Your shower system should require little maintenance, but there are some care practices you can follow that will ensure your shower is performing at its best. Never use cleaning chemicals when caring your shower, mild dish soap and water will keep it looking beautiful.
CLEANING COMPONENTS
Depending on frequency of use and the type of water in your home, you may need to occasionally soak your shower head and/or hand shower to remove build up or deposits. To do so, unscrew the item from the rest of the system. If a wrench is needed, wrap the item in a soft cloth to keep it safe from any scratching. Soak the item in a 50/50 water and white vinegar solution overnight. Once done soaking, rinse with cool water and reinstall.
If your shower head has split at the seam, it is likely that the psi to your shower system is too high. The split is usually caused by high water pressure in the home, or insufficient mounting or installation. The ideal pressure is 80psi. However, it is recommended that pressure should not exceed 125psi. You will want to check your psi and adjust accordingly before installing a replacement.
CLEANING TEMPERATURE CARTRIDGES
Your shower has a cartridge that regulates temperature, and if you have multiple shower components like a hand shower or jets, your shower will have a diverter cartridge as well. Due to debris build up that can sometimes come from water lines, you may need to occasionally rinse cartridges for best performance or to correct hard to turn handles. For step-by-step instructions visit our How To Clean A Clogged Shower Valve Cartridge guide or the video below.
CLEANING DIVERTER CARTRIDGE
If your shower system diverter is not diverting water to your hand shower or body sprays, you may have debris or mineral buildup in your diverter cartridge. A diverter cartridge is similar to a mixing cartridge and can be cleaned. Use the following steps to clean your diverter cartridge:
- Turn off the water supply to your faucet
- Open the valve handles to release any water pressure.
- Turn handles back to the closed position.
- If your handles are attached with a set screw, use an Allen wrench to remove them. If they are held on with screws, use a screwdriver.
- Take off any decorative escutcheon exposing the cartridge.
- Using a wrench, unscrew the cartridge out of the valve body.
- Remove the cartridge and soak it in a 50/50 warm water and vinegar solution overnight.
- Turn the stem of the cartridge in the solution multiple times to loosen any remaining debris.
- Remove the aerator from the tip of your faucet and turn your water back on at half-pressure to flush the water lines and remove any debris or buildup in the faucet body.
- Turn the water supply back off.
- Reinstall the cartridge, making sure not to overtighten the cartridge in the valve body.
- Replace any escutcheon and the handle.
- Turn your water back on and test the faucet flow.
CLEANING CHECK VALVES
If you notice that your shower isn’t dispersing hot or cold water, it may mean that your shower check valves are clogged. Watch our video below to learn how to clean clogged check valves and restore the performance of your shower.
BODY JETS
All body jets installed with a pressure balanced or thermostatic shower valve with diverter must have their own equidistant pressure loop in order to maintain equal flow. If you are experiencing uneven flow where one or more jets has harder or softer pressure than others, you’ll need to ensure they were installed properly using a pressure-balancing loop.
If your jets are installed using a pressure loop and you are still experiencing uneven pressure, you will need to evaluate the functionality of other components of your shower to determine if only the jets are experiencing the issue.
Ensure the proper GPM output for your system is achieved and the water pressure in the home is at least 80psi. If all other components are operating properly, it is possible that the diverter component of the shower needs to be cleaned.
If you require additional assistance for your shower system, please reach out to our Customer Relations team via live chat at www.signaturehardware.com or by emailing support@signaturehardware.com.