Shower not working in the bathtub

by Linda Willever
(Fairfax, VA USA)

I have a tub and shower with the shower pull is on the faucet of the tub. The tub fills fine but I can't get the water to go to the shower head. Do I need to replace the entire assembly or is it repairable. My house is about 15 yrs. old with no problems in any other bathroom.

Linda - Thank you for submitting a question to our Bathroom Remodel Problems page...

You may be in luck, as the shower diverter gate (that diverts water from the tub spout to the shower head) may just be loose, or jammed....

You should check the bathtub spout for a loose or jammed gate.... you might just be able to look into the spout with a mirror and a flashlight...

Otherwise, you can remove the spout and check the gate.... some spouts simply unscrew from the wall, and others have a small lock screw holding them on ?(loosen with an allen wrench)....

If the diverter gate cannot be repaired, you may need to replace the spout....

Good luck!

Any other comments or tips are welcome!