Shower repair in San Antonio, TX
A shower that drips, runs too hot or too cold, or leaks into the room below can usually be fixed through the trim plate without touching your tile.
Signs you need this
- Showerhead keeps dripping after it is turned off
- Temperature swings when someone uses water elsewhere
- Handle is hard to turn or will not reach full hot
- Water stain on a ceiling or wall near the bathroom
Why it happens
Most shower valves wear the same way: the cartridge or washers inside lose their seal, and scale makes the mixing parts sticky. A stain below a bathroom is different. It can be the valve, the drain gasket, the pan, or grout that lets water behind the tile, and each one has a different fix. We figure out which before anything is opened.
What we check first
- Valve brand so the right cartridge or stem is used
- Drip test with the valve closed
- Drain and pan with a flood test when a leak is suspected
- Shower arm and head connections for leaks behind the wall
Your options
Cartridge or stem replacement
Fixes drips and temperature trouble in most single-handle and two-handle valves.
Valve replacement
When the body is worn or parts are gone. We cut the smallest access possible, often from the closet side.
Drain or pan repair
For leaks that only show up when the shower is used, confirmed with a water test first.
Before we get there
- Find the brand name on the trim or handle
- Clear the tub or shower floor
- Locate the main shut-off in case the valve has no stops
What affects the price
Most shower repairs are a cartridge and an hour of labor. Price goes up when the valve has no built-in stops and the house has to be shut off, when the stem is seized, or when the valve body has to be replaced and the wall opened. We start with the least invasive fix.
Hard water is the usual reason shower cartridges here fail early. If yours is on its second or third cartridge in a few years, it is worth talking about a softener or at least a scale filter for the line.
Shower repair questions
Will you have to break my tile?
Most repairs go through the trim plate, so no. If the valve body itself has to be replaced, we look for access from the back side of the wall first.
Why does my shower get scalding when the toilet flushes?
Older valves do not balance pressure. A new cartridge sometimes helps, and a pressure balance valve fixes it for good.
Is a small ceiling stain urgent?
It means water is going where it should not. It is worth a look soon, before the drywall or framing gets soft.
Can you fix a shower that has low pressure?
Often. Scale in the head, a clogged cartridge or a partly closed stop are common causes, and they are cheap to fix.