Kohler Shower Repair for Dummies

leaky shower head

We suppose that there are definitive statistics somewhere out there, but out staffers are all are pretty sure that one of the most common DIY plumbing repairs is attempting to stop a leaking faucet. Since there are myriad different designs on the market that will start and stop the flow of water to a sink, hose, tub, or shower; it makes perfect sense that someone will eventually google the phrase, "My Kohler Shower Does Not Shut Off." Heaven help the poor seekers of knowledge, however, if they accidentally click on a link to the eHow.com post slapped together by Kevin Ann Reinhart.

Like many a freelancer at eHow, Reinhart attempted to paste together some "information" she found through her favorite search engine. Sadly, all three of her alleged references are defunct, but we took a look at them using the Wayback Machine at archive.org; a definite go-to site here at the Antisocial Network. Kevin Ann appears to have gotten all her information (what there is of it) from one of the three sites; which wasn't all that good to begin with.

That Reinhart had no earthly idea what she was writing about, however, is rather obvious for anyone who does. We're talking instructions such as the suggestion to,

"[R]emove the shower head and take it to your local plumbing parts store to purchase the correct replacement parts."

Really, this putz thinks your "local plumbing parts store" can diagnose your leaky shower by looking at the shower head? What an idjit!. We also liked Kevin Ann's method for removing the "mounting caps" (whatever the hell those are):

"By slipping a flat head screwdriver between the shower wall and the mounting caps, you can expose the screws that hold the hardware in place."

We aren't certain but we think that's her version of popping the caps out of the handle of, say, a plastic-handled Delta faucet. We know from experience (which many of us, unlike Reinhart, have) that the sequence is to remove the handle (it's probably held in place with a set screw), which will allow you to access either screws or a nut so you can remove the trim plate. Once that's off, you can access the actual valve to take out the cartridge, which is most likely what's leaking. Reinhart also seems to think that, "Kohler shower valves are screwed to the shower handle and may be removed by carefully lifting the entire assembly straight out from the wall."

Sorry, Kevin, it's a little more involved than simply "lifting the... assembly straight out"! You (usually) have to remove a collar of some sort to remove the cartridge (not the "valve"). Once that's done, you can take the cartridge to the store to find a matching replacement. Some models may have rubber washers and O-rings, but that's not generally the case with Kohler, which uses ceramic cartridges.

Taking the shower head to the store, though? That's dirt stupid. In fact, that's Dumbass of the Day stupid, which is why Reinhart, despite her long career as a librarian, is picking up another award for her collection. Something tells us this won't be her last...

DDIY - PLUMBING