How do I repair a shower diverter?
Something is worn out and leaking in the valve. Turnoff the water supply at the house meter, unscrew the knob and then the valve stem nut. Pull out the valve stem and look it over. If it looks cruddy with minerals you may be able to fix it just by using some sandpaper to scrape off the crud. If it looks really corroded and the holes through it have ragged edges, take it to a good hardware store. They usually have a big display with about a hundred different valve stems. Find one just like yours. If they don’t have the exact same one, or you are cheap, and the valve stem has some black o-rings around it, root around in their o-ring drawers for replacement o-rings. Put the valve back together, maybe with a little silicone grease so it turns easier. Voila. You now know more than Joe the Plumber.
