What if you turn off the showerhead after your usage, and it does not shut off? Instead, it will keep on dripping the water continuously on the bathroom surface. It seems to be quite annoying, right? The few drops may not seem like a problem for many, but if those drops convert into bills, you will observe it as quite increasing in a year. Along with this, a leaking showerhead can be problematic for both the bathroom’s floor and the wall. Over some time, the wall may be damaged due to water, or the floor becomes more slippery. It is better to fix the showerhead problem before getting late. Firstly, it is important what the causes of leakage are.
Causes for a Leaky Showerhead
Frequently the showerhead will be clogged whether it is handheld or fixed. Dirt, minerals, and mold block the holes, and even if you turn the faucet too high, the water coming out from the shower will become slow due to these minerals, mold, or dirt in the showerhead. Once you shut off the shower, the leftover water in the pipes will slowly start dripping.
Another cause is due to faulty diverters. The nuts and screws will naturally wear out when a different diverter panel is used for fixed, handheld showerhead, and bathtub. With the build of sediment in the diverter, water can’t flow through and start leaking from shower holes or within walls.
The other cause is because of its defective rubber washer. There are 2 rubber washers, one for a showerhead and the other one for the faucet. After some duration, these rubber washers may simply crack or wear out. Water oozes through, regardless of how tautly you spin the lever, and it also drips through the crack.
How To Fix A Leaky Shower?
Now we have an idea about the causes for a leaky showerhead. Now proceed to stop these problems. The showerhead, which is leaking, can be treated using 4 different ways. Let us look into them in detail.
Cleaning a Clogged Showerhead
For this, you are required to turn off the water supply either to your bathroom or to your house. Now you need to take out the faceplate of the showerhead. You can still remove the complete showerhead if you wish. After removing the faceplate or showerhead, dip it into the vinegar. The dirt particles and impurities will get dissolved in the vinegar solution for making the showerhead clear and clean, after completion of this process, “ON” the water supply to your home. Make the showerhead “ON” so that any vinegar particles do not remain in the holes.
Replacing the Diverter
To do this, stop the water supply to your bathroom. Now uncover the adapter nuts and faucet to get into the valve. To take out the diverter valve, unbolt the hex nut. After taking the valve out, clean it with a stiff wire brush and dip it in vinegar, and ensure that you will clean it very efficiently. If cleaning does not clear this issue, you probably need to replace the diverter.
Replacing the Rubber Washer
Changing the rubber washer can stop the showerhead leakage, but there is one problem. With the showerhead and shower faucet, you have to find out which rubber washer to replace. With a simple rule, you can find it out. If you have a two-handle faucet, you require replacing the washer in a faucet. For a single-handle faucet, you should replace the washer protecting the showerhead.
Replacing a Cartridge Valve
To change the cartridge valve, first, you need to open the faucet. Unbolt the screw and take out the handle using faucet pullers or by hand. Once the handle is removed, you will see a stop tube as it is a single-handle faucet. Also, take out the washer to depict the cartridge stem. Now you need to remove the stem, and it depends on the company you bought it from. After removing the cartridge, place it with the same new cartridge.
Tips to Repair Leaky Shower Filter
Here are some tips for handling any additional issues that may happen with the fittings other than shower filter.
- If the closed showerhead is still dripping the water, then don’t turn the faucet tightly because it might break the valve leading to further more problems.
- Cover the shower floor or tub with rags, particularly when you are trying to stop a leaky shower head. Also, make sure that you cover the drain to avoid any small parts from going in.
- Stop the water supply to the bathroom when you are working on a leaking valve. If you are unable to find the controls for stopping the water supply to the shower, shut off the whole water supply to your home. Now, drain out the complete water from pipes by turning the bathroom sink “on.”
- Try to complete the repair as soon as possible because you might require water for various other purposes. Keep ready your instructions and tools nearby, so that you can perform the repair quickly.
Final Words
Leaky showerheads and faucets can lead to many different problems, from a pricey electric bill to damaged walls in the bathroom. You can prevent such leakage problems by getting knowledge on how to replace the valve. Repairing a showerhead leakage might look like a task for a plumber, but you can also do it. With the help of the instructions provided in this article, you can resolve leakage issues with ease.