How can I shut off water to shower only? Or is it bkr possible? I don't see a shut off valve, am I missing it? This picture is the back of my tub where wall was remixed.
I want to cut off only shower water as of right now, the hot water coming into water heater is off. We need it on for dishwasher.
Cheers
The immediate fault is that the hot water valve is stuck open. Get some pliers and try to shut the hot water valve on the tub/shower. Locking pliers (Vise-Grips) would be easiest, but you could use regular pliers or a pipe wrench.
Note that you will have to determine which direction to turn it off. Some of these shower valves have "counter rotating valves" in which the cold is turned off one way (usually CW) and the hot the other way (usu CCW). But in some shower valves both close the same way.
You can temporarily cap off the shower with a 1/2" FNPT pipe cap attached where the shower head would go, or install a shower head with an on/off switch.
Ultimately, I would plan to replace that shower valve, sooner rather than later. It is understood that you turn the whole house off to do any extensive work on a tub/shower valve. Always has been. Hopefully you can get the previously owners to defray the cost.
You can most likely replace the valve cartridges for the shower and fix the problem. Best to do that in pairs while you're at it so you know both are good for the foreseeable future. It's not complicated or hard to do and there are videos on YouTube that will show you how.
The hard part would be ascertaining exactly what cartridges you need. See if you have manufacturer's marks or branding on the visible parts of the faucets or handles. If you can't find any identifying features like that, you should be able to figure it out by removing one/both and taking them to a home center or plumbing supply store to match up.
The best thing to do here is cut into the wall and replace the pressure connection valve and ma sure that your new one has in-valve stops. These are little screw-looking things that when you use a Phillips screw driver you can shut the tub off. It requires access from the wall behind the shower/tub so for future needs I would suggest coming up with an easy-access idea that allows you to open the area in the event of a future emergency. Many people rely on handles alone but they wear down and break and when you least expect it, the water will no longer shut off. It's worth the investment instead of a high water bill and the inability to have running water. PS do not buy a pressure valve connector that says ( no stop) it does not have the built in vslves
