Small repairs · Minneapolis – St. Paul Metro Area
Dripping shower, or water that won't hold its temperature? It's the cartridge.
Free in-home estimate · Flat price before we start · Usually fixed in one visit
Most shower problems live in one replaceable part behind the handle. We'll tell you honestly whether yours needs the cartridge or the whole valve — and why.
- 5.0 on Google
- MN License PM652496
- Family-owned
What you're seeing
Sound familiar?
- A drip from the showerhead or tub spout with the handle fully off
- A handle that's stiff, gritty, or spins past where it used to stop
- Temperature that drifts or swings when someone flushes or runs a tap
- Weak flow at the shower while other fixtures are fine
What's actually going on
Behind the handle is a cartridge — the part that mixes hot and cold and shuts the water off. Minerals and worn seals make it drip, stick, or lose its pressure balance. On most modern valves the cartridge is replaceable without opening the wall, as long as the valve body behind it is sound and the manufacturer still makes the part. When the body is corroded, the brand is long gone, or it's a very old two- or three-handle setup, the full valve is the honest answer.
The visit
What we do — and it's usually one trip
We come out, look at the actual problem, and give you a flat-rate price on the spot. If you approve, we fix it right then — the truck carries the parts this job needs.
Identify the valve brand and model from the trim — that tells us whether a cartridge is available
Shut the water, pull the old cartridge, and clean the valve body of scale
Install the new cartridge, reset the temperature limit stop so it can't scald, and rebuild the trim
Run it through the full range and check for drips at the head, the spout, and behind the wall where possible
When it's more than a small repair
If the valve body itself is the problem, replacing it means opening the wall behind or in front of the shower. We'll show you what we found, explain the access, and put a flat price in writing before anything is opened. A cartridge swap that won't hold isn't a fix — we'd rather tell you that up front.
If something's not right after we leave, we come back and make it right — no charge, no argument. That's the Loon Promise.
Good to know
Shower valve & cartridge questions, answered straight
Why does my shower go cold when someone flushes?
Older valves have no pressure balancing, so a toilet refilling steals cold water and the shower swings hot. Modern pressure-balancing cartridges and valves fix that — it's a real safety upgrade, especially with kids or older family members.
Can you match my existing trim?
Usually. A new cartridge keeps your existing handle and trim. If the whole valve is replaced, we'll walk you through trim options and try to match the finish you have.
Is a dripping shower urgent?
It's not an emergency, but a drip is water and, if it's the hot side, energy — and a stuck cartridge only gets harder to remove. Sooner is cheaper.
Request service
Tell us about your shower valve & cartridge
Send the form and we'll call you back — usually within the hour during business hours. In a hurry or standing in water? Skip the form:
(612) 445-6346Same-day & emergency service available.
Prefer email? hello@loonplumbing.com