Suitland's median home was built around 1973, so many bathrooms still have original two-handle or early single-lever shower valves. When one drips, scalds or will not hold temperature, the fix is often new washers, stems or a cartridge, though a valve with no available parts may need replacing. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Suitland.
Is a 1970s shower valve worth rebuilding?
Suitland grew fast after federal offices arrived during World War II and kept building for decades, so a lot of homes here carry bathroom plumbing from the 1950s through the 1970s. Valves from that era often have separate hot and cold handles, each with a stem that presses a rubber washer against a brass seat. When the washer hardens or the seat pits, water seeps past no matter how tight you turn it. A plumber can usually replace the washers and resurface or replace the seats, provided stems for that brand are still sold.
Rebuilding stops making sense when the stems are no longer made, the body is corroded, or the household wants protection against scalding. Older two-handle valves have no pressure-balancing feature, so a flushed toilet can send the shower hot. Replacing the valve with a modern single-lever pressure-balancing model fixes that for good.
Will the job reach the pipes in the wall?
Sometimes. In homes this age the lines feeding the shower may be copper or older galvanized steel. Galvanized pipe can be rusted at the threads, and turning a fitting can break it inside the wall. If a plumber finds that, the repair grows to include short runs of new pipe. Tell them the age of the house and any past remodel when you call, so they plan for it.
Who supplies the water, and who issues permits?
WSSC Water serves Suitland, treating Potomac and Patuxent river water with chlorine and a corrosion inhibitor. WSSC owns the service line from the main to the property line; from there inward, the plumbing is yours. WSSC Water Permit Services, not Prince George's County, handles plumbing permits and inspections. Simple valve repairs rarely need one, while new piping work may.
A Suitland note
Many Suitland houses have a single full bath, so a shower that cannot be shut off or used is a bigger problem than in a newer home with spares. If the valve will not close, shut the house main and call; a plumber can often cap the shower lines so the rest of the house has water while parts are found.
Shower Valve Repair questions in Suitland
What kind of valve is likely behind the trim in an older home here?
Why does my shower turn scalding or icy when someone flushes a toilet?
What should I do if the shower won't shut off?
Can a plumber limit how hot the shower gets?
More plumbing services in Suitland
Shower Valve Repair nearby
Sources
Last updated: