Delta RP46074
Replace the Delta RP46074 cartridge in a MultiChoice 13 or 14 Series shower
RP46074 is the pressure-balance cartridge Delta lists for MultiChoice 13/14 Series tub and shower valves produced after March 2006. It has a gray cap and a longer off-white lower housing. If your cartridge has a white cap and blue legs, you have the older RP19804.
- FitsMultiChoice 13/14 Series, R10000 valve bodies
- Made for valvesafter March 2006
- Height x width4-7/16 x 1.92 in (Delta)
- Not interchangeable withRP19804
Is it an RP46074?
Delta's cartridge reference sheet tells the two common single-handle Delta shower cartridges apart by the cap color and the length of the lower housing:
- RP46074
- Gray cap, off-white lower housing, longer lower housing. MultiChoice 13/14 valves shipped from March 2006.
- RP19804
- White cap, blue (or on some pre-2006 units off-white) lower housing, shorter lower housing with short legs. Monitor 1300/1400 valves.
- RP74236
- White cap with a gray lower housing: the ceramic cartridge in MultiChoice models ending in -CER.
Delta staff confirm that the gray RP46074 fits MultiChoice Universal R10000 rough-in valve bodies, the blue RP19804 fits the older 1400 Series valves, and the two are not interchangeable.
A running change in August 2014 gave the cartridge a new white rotational limit stop that you pull outward to adjust. Earlier RP46074 valves use a disc over the stem instead. Both versions are still ordered as RP46074; the limit stop step below covers each.
Before the trim comes off you cannot see the cartridge. If your shower was installed or remodeled after 2006 and has a single Delta handle that only rotates, start here. If it is older, check RP19804.
Seats and springs, or the whole cartridge
The numbers in the drawing match the parts list. Delta sells the seats and springs inside the cartridge separately as RP4993, and its own troubleshooting says to try those first when the shower drips. Replace the whole cartridge if the drip continues or the temperature will not hold steady.
The cartridge controls temperature only. On 13/14 Series valves the handle turns the water on and moves it from cold to hot; there is no separate volume knob. Delta's separate volume and temperature design is the 17 Series, which uses a different cartridge.
Delta notes the cartridge is included with its 13 and 14 Series trim kits, so a new trim kit also brings a new cartridge.
| Item | Part | Number |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brass stem (handle adapter fits here) | part of RP46074 |
| 2 | Rotational limit stop (disc type before Aug 2014, white pull-out type after) | part of RP46074 |
| 3 | Gray cap with the words "hot side" | part of RP46074 |
| 4 | Off-white lower housing, contains seats and springs | seats and springs kit RP4993 |
| 5 | Inlet legs with lower O-rings | O-rings RP14414 |
Complete cartridge: RP46074. Ceramic -CER models use RP74236 instead.
Tools and supplies
- Allen wrench to fit the handle set screw
- Phillips screwdriver for the escutcheon screws
- Adjustable wrench or large slip-joint pliers for a stuck bonnet nut
- Pen or pencil to mark the limit stop
- Kitchen or candy thermometer and a plastic tumbler
- Towel to cover the tub drain
- Flashlight
Replace the RP46074, then set the limit stop
Close the water to the shower
Look for stop valves behind the trim or behind an access panel on the other side of the wall. If the shower has none, close the house main shutoff. Open the shower handle and let it run until it stops: if water keeps flowing after a minute, the shutoff is not holding.
Safety: Leave the shower handle open while you work so pressure cannot build behind the cartridge.
Take off the handle, escutcheon and sleeve
Loosen the handle set screw with an Allen wrench and pull the handle off. Remove the two escutcheon screws and the escutcheon, then slide off the sleeve and any spacer. Put a towel in the tub so nothing small goes down the drain.
Note where the limit stop and "hot side" sit
Look at the cap before you remove anything else. Delta says the cartridge must go back in the same position, with the words "hot side" toward the hot supply. Take a phone photo of the cap and the limit stop.
Unscrew the bonnet nut
Turn the bonnet nut counterclockwise by hand. If it is tight, use a wrench gently and keep the valve body from twisting.
Safety: If the valve body moves in the wall when you turn the nut, stop: a twisted body can break a connection behind the tile.
Lift out the old cartridge
Put the handle back on the stem and rotate it counterclockwise about a quarter turn past the stop, then lift the cartridge out. Delta says not to pry it out with a screwdriver.
