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Topic: Hand held shower feed fail (Read 492 times) previous topic - next topic

Hand held shower feed fail

Water spurts from the connection at the bottom of the hand held shower hose enabling simultaneous showering and an unwelcome foot bath.  The hose feed screws on to a plastic threaded insert that in turn is screwed into the feed connection.  At the bottom of the threaded insert is what looks like a back flow prevention system consisting of a flat white slotted plastic disc below a flat black rubber washer with a hole in the middle that has developed a spiral split around that hole.  Cannot find a replacement washer anywhere nor any identity markings of the manufacturer.  It is standard FT for that year.  Any suggestions to repair or replace?
Fiddler
1959 Parris Island grad
40' 2001 U320 Build 5875
1999 Suburban K1500 toad
1986 Corvette Pacecar
ssoftail@comcast.net

Re: Hand held shower feed fail

Reply #1 –
That is a anti-siphon (backflow preventer) valve. I got one at Foretravel because we happened to be there. I don't really see the need for such in this application, and given the ridiculous price on the item, would forego replacing it were it to fail again.
Don
Quote from: Fiddler –
Water spurts from the connection at the bottom of the hand held shower hose enabling simultaneous showering and an unwelcome foot bath.  The hose feed screws on to a plastic threaded insert that in turn is screwed into the feed connection.  At the bottom of the threaded insert is what looks like a back flow prevention system consisting of a flat white slotted plastic disc below a flat black rubber washer with a hole in the middle that has developed a spiral split around that hole.  Cannot find a replacement washer anywhere nor any identity markings of the manufacturer.  It is standard FT for that year.  Any suggestions to repair or replace?
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Don & Tys
1999 U270 3602 WTFE #5402
Xtreme Stage 1 w/Headlight, Step Conversion, etc.
2009 Honda Fit Sport with Navi
Freedom is NOT "just another word for nothing left to lose"... with apologies to Kris Kristofferson

Re: Hand held shower feed fail

Reply #2 –
We use standard brass parts to reduce and modulate water flow, and use a standard kitchen sink hand sprayer for our shower hose.  The handle is always off unless we press trigger, so our water conservation is maximized.  No more reaching up to close water flow, which we would not do all the time.  Also all flow reducers & backflow preventers are gone.

Re: Hand held shower feed fail

Reply #3 –
Fiddler,  the wall,fitting is called a shower wall elbow.  Any color or price you want.

Amazon.com: shower wall elbow - Brass: Tools & Home Improvement

The next part after that is the backflow preventer. It prevents you from sucking up water off the floor or from a bucket back into your water system. When we redid out shower I threw it away.  Our shower head is never in a bucket of water or sitting on the floor.  You just don't need it.  Code probably required it to be installed when the coach was built.

The hand held shower hose will screw right on to the wall elbow.

OEM was Moen.

This is like what we got as I recall.

Faucet.com | 3865EPBN in Brushed Nickel by Moen

You still need a wall elbow.
Roger Engdahl and Susan Green
2001 U320 3610 #5879 (Home2) - 2014 Jeep Cherokee or 2018 F150
Hastings, MN

Re: Hand held shower feed fail

Reply #4 –
Problem solved.  Unscrewed the hose from the elbow; removed the elbow from the wall;  unscrewed the back flow spacer housing; reinstalled the elbow to the wall, then screwed the hose directly to the elbow.  Thx Roger for describing the obvious fix; I just didn't see it right under my nose.
Fiddler
1959 Parris Island grad
40' 2001 U320 Build 5875
1999 Suburban K1500 toad
1986 Corvette Pacecar
ssoftail@comcast.net

Re: Hand held shower feed fail

Reply #5 –
Hi Fidder,

Your description sounds like you need to replace the "shower vacuum breaker". Try looking on Ebay for it.

Jim
Jim Frerichs
2002 U320 42'

Re: Hand held shower feed fail

Reply #6 –
Quote from: Jim Frerichs –
Hi Fidder,

Your description sounds like you need to replace the "shower vacuum breaker". Try looking on Ebay for it.

Jim
I replaced the vacuum breaker on ours, just went to a local plumbing supply, cost was minimal.
'02 40' U320t  4010WTFS Build 6036 1 slide
Motorcade # 17841
SKP 151920
Retired truck driver
 5 million miler
Still have itchy feet for travel