Old shower valve is all washed up

[Gina]

I have a very old shower stall. It has the original single-handle mixing valve that constantly leaks.

I have not been able to find a plumber that wants to fix this valve.

The last plumber who looked at it said parts are no longer available and it needs to be replaced with a new mixing valve.

To do this will I have to open up the wall? Any other repair ideas I can explore to solve this issue?

[home improvement guy]

A shower mixing valve is the main component in a shower's plumbing system. But, just like any broken component, sometimes it may need to be replaced to solve the problem.

You mentioned more than one plumber has looked at the valve and no one has tried to fix it. This does not necessarily mean it can't be repaired. But, if parts are no longer available and the labor costs could be more to repair than replace, installing a new mixing valve may be the best option. Hopefully, you have an access panel on the wall behind the valve, and that can save on cosmetic work.

Ether way, once your plumber has access to the old valve, it can usually be cut out of the plumbing system and a new single handle valve can be installed in its place. The good news is you are not replacing an old two-handle valve with a new single-handle valve. That could require much more cosmetic work, and your single-handle valve job could be double the money.