Decide: seats and springs, or the whole cartridge
For a drip from the tub spout or showerhead, Delta's first fix is new seats and springs (RP4993). To reach them, turn the cap assembly counterclockwise 90 degrees to separate it from the housing. Fit each spring wide end first into its seat pocket, then press the seat over it. Check the lower O-rings on the legs at the same time. If the drip came back after new seats, or the water will not hold a steady temperature, use a new RP46074.
Seat the new cartridge with "hot side" on the left
Rotate the cartridge so "hot side" faces left, the normal setup. For a back-to-back or reversed installation, where hot is piped to the right, put "hot side" on the right. Push it in until the tubes and O-rings sit in the holes at the bottom of the body and the keys drop fully into the body slots.
Thread on the bonnet nut by hand
Slide the bonnet nut over the cartridge and thread it on. Delta's instruction is to hand-tighten it securely.
Turn the water back on and check that cold comes first
Open the shutoff slowly and look for leaks around the bonnet. Put the handle on and turn it on. Cold water should flow first. If hot comes first, the cartridge is reversed: shut off and repeat steps 4 to 8.
Set the rotational limit stop with a thermometer
Run the shower until the cold is as cold and the hot is as hot as they will get. Turn the handle counterclockwise until it stops. Hold a thermometer in a plastic tumbler in the stream. Delta's limit is 120°F or lower if your local code requires it; a comfortable shower is usually 90–110°F.
If the reading is above 120°F, move the stop clockwise to reduce the maximum temperature. On valves shipped before August 2014, pull the disc back, lift the limit stop and re-engage its teeth one notch clockwise. On later valves, pull the white limit stop outward and rotate it clockwise. Each notch changes the temperature by about 4–16°F depending on your water. Test again after each change.
Safety: Push the disc fully back in, or let the white stop retract fully, when you finish. Delta warns that leaving the disc off can cause a scald injury.
Reassemble the trim
Fit the O-ring behind the bonnet nut as a spacer, slide on the sleeve, and attach the escutcheon with its two screws without overtightening. Push on the handle and tighten the set screw.
Check again tomorrow and label the setting
Look and feel for drips at the spout and showerhead and for dampness around the escutcheon after 24 hours. Delta's instructions ask the installer to write their name and the date on the caution label and stick it inside the nearest cabinet door. Recheck the temperature when the seasons change: colder winter supply water shifts the maximum.
Stop and call a plumber if
- The stop valve or main shutoff will not close fully, or it leaks at its stem when you turn it.
- The bonnet nut or brass bonnet will not turn by hand or with gentle wrench pressure, or the valve body threads look cracked or corroded.
- The old cartridge will not lift out after you rotate it with the handle. Delta says not to pry it out with a screwdriver.
- Water runs from inside the wall, from behind the escutcheon after reassembly, or the wall or tile around the valve is soft or stained.
- You cannot get the outlet temperature at the hottest handle position down to 120°F with the limit stop, or the temperature swings even with a new cartridge.
- The valve body is not a Delta 1300/1400 or MultiChoice R10000 type body. Replacing a valve body means opening the wall and is plumber work.
Troubleshooting by symptom
| What you see | Likely cause and fix |
|---|---|
| Drips from the tub spout or showerhead after shutoff | Worn seats and springs. Replace with RP4993 and check the leg O-rings (RP14414). If it still drips, replace the cartridge RP46074. |
| Temperature drifts or surges when a toilet flushes | The pressure-balance spool is sticking. Delta's check: with the cartridge out, set it to full mix and shake it. No rattle means replace RP46074. |
| Hot water comes out first, or the handle runs backward | The cartridge is in upside down for your piping. Re-seat it with "hot side" toward the hot supply. |
| Shower never gets hot enough | The limit stop is set too low for the season. Move it one notch counterclockwise and test with the thermometer, staying at or under 120°F. |
| Water too hot at full rotation | The limit stop is set too high. Move it clockwise one notch at a time until the thermometer reads 120°F or less. |
| Leak at the bonnet nut | The nut is loose or the cartridge keys are not fully seated in the body slots. Shut off, re-seat and hand-tighten. |
Official parts and warranty
Delta warrants its faucet parts and finishes to the original consumer purchaser for as long as they own the home where the faucet was first installed, and replaces defective parts free of charge. Labor is not covered, and Delta asks for proof of purchase unless the product was registered. If you bought the shower yourself, call Delta before you buy a cartridge: 1-800-345-DELTA (3358).