Where to find discontinued plumbing adapters and rare fittings
Major home improvement stores rarely stock specialized or proprietary fittings, forcing homeowners to either track down a dedicated commercial plumbing supply house or rip out existing assemblies to start fresh. This lack of available replacement parts turns simple repairs into full-fixture replacements.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Visiting dedicated plumbing supply houses instead of big box hardware stores
- 2Removing the existing custom trap assembly entirely and replacing the entire setup with standard parts
- 3Using adapters to connect 3/4 inch PEX to valves with 1/2 inch IPS connections
- 4Transitioning to copper pipe right next to the valve
- 5Accepting the reduction to 1/2 inch at the valve while using 3/4 inch PEX for the main supply lines
- 6taking a picture of the part to a local plumbing supply house
- 7soaking the dirty aerator in vinegar overnight and scrubbing
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“We have pex right now but are struggling to find a mixing valve that goes to a tub spout and shower head AND accepts 3/4 pex.”source ↗
“Are we just going to have to transition to 1/2 inch? Is it ridiculous to even want to accomplish this?”source ↗
“We transitioned to 1/2 inch for our sinks but wanted to keep 3/4 for the shower. We currently have pex B. So it’s assumed that 3/4 pex can fit into any 1/2 ips?”source ↗
“Got no idea on brand of tub or faucet....no names on anything. Hoping maybe one of you ran into this before”source ↗
“I couldn’t find this adapter at Home Depot or Lowe’s. I’m curious if a real plumbing supply store would have this fitting.”source ↗
“the nut was specific to them so you will have to remove the rest of the trap and start fresh.”source ↗
“Any ideas where I can find a replacement for this old cartridge on a bathroom faucet? Brand is Sherle Wagner and they have been unhelpful in sourcing a replacement part thus far.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
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