Most Johns Creek homes were built in the 1980s and 1990s, and their single-lever shower valves are now at the age when cartridges wear out, causing drips and temperature swings. A plumber can usually replace the cartridge through the trim. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Johns Creek.
Why are so many Johns Creek showers starting to drip?
Age. Census survey figures put the median Johns Creek home at 1995, and about two-thirds of homes were built from 1980 to 1999. Only about 4% predate 1980. Showers from that period almost all have single-lever valves, many of them early pressure-balancing designs, and their cartridges and O-rings have now had 25 to 40 years of use.
That wear shows up as a drip after shutoff, a handle that sticks, or temperature that jumps when someone flushes. In most cases a new cartridge from the same brand restores the valve without touching the tile.
Does the water in Johns Creek affect the valve?
Johns Creek is served by Fulton County's water system, and the county's Tom Lowe treatment plant, which treats Chattahoochee River water for north Fulton, sits right in the city. Fulton's report lists chlorine disinfection and added fluoride. Treated water gradually ages rubber seals in any valve, so a drip that slowly worsens is normal wear rather than a water problem.
Fulton County also publishes a lead service line inventory for checking the line serving your home, though that covers the utility side, not the valve in the wall.
Will the city require a permit?
Johns Creek requires a Trade Permit for any plumbing system work, applied for through the city's Customer Self-Service portal. A cartridge swap is usually considered repair. A full valve replacement, especially one that involves opening the wall and new connections, is the kind of job that typically needs the permit. The plumber can confirm.
When the plumber arrives, expect the water to be off for the length of the job. Many Johns Creek homes have a shutoff at the water heater and a main near the front of the house, so knowing where both are speeds things up. If a permit is needed, the plumber can handle the application.
A local note
Fulton County is responsible for the water line from the main to the meter, and the homeowner from the meter to the house. A shower valve is always on the private side, so it's a plumber job. Many Johns Creek homes have several bathrooms with the same valve brand, so if one fails, it may be worth checking the others during the same visit.
Shower Valve Repair questions in Johns Creek
Our house is fairly new. Can the shower valve already be failing?
The shower jumps hot or cold when a toilet flushes. What is wearing out?
Do I need a permit to replace a shower valve here?
Does the chlorine in our tap water wear out valve seals?
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