How to Repair a Push & Pull Bath Diverter Valve on a Single Lever Faucet

Repair vs. Replace

• The diverter valve inside of your bathtub’s spout is made of several small pieces. When you push and pull on the diverter’s post, the diverter piece moves to block or unblock the water’s pathway to the spout’s opening. Plumbing supply and hardware stores do not sell replacement parts for the diverter assembly in the bathtub’s spout. Instead, you must purchase a replacement spout, which comes with a new diverter as well.

Spout Removal

• How you remove your old spout, along with the diverter valve, depends entirely on how the spout attaches to the bathtub’s water pipe. To determine this, you need to look at the underside of the spout to see if a small set screw is present. The screw may sit in a small hole, and shining a flashlight onto the underside of the spout makes finding the screw an easier task. If you see a screw, you must loosen it with an Allen wrench until you can remove the spout from the water pipe, and then slide the spout off the pipe. If you do not see a screw, then you must turn the spout counterclockwise to unthread it from the pipe. Use a pipe wrench to turn the spout if it does not turn easily.

Replacement Spouts

• Take the old spout with you when you go to the store to buy a replacement. The new spout must attach to the water pipe the same way as the old spout, either with the screw or by threading onto the water pipe. The replacement spout also needs to have the diverter in the same portion of the spout as in the old spout, helping ensure that the spout and diverter operate correctly.

Spout Installation

• Before you install a replacement bathtub spout, inspect the pipe the old spout was attached to, called the pipe nipple. If you see signs of corrosion on the nipple, remove it from the wall by turning it counterclockwise with a pipe wrench. If the pipe does not come out from the wall enough to use a pipe wrench, insert an internal pipe wrench into the pipe, and then clamp the pipe wrench onto the internal wrench. Wrap pipe tape clockwise around the new pipe nipple’s threads, sealing them against future leaks. You install the replacement spout by reversing the removal process. With spouts that thread onto the water pipe, wrap duct tape around the pipe wrench’s teeth or wrap a thick towel around the spout before tightening it with the pipe wrench, protecting the spout’s finish.