For the last 20 years we have gotten by with the shower diverter that came with the hand-held spray we bought. It is the kind of diverter with a knob on top that you need to pull up to switch from shower to hand held sprayer. As the years went by, our hands grew weaker and the knob harder and harder to pull. Obviously, what we needed was a diverter operated by a lever instead of a pull knob (see Physics 01). I stopped by our local Ace Hardware, Home Depot, and Lowes stores hoping to find an all-metal diverter with a lever. All seemed to be going the way of supermarket shelving algorithms and to be not the least bit interested in helping semi-skilled homeowners solve problems.
I was just a bit hesitant to order the Alsons diverter because one of the nice touches of our current diverter is that it connects to the pipe coming out from the wall with a collar you can use to align the diverter vertically before you snug things up. Needless worry. I screwed the diverter on, used a crescent wrench to tighten it into a vertical position with just a little more than hand-tight force. I knew that if necessary to make "tight" and "vertical" coincide, I could add a layer or two of plumbing tape to adjust the fit. But the "thread gods" were with me and the diverter was snug with the sprayer hose outlet pointing the right way, down. I really shouldn't have worried. The diverter can only leak when I send water into the shower feed pipe instead of the tub and if it did the errant drops would just drop down into the tub.
Tried the shower right away. What an improvement! Switching between shower and hand-held spray required just a bit more force than the rotary selector switches on my electronic gear. Hard to fault the economics: 365 x 2 divided by < $20.00. Alsons 4922PK Shower Arm Diverter, Chrome
It's such a simple design that I can't believe that more companies have not come out with something similar to this. The standard design that most companies use for the water diverter leaves a lot to be desired. Those tend to leak from the outset & don't seem to last very long. There is no leakage problem with the Alsons 4922 PK water diverter & it's so easy to use. The price was right & seems to be very well constructed. Furthermore, since it was purchased on Amazon, I know that the service would have been first rate...and it was!
I had high hopes for this product but the one I received was defective. The valve did not close completely, so it did not divert all water from the fixed shower head. Because water continued flowing through the fixed shower head there was insufficient pressure to operate the hand-held shower. I am returning it in hopes that the replacement will work properly.
Just to follow up. Amazon was great, sending me a replacerment quickly. Unfortunately, the replacement had the same defect as the original. I recommend Amazon. I do not recommend this product.
Solid, sturdy metal, easy to operate lever.
Pay attention though, this is a 2 WAY diverter, NOT a 3 way. I wanted a 3 way diverter, got this one instead. If you put the lever half-way in-between, you get 2 half-off flows, not 2 'on' flows. But for what it is, it's great!
One of my children likes a fixed shower head, whereas the other prefers the hand-held type. A diverter can accommodate both. Also, a hand-held shower head makes cleaning of the tub easier. This diverter works very well so far. It is sturdy and the switch turns very easily.
I've had other valve options and researched many others. This arrived on time as expected and is very heavy and sturdy -- in a good way. I love it so far for its simplicity in switching back and forth between my regular shower and my waterpik massage. Does the job it says it will do and is reliable. I have encountered some real "junk" out there, both online and in the big box stores so beware of cheaper options. I am a picky person who likes quality and so far, I approve of this valve.
I had chosen my hand-held shower device because it came with an extra long hose that I find useful, especially when cleaning the tub. Right off I did not like the lever that switched the water flow from shower head to hand-held unit. It was plastic with sharp edges and a definite flimsy feel. Plus it was difficult to turn. I would always place a washcloth as a cushion between the lever and my fingers. Still I muddled along with it for a couple of years and then decided I better replace the valve before that cheap lever finally broke. I was dismayed to see the cost of this new valve, it is nearly what I paid for the entire hand-held setup. But now that I've installed it I am glad I went ahead with the purchase. Turning that easy to operate smooth chrome lever is a true pleasure. I did not use a wrench when I installed this new valve. I did use some gloves with rubberized gripping surfaces to tighten as much as I dared. The threaded thing that the hose attaches to ended up in the three o'clock position, instead of downwards, but that does not seem to be causing any problems. - Elder Care - Solid - Easy To Use - Bathroom Hardware'
Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information
