How To Fix a Leaky Symmons Shower Faucet?

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Symmons has some good collections of shower faucets but when they don’t work as it supposed to, they can irritate anyone. No one wants a leaky shower faucet in their bathroom. If Symmons shower is dripping more than usual, it is time to replace its O-ring or washer.

A faulty leakage shower increases utility bills because of waste of the water. Also, the unnecessary use of water heaters increases due to waste of the water. In the end, the electricity bill also increases.

Continue water leakage creates dry rot on the bathroom floor. So, you should not avoid leakage issues in the Symmons shower. Replacing damaged parts of the shower will solve the leakage issue. Don’t know how to fix a leaky Symmons shower faucet? Here is the full process in the detail. 

What Causes a Leaky Symmons Shower Faucet?

For a leaky Symmons shower faucet, there could be several reasons. It becomes easy to fix the leakage if you find out the right cause of the leakage.

Damaged O-rings

An O-ring is made of rubber. It is small in the size and it makes a leak-proof seal inside the handle. So, when you turn on or off the shower faucet, it prevents any leak in the shower.

But over time rubber of the O-ring gets worn down. So, it doesn’t fit properly and allows water to flow even handle is in the off position. This situation causes a leak in the Symmons shower.

Faulty Diverter Valve

Diverter in the shower, change the flow of the water between the shower and tub faucet. When you turn the diverter towards the tub faucet but water comes out from the shower, it means there is no issue with the diverter valve.

For every Symmons shower, the diverter valve may be different. So, first, check the model number of the shower faucet then go to the Symmons website and order the same diverter valve. Also, you can go to your nearest store with the diverter valve to find the exact replacement.

Worn-out Cartridge

The cartridge is found in the single-handle shower model. The cartridge controls the flow of water and also temperature.

Over time, mineral build-ups damage the cartridge. So, water flow doesn’t remain the same. You can change the cartridge by opening the handle of the shower.

How To Fix a Leaky Symmons Shower Faucet?

Before starting the process of fixing the leaky Symmons shower faucet, collect these tools.

• Screwdriver
• Allen wrench
• Flathead screwdriver
• Bucket
• Teflon tape
• Penetration oil
• White vinegar

Step 1 – Turn off Water Supply

You should turn on and off, the hot and cold-water valves of the shower so you can find out which valve is exactly causing leakage.

No one can fix the leakage with flowing water in the pipe. So, first, turn off the water supply to the Symmons shower. Most showers don’t have shut-off valves in the bathroom. So, you will need to close the main shut-off valve of the house.

If you are lucky enough, you will have a shower access panel behind the shower. From here you can shut off the water supply to the Symmons shower. Symmons has some good powerful showerheads.

Step 2 – Remove the Symmons Shower Handle

Put a bucket under the shower and turn on its handle so all excess water drains out. When you remove the handle, keep all parts safe and organized manners so, that at the time of reattaching the handle, you don’t waste time.

If the screw is visible on the handle, remove it. Most Symmons shower handles are covered with a cap to keep the faucet looking elegant.

Use a flathead screwdriver to pry off the cap. Keep this carefully, don’t damage the finish of the shower. After removing the handle cap, unscrew the screw and set it aside.

Twist the handle to loosen it. Remove the handle. Maybe the handle is stuck due to rust. So, spray wd-40 or penetration oil on the handle and leave it for a few minutes. Now try to pull it out.

Don’t damage the pipes of the shower, in this process.

Step 3 – Remove the Symmons Shower Cartridge

Before removing the cartridge, you need to remove the trim sleeve. The Trim sleeve is fixed between the handle and the cartridge. There is no screw or nut on it so you can easily take it out.

The cartridge is fixed with the cartridge ring. Sometimes, the ring can be removed by hand. But most of the time, we open the shower after many years so the ring may be jammed due to build-up. Its ring is tightened then use a wrench to remove it.

After removing the ring, the cartridge can come out easily. You don’t need any tool to remove the cartridge, just use your hand and it comes out.

Step 4 – Clean Handle Parts

Inside the handle, you will see mineral deposits, rust, and corrosion. If they are there, these will cause issues for a new cartridge and also damage it quickly.

