Bathrooms | Home Maintenance

Repairing that Leaky Shower Head Nuisance

A leaking shower-head can be much like the leaky faucet. This is a nuisance we all cannot stand. Not only is it annoying believe it or not it is also costly. It could be even more costly if its hot water that is what is leaking leaky shower headfrom your shower head. To fix this problem you will need to know what to look for and what is the main cause of the leak. If you can determine why the shower head is leaking you can be repair it yourself. Not having to call in a plumber can help you to save money and could prevent some costly unnecessary repairs. We will look at what you will need to do to determine what is causing your shower-head to leak.

In order to determine what needs to be done to fix the leaking shower head, you will need to start from the top. There are a couple of things you can examine on the shower-head itself to determine if the leak is coming for the shower head itself. Of course the first thing that need to be done is to shut off the water supply to the shower. When you shut of the water supply and water is still coming from the upper lines of the shower head you will need to look further into the faucet and piping of your shower. If the water is not coming from the fitting the shower head is installed, you have a problem with the shower head itself.

The shower head over time will develop calcium deposits from the water that is flowing through the fixture. When this happens the shower head hole could become restricted by the clogging holes. This clog will develop a backpressure in the shower had that is not usually found in the shower head. When this backpressure develops it will cause the rubber seal in the showerhead to begin to leak. It would be a good idea to clean out the clogged hole and soak the showerhead in a water and vinegar solution for about 24 hours. Replace the showerhead and try the shower to see if this has cured your problem.

If not, you will need to move on to the faucets itself. There are two types of valves that can be found in the shower Leaky Showerheadfaucet. These valves are known as a diverter valve and a cartridge valve. Both of these valve are constructed with O-rings that can deteriorate and need to be replaced over time. If the O-rings are damaged these valves will not shut the water supply to the shower head off completely. This will cause the shower head to leak and drip. Either type of these valves can easily be removed and the O-rings replaced. In some cases, you will not be able to replace the rings you will have to replace the entire cartridge. But replacing the cartridge will still be much easier than replacing the entire shower faucet.

This is a repair that can be accomplished yourself saving you money.

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3 Comments

  1. I like your tip to start at the top when trying to determine where the leak is coming from. My shower has has a slow drip when turned off, and I realized that it is startin to get worse. If it is not a showerhead or faucet problem could it be caused by the pipes? I think I might call a professional to look at it just in case. I would rather get the job done fast and right the first time instead of me messing thing up or missing the problem. thanks for sharing this information!

  2. Examining the shower when it is off is a great way to try to determine what may be causing the leak. As you brought up, it could be coming from the head itself or the fitting it’s attached to. A professional will be able to help determine the issue if you can’t or are looking to save time.

  3. ToxeNRald351 says:

    Thanks a lot for this text, it’s really useful. I used to call in a plumber, but now I can deal with such problems by myself. But, if you’re done with searching the main problem of leaking shower, I recommend you, and all other readers, to fully change, or clean, some parts of shower and water supply system over time.
    Still, I appreciate your attention, that you’re giving to some details. This makes the process of repeating shower even easier.

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