My bath diverter pin doesn't work anymore
In a shower-over-bath, the diverter sends water either out of the bath spout or up to the shower head. On many baths it's the little pin or knob on top of the spout that you pull up once the water is running. When it stops working, the pin won't stay up, the shower only gets a trickle, or water keeps pouring out of the spout while the shower runs. Here's why it happens and how it's fixed.
Common causes
Scale build-up
Minerals and grit build up on the diverter's moving parts and seal, so the pin sticks or won't seal against the water flow.
Worn seal or washer
The rubber seal inside the spout diverter wears out, letting water escape past it and out of the spout.
Broken pin or mechanism
The pin or the gate inside the spout can break or come loose after years of use.
Wall diverter problems
Some baths use a separate diverter tap or lever on the wall. Its internal cartridge or washer can wear out the same way.
What we do
- Check which type of diverter you have: in the spout, on the wall, or built into the mixer.
- Clean or replace the seal and moving parts where the diverter can be serviced.
- Replace the spout with a new diverter spout where the old one can't be repaired. Many spouts screw off and on without touching the tiles.
- Replace a worn wall diverter cartridge or washer.
You get clear options and a fixed price before any work starts.
Signs it's time to fix it
- You have to hold the pin up for the shower to work.
- The shower pressure is weak while water still runs from the spout.
- The pin won't move at all, or has snapped off.
- Water drips from the spout even when everything's turned off. That may be the taps or mixer, see our dripping taps guide.
In southern Eastern Suburbs homes
Shower-over-bath setups are common in family homes and units across Maroubra, Kingsford, Kensington and Matraville, and many of those diverter spouts are decades old. Grit from older pipes speeds up the wear.
Why locals call us
- Local to Matraville and the southern Eastern Suburbs
- Free on-site quotes, with a fixed price before any work starts
- Lifetime labour warranty on our workmanship
- 100+ five-star Google reviews
- Licensed plumbers and gasfitters (Lic. 398171C)
Common questions
Why won't my bath diverter pin stay up?
Usually because scale or a worn seal stops it sealing against the water flow. Cleaning or replacing the diverter fixes it.
Why does water come out of the bath spout and the shower at the same time?
The diverter seal is worn, so water leaks past it to the spout instead of all going to the shower.
Can a bath diverter be replaced without retiling?
Often, yes. Many diverter spouts screw on and off, and wall diverters can usually be serviced from the front.
What is a bath diverter?
A valve that sends water to either the bath spout or the shower head in a shower-over-bath.
Related help: taps and toilets, mixer tap leaking, dripping taps guide and bath leaking through the ceiling. Local pages: taps and toilets Maroubra, taps and toilets Matraville, Kingsford and Kensington.