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Water Keeps Running From the Tub Spout: Diverter Fixes

30 to 90 minutes

The center handle on a three-handle valve is its own stem, different from the hot and cold stems beside it.

The fix

  1. Identify your setup. A lift-gate on the spout itself means the spout is the diverter; a third center handle means a diverter stem in the wall.
  2. Spout type: the spout unscrews or pulls off a set-screwed fitting, and a new spout is the whole repair.
  3. Three-handle type: shut off the water, pull the center handle and escutcheon, and unscrew the diverter stem.
  4. If water keeps running out of the spout with the shower on, the diverter stem or its washer is usually worn. Match the stem by brand and length.
  5. Reinstall, restore water and check both positions, spout flow and shower flow.

The matching FourHome part

Full disclosure: FourHome is our house brand. This site and FourHome have the same owner, so the Amazon links below are links to our own products. Part numbers and cross-references are published on each listing; identify an unknown part first at our stemsandcartridges.com index.

Call a plumber instead when

The spout won't come off without wrecking the pipe stub, or the diverter stem is seized.

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