Shower Valve Repair in Sun City West, AZ

Signs the valve needs work

• Dripping from the showerhead that keeps on after the handle is closed
• A sudden hot or cold spike when the washer, dishwasher or a toilet runs
• A handle that takes two hands to turn or feels loose on its stem
• Water that never gets quite as hot as it used to
• Damp carpet, baseboard or drywall next to the shower

Sudden temperature changes deserve quick attention here. A shower that surges hot is a burn and fall risk, and fixing it is usually a straightforward cartridge job.

Sun City West conditions

Sun City West is an unincorporated Del Webb retirement community on about 11,000 acres west of Sun City, completed in 1997, with a median age around 74. EPCOR supplies water from wells in the West Salt River Valley sub-basin and reports hardness of 3 to 11 grains per gallon, disinfected with chlorine. Depending on where your home falls in that range, scale may be mild or moderate, but decades of use still wear the seals and cartridges in a valve.

Because building wrapped up in the 1990s, many bathrooms have their original valves. Some take parts that are still made; others come from lines that have been discontinued. When a rebuild is not practical, replacing the valve with a current pressure-balancing or thermostatic model is a good safety upgrade, and a plumber can set the limit stop to keep the hot side below scalding.

What changes the cost

• Rebuild or replace. New stems or cartridges cost less than a new valve.
• Parts availability. Discontinued valves can force a replacement.
• Wall access. Tile, fiberglass or a panel behind the shower.
• Accessibility changes. Moving the valve lower or adding a hand shower adds work.
• Permits. As an unincorporated area, Sun City West uses Maricopa County Planning and Development, which issues like-for-like plumbing repair permits online.

When you call

You will be connected with an independent plumber who serves Sun City West. Mention the age of the bathroom, the number of handles and anything about the shower that is hard to use. If water will not shut off, close the main shutoff first. Utility-side problems go to EPCOR at 1-800-383-0834.