Shower Valve Repair in Sterling, VA

Sterling has some of the oldest housing in Loudoun County, so shower valves here range from original compression valves to newer pressure-balancing models, and worn internal parts cause most problems. A plumber can repair many from the front; worn-out or obsolete bodies get replaced. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Sterling.

Is it the valve?

Drips continue from the head or spout after shutoff
The water jumps hot when someone flushes or starts laundry
Hot and cold handles both need extra force to close
The handle turns but the temperature barely changes
Stains or soft drywall show up in the room behind the tub

Any of the first four usually means a part inside the valve. The last means water is escaping inside the wall, and it's the one not to wait on.

Sterling conditions

Sterling began with the Sterling Park development in the early 1960s, on farmland next to what became Dulles Airport. In ZIP 20164, about 43 percent of homes predate 1980, with most of the rest from the 1980s. That makes Sterling older than Ashburn or Brambleton, and it shows in the bathrooms: two-handle valves, early single-lever mixers and plenty of 1980s pressure-balancing valves that are now on borrowed time.

Loudoun Water supplies Sterling from its Central System, which draws mainly on the Potomac, with Goose Creek reservoirs as needed, and treats water at Trap Rock and through Fairfax Water's Corbalis plant. Both use chloramine. Loudoun Water's annual water quality report gives the hardness figures if you want to know how much scale to expect.

Call now to be connected with a local plumber in Sterling.

(202) 915-7612

What affects cost

Repair or replace. Stems, washers and cartridges are smaller jobs than a new valve body.
Parts for older valves. A 1960s or 1970s valve may have no parts left at all.
Access. Some Sterling Park homes have a panel behind the tub; many don't.
Old supply piping. If the valve connects to aging pipe, the plumber may need to replace a short section to make a sound joint.
Permits. Loudoun County Building and Development handles plumbing permits as sub-records of a building permit; the plumber can tell you if one applies.

When you call

You'll be connected with an independent plumber who covers Sterling. Share the symptom, handle style, any brand name and roughly when the bathroom was last updated. If the shower won't shut off, close the house's main shutoff. Problems on the utility side go to Loudoun Water's after-hours emergency line at 571-291-7878.

Shower Valve Repair questions in Sterling

What kind of valve is likely behind the handle in an older home here?

Sterling Park and nearby sections from the 1960s and 1970s often have two-handle compression valves or early single-lever designs. Parts may be scarce, so replacement is common.

Why does the shower turn scalding or icy when someone flushes a toilet?

The valve's pressure-balancing part isn't reacting quickly, or the valve has none, which is common in older Sterling homes. A new cartridge or a pressure-balancing valve fixes it.

What should I do if the shower will not shut off?

Close the main shutoff to the house and call. For a main break or meter problem, Loudoun Water's after-hours line is 571-291-7878.

Is a new cartridge enough, or does the whole valve need replacing?

If the valve body is sound and parts are still made, yes. In Sterling's older homes, a discontinued valve often makes replacement the better choice.