There is nothing worse than the sound of a dripping showerhead, it brings fear into the mind of every homeowner – wasted water, wasted money and possibly an unseen leak that is damaging your home.
What causes a dripping showerhead?
Many things can cause a dripping shower head. Here are the top five causes of dripping showerheads.
Limescale
The most simple to deal with is limescale or debris build-up in the holes in the showerhead, restricting the passage of water and causing it to pool inside the head and drip out. To fix this you can either use an acidic solution like vinegar or lemon juice, soak the head overnight and give it a good scrub, or buy commercial products from your local hardware shop. Both methods will dissolve limescale and dislodge debris.
O-rings and washers
Another issue that can cause dripping shower heads is worn and degraded O-rings and rubber washers within the hardware. These seals are an integral part of the water-tightness of the showerhead and if they fail, water will leak out. These seals and rings can wear at different rates depending on several factors and, unfortunately, sometimes they can come out of the factory with damage which causes them to fail quickly.
Faulty valves
If your shower head drips long after you have turned off the water, it may be a faulty valve behind the shower mixer. Once this has been removed and inspected, you may find the valve itself is fine, you just need new gaskets and grommets, whilst doing this will save some money in the short run, we always recommend a full replacement, to future proof the repair.
Shower hose
Sometimes a dripping showerhead might not be an issue with the showerhead itself, but with the shower hose, or the connection between the shower hose and head. Small cracks or splits in the hose, or cracks/ threading of the hose and head connection can cause leaking that is easily mistaken as coming from the head itself.
Water leak
The worst cause of a dripping showerhead is an unseen water leak or an issue with your water lines or pressure. This can mean that water is leaking in an area that you can’t see and is most likely causing hidden damage. This is a real issue for many homeowners as not only will there be damage, growing more extensive (and expensive) over time, but many insurance policies have very low caps on ‘hidden gradual damage’ claims, meaning that they will not cover the full cost of repairs.
Should you repair your dripping showerhead?
Google is full of DIY fixes for many dripping shower head causes, but correctly diagnosing the cause of the problem is essential for avoiding long-term damage to your home. It can soon turn into a nightmare if you fix a leaking shower head, only to be hiding a leak that then causes major water damage. In addition, some repairs must be carried out by professionals to be covered by insurance.
For this reason, we believe that most shower repairs are best left to professionals to diagnose and repair.
The Shower Doctor will come to your home and diagnose the cause of your dripping showerhead and discuss with you the best option for repair. We carry a large number of fittings and can complete most repairs on the spot, or we will organise a time to return to complete the repair.
If we need to bring in a plumber to assist we will organise this, making the whole experience stress-free and easy for you.
Contact the shower doctor today for reliable service and get experienced, professional repairs to your shower.