I have a leaky valve in a shower that is not used. It was a slow drip, the cartridge was changed but it did not fix the problem and the drip is worse now.

My question is can I cap the shower head faucet without causing damage to the seals in the valve? Since it's not used at this time, I'd like to do that temporarily but I wasn't sure if this would cause some kind of pressure within the valve that might cause bigger problems. If it would cause problems, what kind of time frame are we talking about?

Thanks.

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Originally Posted by Nagman

I have a leaky valve in a shower that is not used. It was a slow drip, the cartridge was changed but it did not fix the problem and the drip is worse now.

My question is can I cap the shower head faucet without causing damage to the seals in the valve? Since it's not used at this time, I'd like to do that temporarily but I wasn't sure if this woudl cause some kind of pressure within the valve that might cause bigger problems. If it would cause problems, what kind of time frame are we talking about?

Thanks.

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The only real issue I see is the possibility of pressure bleed through from one port to the other if it is a non pressure balanced valve, which could equate to tepid water on either side of the system.

Before you cap off the shower arm, double check to see if the shower valve has integral stops behind the trim escutcheon.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Nagman

I have a leaky valve in a shower that is not used. It was a slow drip, the cartridge was changed but it did not fix the problem and the drip is worse now.

My question is can I cap the shower head faucet without causing damage to the seals in the valve? Since it's not used at this time, I'd like to do that temporarily but I wasn't sure if this woudl cause some kind of pressure within the valve that might cause bigger problems. If it would cause problems, what kind of time frame are we talking about?

Thanks.

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It depends...

Assuming you're talking about just a shower, no tub faucet, it might work.

I don't know if it could damage anything, but since the part of the shower after the valve is not expected to have sustained high pressure, it might not be up to the task. An experienced plumber (I'm not one) might have better insight.

BUT.. are you even sure this will stop the leak? Is it leaking out of the showerhead, or from the valve body itself?

If I were you, I'd replace the faulty shower valve, you'll probably have to end up doing that anyway, eventually. If you really want to just shut it off, and you have access to the back of the shower, then I'd go with full-port ball valves. The 1/2" versions are only about 5 bucks each. These valves can be (i believe) "concealed" according to code, which means you can cover them with an access plate or service door.

I agree with Growler. It's possible to get "crossover" if the cartridge leaks and you cap the outlet. Did you shut the water off, pull the cartridge and flush out the supplies to remove any crud that may be preventing the cartridge from seating and then try it again?