Many homeowners take a shower and bath system for granted. The inner workings of a tub run hot water and cold water and can instantly send the water to either the tub itself or up through a showerhead. With so many elements, the parts may wear down over time. Before things go from bad to worse, check out some of the signs that you need a valve replacement.
When a plumber replaces your bath valves, you will have increased pressure and more accurate temperatures and help reduce water waste in the home. Check out some of the signs and know when to contact a plumber.
1. Faucet Leaks
One of the easiest signs to spot includes a faucet leak. With a tub faucet shut off, you may notice a slow drip still escapes the faucet. The drips showcase an issue with the valve. Wear and tear over time can result in the leaks, and the leaks may expand as the problem worsens.
A valve replacement will remove the worn parts and prevent leaks in the tub. If water continuously drips from the faucet, you will waste energy and could see higher bills as a result.
2. Shower-to-Tub Transition Issues
A leak may not occur just when the tub remains off. If you switch from the tub faucet to the shower, then you may notice a leak through the tub faucet while the shower runs. The leak most likely occurs due to a worn-out diverter spindle. The spindle itself can wear down along with the rubber washers and filters that block out water.
Eroded parts wear down over time, and a plumber can securely replace the parts to ensure the shower does not leak. When the leak occurs, the water pressure out of the showerhead may reduce, and you could have wildly uneven water temperatures if only hot or cold water goes through the leak as opposed to the showerhead itself.
3. Tight Shut-Off
When you turn off a bath or shower, the handle should easily glide into place and provide a secure shut-off. The lube on rotating parts could have worn away, along with the parts themselves. If you need to use excessive force to shut off the water completely, then you may need new parts.
A whole new valve system will change the way you operate the water and provide you with much smoother control. If you struggle each time to force the water off, then you could do even more wear to the valve system and create bigger issues. For example, the hot water seat or the cold water seat could crack and cause a non-stop leak.
Contact a plumber when you notice any signs of change to the shut-off process. Sometimes, just extra lube will help if no damage has occurred on other parts.
4. Irregular Temperatures
Inside a bathtub valves are two parts known as seats. The valve typically contains a hot water seat and a cold water seat. Those parts control the flow of the specific water directly to the tub. Over time, the seats may loosen or wear down. If worn, then you may notice irregular temperatures in the tub.
Some days, a shower may feel burning hot. On other days, a tub may only supply cold water. A plumber can replace both hot and cold water seats to ensure the temperatures remain consistent. You do not want to play a guessing game each time you go to bathe. The part replacement can also help reduce the amount of water you waste as you find a good temperature.
Make an appointment with us at First Class Plumbing, LLC, to fix your shower. The earlier you address the problem, the fewer issues you will run into in the future.