I live in a fairly old house. In my downstairs shower I get great hot water pressure, but no cold water pressure. I have two handles, one for cold and hot. Any suggestions on how I might fix the problem?

House gets water from the city. Not sure on the make/brand of the faucets but they are old...

More common for the hot to plug up but cold is also possible. Close your main and open both faucets. Remove the cartridge or valve stem and you will likely find debris. Not sure how to remove, try to give us a model/barnd.

Do I need to turn the water off before I take the handles off? Probably a stupid question, but I'm not very bright when it comes to homes otherwise I would have noticed the problems I was getting into. I will check on brands and get back to you. They are very old style. They look like wheels and have a screw in the middle...

Edit... Oops... I see you said to turn off the main...

The water can still be turned on at the main to remove the handles but further dismantling requires the main to be closed, I'd do it now.

Another novice question, but you mean shut it off locally, correct? Or do you mean the water to the whole house?

If you have two valves (stops) under the sink you can close them to shut off the water. If no valves under the sink then you close the main supply line coming into the home.

The brand is Kohler... also, the handles leak a bit when you turn them on...

Have the faucet replaced and sleep better at night.

You know what, normally I do try to repair most everything but this puppy does sound long in the tooth. Replacement is always a good option and you usually get something that looks great rather than an old dead horse. Skavy, can you do a replacement with our help or are you calling the pros? Good luck either way.

With your help (and a couple of my friends who are very handy) I think I can do it with you help. What all do I need to replace?

Lets look at the wall where the mixing valve is mounted, what is it made from and is there tile. After removing the handle and escutcheon plate do you feel you have enough room to work on removing the old valve?