A College Park shower that drips, sticks or swings between hot and cold usually has a worn cartridge, stem or washer inside the valve. Older houses near the university may have two-handle valves several decades old, while newer buildings have single-lever cartridge models. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in College Park.
College Park bathrooms vary a lot
The median home in College Park dates to about 1979, but that number hides a wide range. Calvert Hills and Old Town have houses from the early twentieth century, some with bathrooms remodeled more than once, while apartments and mixed-use buildings along US 1 have recent valves. WSSC Water supplies the city with chlorine-treated water that carries a corrosion inhibitor. Whatever the age of your shower, a few quick steps help.
What to do now
- Stop a running shower. If the valve will not close, look behind the trim plate for small screwdriver stops on the hot and cold lines. If there are none, close the house main, usually where the water line enters the basement.
- Protect the drain. Lay a towel in the tub before you pull a handle, so screws and clips do not disappear.
- Check the water heater. If the shower runs cold but other taps are hot, the valve is the likely problem; if everything is cold, start with the heater.
- Look behind and below. Check the room behind the shower and any ceiling below for stains or damp drywall.
- Gather details. Note the number of handles, any brand on the trim and whether the walls are tile or a one-piece unit.
Symptoms and likely causes
| What you see | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Head drips after shutoff | Worn cartridge seals, or washers and seats on a two-handle valve |
| Temperature jumps when a toilet flushes | No pressure-balancing feature, or a stuck balancing spool |
| Handle stiff or gritty | Mineral film or a dried-out cartridge |
| Spout and head run together | Worn diverter in the spout or valve |
| Wet wall or stained ceiling | Leak at the valve body or the pipe joints behind the tile |
Cost factors
A cartridge or stem change through the trim opening is the shortest job. Time goes up when an old valve has no parts available, when galvanized pipe behind a century-old wall has to be cut back to sound metal, or when the only route to the valve is through tile. Converting a two-handle valve to a single-lever pressure-balancing model is a bigger project but ends the temperature swings. Plumbing permits in Prince George's County come from WSSC Water rather than the county, and the plumber can tell you whether your job needs one.
Shower Valve Repair questions in College Park
What should I do if the shower won't shut off?
What kind of valve is likely behind the trim in an older home here?
Is a pressure-balancing or thermostatic valve worth the upgrade?
What should I have ready when I call about a shower valve?
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