Review on High-Quality DELTA RP46074 Tub Shower Cartridge - Durable, White Finish by Vincent Pavelko

Suitable for OEM replacement. Below is a LONG story. NO TIME FOR A LONG STORY? To boil it down to a SHORT STORY: Ream the body ports and mixer barrel with a 5/32 drill bit and as long as you don't have clogged/clogged lines causing a low flow problem, this will INCREASE flow. I also used an air compressor with a small rubber nozzle and a can of WD40. It took a while and many iterations, but eventually I got rid of all the rust and debris from the lines by letting the WD40 sit and then blowing air in and through the lines. I'm not a licensed plumber. I am a hands-on manager who does almost all of my work myself and I have a lot of experience in these matters. I have successfully carried out countless repairs myself. The process clogged the copper pipes in my house, requiring a powerful air compressor with a small rubber-tipped blowgun, a can of WD40, and many patients. LONG HISTORY: Galvanized pipes and adapters were installed in our bathroom. added to add a copper pipe where the new shower/tub valves were installed (2 valves, 1 shower and 1 tub/shower. The shower/tub combo is the one I had some low flow/low pressure issues with Both just worked fine for years until the old galvanized pipes started clogging the copper pipes Shortly after the bathroom renovation, say about 3 years later, we moved out of the house and decided to rent it : pressure regulator without Added owner approval and caused a major water pressure issue) The pressure regulator added by our renter limited the pressure as intended and therefore created a low flow/low pressure issue allowing for the addition of new copper tubing allowing for the addition of rusty bits of tubing at fittings and small bends and areas where they narrow into the triangular valve body, etc. Rust/corrosion is something which usually comes with all the galvanized pipes, so I'm used to cleaning the aerated faucet regularly. However, my experience with pressure regulators is not favorable. Pressure regulators are great for new builds with copper plumbing throughout the home, where connections can rupture and other seals can loosen due to the high pressure in the plumbing. Older homes from the 1950's and earlier used galvanized steel pipe, which I believe DO NOT NEED A PRESSURE REGULATOR, never had one and never had this problem I now have with "tenant improvement". The plumber will surely tell you differently. However, my experience is that the regulator on a galvanized pipe system will allow poor flow and therefore rust will accumulate along with rusted/broken pieces of pipe and the system will begin to clog due to lack of flow. I've found that galvanized pipes last longer where they flow freely and don't have any restricting fixtures, allowing any rust particles/bits that get through the pipes to flow through the pipes and out of the faucet. The aerators at the end of every faucet always clog/clog. , this is usually a minor problem and is easily fixed by removing the faucet aerators/filters from the end of the faucet and removing the broken rusty clog pieces. However, my problem was not that simple. Yes, every faucet in the house had pieces of rusty pipe clogging every faucet, but removing the rusty particles from every aerator wasn't a complete solution. I first tried changing the Delta cartridges by drilling out the rubber reflux plugs on each inlet. Be careful not to damage the plastic case. Then disconnect the valve and remove the stainless steel mixing valve cylinder. I used a 5/32 drill bit and drilled each hole to that size while holding a rag around it and placing it in a vise (actually I held it by hand with a rag and pliers and slipped a few times what a Few cuts inflicted on my hand). , I just thought it sounded a little safer as I wouldn't recommend it that way). OK, we're done. The flow improved, but it was far from where it should be, so let's get back to diagnosing the problem. I still had low flow and free flowing water through the case after removing the valve (I'll talk a little more about that later) so for the 20th time I turned off the water and removed the valve again. I used my 6 gallon air compressor to blow some of the water out of both the hot and cold sides of the case in the wall. Here comes the free-flowing water ejecting the valve body; Then I took a can of WD40, filled both sides of the copper lines and left the WD40 there for a while, then took a towel and tied it around the outside edge of the valve body to direct the water down into the tub. .It gets DIRTY! Use a long towel and do your best to secure it, or have someone hold it over your body and direct the water down into the tub along with the towel. The water is thrown out with a lot of force, so it will most likely make a huge mess if you're not careful. I repeated this 6-7 more times and installed the valve, the low pressure problem was still there. I finally decided to try blowing all the water out of the lines on both sides with an air compressor. So I turned on the faucet in the sink to let the water and air out while pushing air in the hot side and then the cold side. As I blew all the water out of the house onto the hot side, the pressure built up and due to the force started pouring out again, I decided to shut off the sink faucet and proceeded to seal the hot side, it gurgled and gurgled and it came out, a lot of rust and particles that I knew I was starting to start somewhere. I repeated this step over and over, probably 5 more times, each time pouring more and more of the substance into the bath until eventually it seemed to become somewhat transparent. Then I did the same with the cold water side and finally, after feeling like I had most of the rust and debris removed, I installed the replacement delta valve and turned the water back on. It was so much pressure I couldn't believe it. CORRECTED! I wish Delta hadn't designed their valves with flow restrictions built in, but there are mandatory codes for valve manufacturers etc. Our government requires manufacturers to have low flow/water saving designs. There are ways around these products designed by low-flow manufacturers. I am always changing my shower heads and anything else that restricts flow and is causing a low pressure issue for me. This doesn't save water after the mod but saves time for the next low flow repair and dare I say it saves you money on repairs. Good luck, if you have any problems don't hesitate to post a question/comment and I'll see if I can help you with any advice. A NOTICE. If you enjoyed this review please give it a "Thumbs Up/Like" as you will help me continue to provide honest/unbiased information about the products I have used and you may have questions. Interested in a product but don't know enough about it and want it reviewed? Please let me know and I'll see what I can do. Many Thanks