Showers & Bathtubs
Shower and tub problems hide their sources well: the drip comes from a valve inside the wall, the ceiling stain below could be valve, drain or pan, and the 'clog' might be hair ten inches down. Sorting symptom from source is most of the job; the repairs themselves are well-trodden.
This section covers shower and bathtub repair, shower valve service, new installation, and conversions, including walk-in tubs and tub-to-shower projects that live on the border with remodeling.
Our Services
Signs You Need This Service
Bathroom water symptoms, sorted by source:
- Dripping showerhead with the water off. The valve cartridge is passing water, the wall-mounted cousin of a dripping faucet.
- Temperature swinging hot and cold. A worn pressure-balancing cartridge losing its grip, especially noticeable when other fixtures run.
- Weak or uneven spray. Scaled showerhead or fouled cartridge; whole-house pressure issues route elsewhere.
- Water on the ceiling below. Three suspects: valve connections, the drain and overflow, or the pan and waterproofing. Each has a different test, and guessing wrong gets expensive.
- Slow tub or shower drainage. Hair and soap at the strainer and trap. It becomes drain territory once past the fixture's own hardware.
- Caulk and grout failures. Water finding paths at edges, the small maintenance that prevents pan-scale problems.
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Service Details & What's Included
The work this section covers:
- Shower and tub repair. Valves, cartridges, diverters, showerheads, tub spouts, drains and overflows, with access panels used before tile is ever touched.
- Shower valve replacement. Swapping worn or obsolete valves for pressure-balanced or thermostatic hardware, the fix for chronic temperature complaints.
- Installation and conversion. New showers and tubs, tub-to-shower conversions and walk-in tub installs: plumbing scope plus honest boundaries where tile and waterproofing trades take over.
- Pan leak diagnosis. Testing that separates pan failures from valve and drain leaks before any demolition is proposed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the shower drip when it is off?
The valve cartridge no longer seals between hot, cold and off. Replacing the cartridge, with the right one for that valve body, ends the drip; chronic hard water shortens cartridge life and is worth naming.
Why does the temperature fluctuate mid-shower?
The pressure-balancing element in the valve is worn or scaled, so it can no longer compensate when a toilet flushes or the washer fills. A cartridge replacement, or a thermostatic valve upgrade, is the fix.
Water is on the ceiling below the bathroom. Valve, drain or pan?
Timing tells: leaks only when the shower runs and water hits the floor point at the pan; leaks tracking drain use point at the drain or overflow; damp that appears even without showers points at pressurized valve connections. Testing in that order avoids opening the wrong surface.
When is slow shower drainage a drain-cleaning issue?
Once the blockage is past the strainer and stopper hardware, which it usually is. The fixture side is removing and cleaning the accessible hardware; recurring or deep blockage belongs to drain cleaning.
Repair or replace a shower valve?
Repair while cartridges exist and the body is sound. Replace when the body leaks, parts are discontinued, or you want modern temperature control, ideally through an access panel or during planned tile work, when the wall is already open.
Shower & Tub Service
Describe the symptom and its timing: when it drips, when it swings, when the ceiling spot grows. Timing is the diagnosis.
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