure enough the old one was stuck there.

Once I was teaching my son how to change oil on his car and the old gasket for the oil filter was stuck on, unknown to us, as I put on the new filter with its own new gasket. Turned on the car and oil everywhere. LOL.

Double gaskets happen.

Hi, and thanks. Yes, it is a legit price pfister 910-030. I have checked and do not see the old bonnet on the pipe. I'd checked youtube tutorials previously and that was one thing they mentioned to look for. Now, I do not see a seat in there at all - is there supposed to be one for this type of stem? It only started leaking about a week and a half ago, no way for a seat to have come out.

NO SEAT! If it were threaded so you could install a seat putting one in would either damage the stem or destroy the valve body. Call 1-800-PFAUCET and have them send you a new stem, (probably make it two of them).



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Hi, and thanks. I wasn't sure, so that's why I asked. The issue is that I have a brand new Price Pfister stem, correct model, but it still leaks and I cannot figure out why. I didn't think it had a seat since there wasn't one in there, but I'd seen it mentioned in one of the youtube instructionals that I watched, so I wanted to be sure. Thank you very much.

It SHOULD not, therefore it may be defective. Call P-P and they will send you a new one, but get two for the future.

I tried that, but it didn't make a difference. I may just find a valve shutoff thing to put between the spout and the shower head.

I appreciate everyone's suggestions and help.