White vinegar is a good thing to clean that shower debris. Spray vinegar or soak them in the vinegar and leave it for hours. Also, you can turn the water on for a few minutes so it will flush out all debris from the shower pipe.

Step 5 – Insert New Cartridge

Now it’s time to insert a new cartridge. To increase the life of the cartridge, apply grease on the O-rings of the cartridge. So, the chances of rust are reduced. Also, grease helps to fit it securely.

On the cartridge, there would be some mark that shows hot and cold-water flow. This is important because if you insert the cartridge in the wrong direction, the hot and cold-water flow will be interchanged. The hot side should be on the left and the cold side on the right.

Now push the cartridge inside the valve. Do it gently. If you feel any resistance, twist the cartridge and then try to insert it. When the cartridge is properly installed, tighten the screws. Now take a trim sleeve and slide in it.

Fit the anti-scaled valve on the handle. Turn it in the left and right directions to check the water flow. When everything is ok, you can push it in.

Step 6 – Install Handle

This is the last step to fix a leaky Symmons shower faucet. Cover threads with Teflon tape so there is no leakage. Insert the handle and tighten the screws of it. Now turn on the water and check leakage is still there or not.

Tip –

“While removing the handle and its parts, you can mistakenly fall any parts of it. So, to make the floor safe from any damage, place a towel on the floor. You should also cover the drain of the shower so any small part of the shower doesn’t go inside it.”

Thinking To Buy New Shower, Check This One –

How To Fix a Leaky Two-Handle Symmons Showerhead?

If you have a two-handle Symmons showerhead and it is leaking, here is the solution, you should try.

1. First, check which valve is leaking. In the two-handle showerhead, both hot and cold water has separate valves. Turn the valves one by one and check which one is leaking. If a single valve is leaking then you don’t need to repair both valves.
2. Turn the water off for the shower and use a Philips screwdriver to remove the screws of the handle. Maybe screws are hidden behind the decorative cap. Pry off the cap and then remove the screws. Now pull out the handle.
3. If you have an escutcheon on the handle. So, remove its screws to remove the escutcheon.
4. Two-handle showerhead uses a stem. This item is fixed with the hex nut. Use a wrench, rotate it counterclockwise, and remove the nut.
5. After removing the nut, take the stem with your fingers.
6. Behind the stem, a washer is placed. The washer is made of rubber so over time it gets damaged.
7. You need to replace this washer. You can pull it with your hand or use a plier to remove it.
8. Take a new washer and apply grease to it. Grease will increase the life of the washer.
9. Now check stem is in the good condition or not. Remove the damaged stem and replace it with a new one.
10. Now reattach the handle of the shower.

Safety Tip –

“Make sure the surface is totally dry because you have to stand in the tub or shower to repair leakage in the shower. Water or moisture on the floor can become the reason for slipping.”

Symmons Shower Valve Leaking From Handle

If you turn on the Symmons shower and water leaks from the handle, what do you do? This issue occurs mostly in Symmons handheld shower heads with a slide bar. In this situation, people close handle it as hard as they can. But this is not a solution, it will damage the handle more. When you overtighten the handle, it damages the valve of the handle and cartridge also.

First, you should try to tighten the screws of the handle. Sometimes, this step works, and the leakage at the handle problem solve.

If leakage is still there then you need to replace the washer in the Symmons shower faucet. Remove the handle and take out the washer from it and insert a new washer.

Final Words

Leaking issues in the shower are never fun. We take baths regularly and we expect that the shower should function properly. A leaking Symmons shower can irritate you. When the shower works properly, it gives peace of mind. We described the full process of how to fix a leaky Symmons shower faucet in the bathroom. Symmons shower leakage is not a big issue and is relatively simple to fix by yourself without calling anyone.

Ralph Matthews

Meet Ralph Matthews, father of 2 cute daughters and a skilled plumber with over 10 years of experience in the industry. Ralph has particular expertise in repairing any type of faucet and has helped countless homeowners and businesses solve their plumbing problems with his expert knowledge and attention to detail.