If you notice that your shower head continues to leak water after it’s been turned off for a while, then you may be having a problem with the shower faucet (valve). You want to get this issue fixed as soon as possible, not only to stop the annoying drip, drip, drip but also to stop wasting money on that dripping water.

Normally, the problems that may be causing this leak are any one of the following.

  • worn out seals in the shower faucet
  • corroded parts such as o-rings and gaskets
  • clogs in the shower head due to hard water deposits

If you have some handyman skills you may be able to do the job of replacing any worn out or corroded parts yourself. If not, we recommend you contact a plumber to come in and make the necessary repairs.

How To Fix A Leaky Shower Faucet

Each model and brand of shower faucet will have a different set of instructions so if you are attempting to fix your shower faucet yourself, we recommend you read those instructions (you can get most if not all of them online) prior to beginning your project.

Below are the general steps to fixing a leaking shower faucet.

Tools and items needed are:

  • Purchase a faucet washer kit at your local hardware store to have on hand.
  • A plumber’s deep socket
  • Plumber’s grease

Step 1 – Turn off the main water valve which turns off all the water to your house.

Step 2 – Cover the drain in the shower floor / tub to keep any pieces of debris falling down there. It wouldn’t hurt also to protect the floor of the shower / tub as well.

Step 3 – Remove the faucet handle. The instructions for this will defer depending on which model you have.

Step 4 – Remove the trim and the sleeve that you’ll find over the faucet stem and remove the faucet stem.

Step 5 – Replace all the faucet washers, o-rings and seals.

Step 6 – Replace the faucet stem, it’s trim and sleeve. But first make sure to lubricate the treads using plumber’s grease.

Step 7 – Replace the faucet handle but don’t tighten it.

Step 8 – Test your shower for any leaks, if there are no leaks, continue. If you do find that it’s still leaking – we recommend you contact a plumber to investigate the problem.

Step 9 – Finish installing the shower faucet.

These basic steps should help you to get rid of that leaky shower head. If the problem persists, there may be other issues involved that are causing the leak. For these more complicated situations, we suggest you contact your plumber.

If you have any questions about plumbing leaks, call Atlantis Plumbing today at 770-505-8570. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.