Clinton's median home was built around 1987, newer than most inner-Beltway towns, so the typical shower here has a single-handle cartridge valve. A drip, a sticky lever or a shower that will not stay at one temperature usually means that cartridge or its seals need replacing. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Clinton.
How a worn valve shows itself
- A slow drip from the showerhead that never quite stops
- Water temperature that drifts during a shower or jumps when the washer fills
- A lever that is hard to lift or that sags back toward off
- Less hot water at the shower than at the bathroom sink
- Water stains on a ceiling below an upstairs bath
What is behind Clinton shower walls
Clinton grew from the old Surrattsville crossroads, but most of its housing went up in the 1980s and 1990s around Old Alexandria Ferry Road and toward Camp Springs. Bathrooms from those decades often got one-piece fiberglass tub units or tile over backer board, with a single-lever pressure-balancing valve in the middle. Those valves are well supported by parts makers, so many repairs are a cartridge change done through the trim opening.
WSSC Water supplies Clinton from the Potomac and Patuxent rivers. Its water quality report lists chlorine as the disinfectant and an orthophosphate corrosion inhibitor that coats pipes, including the house piping that feeds your shower. Natural minerals still leave a slow film on cartridges and spools over time. WSSC owns the water service line from the main to the property line; everything from there into the house is the owner's, and WSSC takes water and sewer emergencies at 301-206-4002.
Cost factors
- Repair type. A cartridge or seal kit is the least work; replacing the valve body means cutting and soldering or crimping new connections.
- Surround material. Fiberglass units must be cut carefully, while tile may need a few pieces removed and reset.
- Access from behind. A closet or panel wall makes valve body work faster.
- Two-story layouts. An upstairs shower with a wet ceiling below may need drywall repair once the leak is fixed.
- Trim choice. New handles and plates to match a new valve add to the total.
What the call looks like
This page connects you through a referral line to an independent plumber who covers Clinton; it is not a plumbing company. Say what the shower is doing, whether it is upstairs or down, and the brand name if it is printed on the trim. Prince George's County does not issue plumbing permits; when a job needs one, it comes from WSSC Water Permit Services.
Shower Valve Repair questions in Clinton
Why does the showerhead keep dripping after the handle is off?
The shower won't get hot enough. Is it the valve or the water heater?
Will fixing a shower valve mean tearing out tile?
How can I tell if the valve is leaking inside the wall?
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