I just installed a new tub with a tiled surround. The fixtures are brand new. I have a single handled water control and the shower diverter is operated by a pull rod on the tub spout. This is my question. When I lift the diverter to run the shower, I get water running out the back of the spout and down the wall. I've read that a little water is okay. Is it?

Also, what gets caulked and what doesn't? My plan is to fill the hole in the wall where the copper pipe to the spout comes out with plumbers putty. Then caulk 90% of the way around the spout with an opening at the bottom to give any water that gets in a way out. The escutcheon plate for the water control has a rubber (or foam) rim. Does it still get caulked?

Thanks.

Does you spout screw on or slip on? A little water is not OK.

Hi Notorious:

Nope.. not OK for any leak to be present at a new installation of tub spout... will only get worse over time.

My guess is that you have a slip on type tub spout (with allen screw underneath) and that the O ring got damaged when you installed it.

Here, most likely, you will need to go to home supply store and pick up a UNIVERSAL slip on tub spout with diverter AND some silicone grease and then you will need to take a FILE and debur the very end of the copper pipe for tub spout. Then add a little grease onto the pipe end and at the O ring and then spin the tub spout on so that O ring passes smoothly by the end of copper pipe without getting damaged. Then should just need to tighten the tub spout allen screw and you are finished!

If this is a screw on type of tub spout with diverter, could be that you need to add a pipe dope or teflon tape to the threads, or could even be an O ring again between parts that got damaged...

Anyway, idea here is that something is wrong and needs to be fixed before it gets worse!

No need to caulk over the escutcheon plate with foam... and I use a mildew resistant caulking to plug hole at tub spout and then don't need to caulk the tub spout on outside at all!

Let us know if have more questions...

MARK

Mark nailed it with the "O" ring. How ever it might be possible to reuse the old spout. What I think has happened is when youslipped the spout on the copper pipe the "O" ring simply rolled out of position. Go back and remoive the spout and position the "O" ring back where it belongs. Follow Marks advice

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slip on tub spout with diverter AND some silicone grease and then you will need to take a FILE and debur the very end of the copper pipe for tub spout. Then add a little grease onto the pipe end and at the O ring and then spin the tub spout on so that O ring passes smoothly by the end of copper pipe without getting damaged. Then should just need to tighten the tub spout allen screw and you are finished!

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Also, as Mark pointed out, if there's a burr on the end of the pipe it must be smoothed out with a file or sandcloth or the same thing will happen again. Good luck, Tom

Thanks guys.

The spout is a screw on type.
I think I've got it figured out. It looks like I soldered the male threaded fitting onto the spout pipe about 1/8 too short. When I first tightened the spout on, it stopped by hitting the wall, not because the threads where tight. I pulled on the spout to get it away from the wall just a bit and gave it one more full turn. Now there's no more leaks. However, I like Mark's idea of caulking the hole around the pipe instead of caulking around the spout so I guess I'll be taking the spout off again :o .

One other question. It seems that plumber's putty would be better/easier than caulk for filling the hole around the spout pipe. Would I be making an error by using the putty instead of caulk?

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It seems that plumber's putty would be better/easier than caulk for filling the hole around the spout pipe. Would I be making an error by using the putty instead of caulk

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Plumbers putty was never made for caulking. It just doesn't "cure" like regular caulk and with a screw on tub spout you don't have a hole to fill. Mark was referring to a slip on spout. Regards, Tom

See the pictures below which type is your spout, Thanks.

John

Or this

Speedball,

I thought Mark was talking about something diffent, obviously, since I don't have a slip on type of spout.

So, let me ask the question again.

Now that my spout is no longer leaking at the threaded joint, I have a different concern.
My concern has to do with the water that's running down the enclosure getting back into the wall through the opening where the copper pipe (which the spout screws onto) comes through.

If I pack plumber's putty around the copper pipe where it comes through the wall, is there any reason to put silicone around the edge of the spout? And, if so, should the silicone go all the way around the spout or just around the top 75% so that if any water did get behind the spout, it could drip out?

Silicone around pipe, all the way around. Caulk around spout, top and sides.

Either Silcone Jel or White Dap Tub and Tile Caulk and caulk all the way around. Good luck, tom