How To Fix A Leaking Shower Head

A leaking shower head not only wastes water but we all know how annoying that dripping sound could be! This is quite a common household problem that we frequently come across and we’ve come up with ways on how to fix your leaking shower head. There can be many reasons as to why your shower head is leaking but not all of them require a plumber to come in.

It’s difficult to determine the reason behind the leak without getting behind the wall.

Here’s a step by step guide on how to fix a leaking shower head:

1. Turn off your water supply. If you’re able to only turn off the water to your shower you can do that otherwise you will need to turn off the water supply to your whole house.
2. Cover the drain and bottom of the shower with a large towel.
3. Remove the shower head. You can do this by either unscrewing it with your hands or use pliers and a crescent wrench to remove it from the wall.
4. If the washers and/or rubber o-rings look damaged or old, they should be replaced.
5. If they look like they’re in good condition, rewrap the threads on the pipe with tape to seal any gaps with the piping and shower head.
6. Clean your shower head by soaking it in vinegar for a couple of hours.
7. Use hot water to rinse the shower head and grab a bristle to scrub between the nozzles.
8. Dry the shower head with a clean towel.
9. Reattach the shower head to the wall. Ensure its tightened well.
10. Turn your water supply back on to check if your shower head is still leaking or not.

Still encountering a leaking shower head once these steps are all completed? Your problem may be bigger and lie within a malfunctioning diverter valve or cartridge valve. This will require cleaning all areas of the valves and replacing the malfunctioning parts. It’s best to give your local electrician a call to ensure your leaking shower doesn’t give you any more trouble than it already has! Give our team a call on 03 9909 5307 for a free quote on your leaking shower repairs.