When there's water from your faucet and not your shower then your shower head could be clogged or you have a bad shower diverter valve.
Calcium and limescale can clog shower heads overtime and prevent water from flowing through the shower head.
If your shower has a mixing valve then it could also be a problem with the mixing valve which is a control valve that creates the balance in the flow of water from your hot water line and cold water line and blends the two waters together for the desired water temperature.
Showers and tubs do normally have shut off valves that are behind an access panel which is most often screwed on the wall.
There should be a shut off valve on the hot and cold side of the water supply line.
However it is sometimes possible to find a shower or tub that has no shut off valves in older homes and in that case you would need to shut off the main water supply instead.
The most common shower diverter is a single valve or T shower diverter.
If you have a handle that pulls straight up from a tub faucet then it's a T shower diverter.
When a shower diverter goes bad it can prevent the water from shutting off to the tub or shower or the shower diverter may cause the water to flow out of both the spout and shower head at the same time.
When water comes out of your shower head and spout at the same time it can be caused by a bad shower diverter or you're simply experiencing shower rise that occurs when the water cannot get out of the spout as fast as it flows through the valve.
The shower diverter could also be blocked preventing it from closing or opening all the way which can cause water to pour out of the shower and spout at the same time.
The difference between a diverter and a valve is the valve sends water to multiple water outlets at the same time and the diverter switches the flow of water between the tub and shower.
The difference between a shower diverter and a shower valve is the shower valve is where the water is controlled and turned on and off with the knobs on the shower.
The shower diverter is where the water is diverted to either the shower or tub.
The bottom part of the shower is called the shower pan which is the base of the shower where the water collects and flows toward the drain.
The part of the shower where the water comes out is called the shower head.
The part of the tub where the water comes out into the bathtub is called the spout.
A shower diverter on most tubs and showers looks like a spout with a pull handle on the top of the spout.
If your bathtub and shower has a spout with a pull handle that you pull for the shower then that is the shower diverter.
When you pull the handle up that has a rod it blocks the flow through the tub spout and then sends the water up to the shower.
When you push the handle back down it allows the water to flow through the spout instead and shuts the shower off.
In some showers the shower diverter can be made into the faucet itself and when you turn a handle such as in the middle of the shower it changes the direction of the flow of water from either to the shower head or to the tub.
A bath and shower diverter is a device that diverts the flow of water either toward the tub spout (i.e., to the bathtub) or toward the shower head.
The shower diverter is commonly found in bathtubs equipped with a shower head,
The control mechanism for the diverter valve can be found near the open end of your bathtub spigot, appearing as a metal pin with a small handle.
A rubber valve is activated by pulling that pin upward, which blocks the water flow from the faucet, creating back pressure that carries the water upward to the shower head.
In a mixing valve, two incoming streams are combined into one outgoing stream.
In a diverting valve, the opposite takes place.
The exiting port of the mixing valve and the entering port on the diverting valve are called the common port, typically labeled C (for common), or sometimes AB.
In most cases, the diverter valve looks like a pin located on the bathtub faucet spout, but it might appear as a third handle or lever.
When the valve is activated, a rubber stopper plugs the water flow and the pressure sends the water through the shower head.
If you have a shower diverter valve going bad, you might notice leakage below your bathtub.
The valve can no longer properly seal off the water leading to your shower head.
If you see any leakage, it's important to replace your diverter valve as soon as possible.
Over time, diverter valves can become worn out or clogged by sediment.
If this happens, the valve will not close completely, and so some water will continue to flow out of the tub faucet even when the diverter is activated.
A properly installed shower valve should serve you well for a long time.
Even if you live in an area with hard water that causes limescale build-up in your appliances, you can expect to have a shower valve work well for about four or five years.