Why does it take a long time for water to start draining from my tub faucet?

Question

Sorry for the awkwardly worded title, I couldn't really describe the issue in one sentence.

My shower has a handle that controls both pressure and temperature. To begin showering, I turn the handle, then pull up the stopper (is this the right word?) on the tub faucet to get the water to come out the shower head instead of the tub faucet.

For the first few weeks, when I was done showering, I'd simply turn the pressure/temperature handle, the shower would turn off, and the stopper would immediately drop, letting out the remaining water through the tub faucet.

Now, however, it takes a good 10 - 15 seconds between turning the handle and the stopper dropping. It's not a huge deal on it's own, but I also notice that the water never fully transfers to shower-head-only when I pull up the stopper, and some continues to come out of the tub faucet.

I think it's affecting the pressure of my shower and it's just annoying. Any idea on how to fix it?

Answer 1

The stopper you're describing is called the diverter. The symptoms you're describing sound like it's gotten slightly bent or nicked. I would take it apart and try re-setting the pin. Maybe scrub it a bit with a light abrasive to true it up. If that doesn't work, replace it. I assume your diverter is in your tub spout. You can usually remove that by removing the hex-head set-screw and then rotating the entire spout (the padded handle of a hammer stuck in the spout can help you get a grip).