Unknown low pressure in shower

[brettw777]

I don't know the history of the shower in my house but I've been living here 3 years and there really is not much water pressure in one of the bathroom showers. My first attempt to fix it was to unscrew the shower head and look for any blockage in the filter and there was none and I even tried it without any filter and the pressure is still low. I would say it's about half what it should be. I then cut into the drywall in one of the bedrooms behind the shower (because there was no access panel) to check whether or not the hot and cold valves are open all the way and they are. At this point, I'm clueless which is why I'm here. Anyone care to chime in on this? Thank you!

 

[havasu]

Take a few pictures and post them. You could have sediment in the cartridge. Is your plumbing copper, pex, galvanized, or?

 

[brettw777]

I'm not sure if this picture is helpful at all but I don't know of any cartridge that you speak of. Unfortunately, the pipe is gray, so most likely the Polybutylene(PB)

 

[havasu]

How about a pic of the face of the shower valve, from inside the shower.

 

[BlueSkyHigh]

I'm not sure if this picture is helpful at all but I don't know of any cartridge that you speak of. Unfortunately, the pipe is gray, so most likely the Polybutylene(PB)

The cartridge is behind the trim and knob that you use to control the water flow in the shower/tub. You get at it from the front.

 

[brettw777]

This is all I have inside the shower. There is no set screw that I can find. I wouldn't have a clue as to how to remove this.

 

[BlueSkyHigh]

Flip the handle 180 degrees CCW and in that position there will be a hole in which an Allen wrench can be inserted to remove a setscrew. You may want to turn the water to the house off as you turn the handle to access the setscrew. Looks like a Moen.

 

[brettw777]

Flip the handle 180 degrees CCW and in that position there will be a hole in which an Allen wrench can be inserted to remove a setscrew. You may want to turn the water to the house off as you turn the handle to access the setscrew. Looks like a Moen.

Thanks for the advice. I was able to find the set screw and remove it and after a massive fight, I got the rest of the handle off. Now I took off the silver piece you see in my hand with pliers and I cannot get the white part off. I didn't pull it with all my might but I did spray some WD-40 hoping to loosen things up. I'm assuming that's what I need to do next and that's part of the cartridge? I tried to find some videos on YouTube but I could not find this exact model anywhere but it's probably a much older model.

 

[BlueSkyHigh]

Search YouTube “Removing a Moen Cartridge”. There is a metal clip that has to be removed first before trying to extract the cartridge. I had to purchase a puller from Home Depot mine was in so tight. Then again that might not be a Moen. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable than I am can chime in.

 

[Rickyman]

That's a Pfister. Remove the round metal tube by turning it counter clockwise and the big round plate will pop off also.

 

[brettw777]

That's a Pfister. Remove the round metal tube by turning it counter clockwise and the big round plate will pop off also.

Thanks for the info but I cannot figure out any way to get in there and turn that metal plate. It's a disc with some slots in it so maybe long nose pliers?

 

[Rickyman]

Thanks for the info but I cannot figure out any way to get in there and turn that metal plate. It's a disc with some slots in it so maybe long nose pliers?

Turn this by hand

 

[Rickyman]

 

[brettw777]

Man, thank you so much. I had not seen that video and just knowing that it's a Pfister was a huge help. I already got it apart and I'll finish the whole thing tomorrow. Thank you again for your help.

 

[havasu]

Make sure you carefully flush any sediment from the internals before reinserting a new cartridge in it.

Caution, this can get messy and wet, so have one in the shower and another at the shut off valve.

 

[brettw777]

Make sure you carefully flush any sediment from the internals before reinserting a new cartridge in it.

Caution, this can get messy and wet, so have one in the shower and another at the shut off valve.

You mean just hold it under some water and swish it around to get the sediment off?

 

[havasu]

I'm referring to the valve body, not the cartridge.