A dripping shower wastes water, leaves limescale marks and is mostly just annoying. The good news: most leaks happen in a few predictable places, and you can fix them yourself, often with a rubber washer that costs a few cents. Here is how to find the leak.
In short
- Leaking at the head or hose connection? Usually the rubber sealing washer is worn, out of place or missing.
- Head still dripping when the tap is off? A little dripping is normal. If it keeps going, the tap is not closing properly.
- Is the hose itself leaking? Then the inner hose is damaged and you replace the hose.
Step 1: find where the water comes from
Dry the head, hose and tap with a cloth. Turn the shower on and watch where the first drop appears. These four places are the most common:
- Between the shower head and the hose.
- Between the hose and the tap or wall outlet.
- Along the hose itself, or from the metal sheath.
- From the nozzles while the tap is closed.
Leak at the head or tap: the sealing washer
Shower heads and shower hoses connect with a half-inch thread. The water is held back by a rubber washer inside the nut, not by the thread itself. Over time that washer dries out, tears or shifts. It also happens that after a swap there is no washer at all, or two.
- Turn the tap off and unscrew the nut. Stiff? Use an open-ended or adjustable spanner with a cloth in between. Water pump pliers damage the nut.
- Look inside the nut. There should be one intact, supple washer lying flat. If it is hard, torn or squashed, replace it.
- Remove limescale and dirt from the thread and from the edge the washer presses against.
- Tighten the nut by hand, then at most a little extra. Overtightening actually crushes the washer.
PTFE tape around the thread can help if a connection keeps weeping, but it does not replace a good washer. Read more about the connections in choosing a shower hose.
Shower head with filter? On the Besjaar Shower Head with Filter, the filter cartridge sits behind the hose connection. If it leaks there after changing the filter, check that the cartridge is straight and the washer is back in place.
Water from the handle or the edge of the head
Is water coming out of a seam in the handle, or are nozzles spraying in every direction? Often the nozzles are partly blocked by limescale, so the water looks for another way out. Descale the head and try again. If it still leaks from the handle afterwards, the head itself is leaking and replacing it is the best solution.
The shower head keeps dripping
After showering, the water still in the head and hose runs out. A few drops in the first minutes are therefore normal. Still dripping after fifteen minutes, or all night? Then the tap lets water through while it is closed. Often a tap washer or the tap cartridge is worn. A new shower head won't fix that; a new tap part will. If in doubt, call an installer.
Is the hose itself leaking?
Is water coming out of the hose sheath, or do you see a wet spot halfway along? Then the inner hose is damaged. You can't repair that: you replace the hose. A kinked, stiff hose or one that keeps getting tangled is also better replaced, because that is often where it starts.
When should you call an installer?
For leaks before the tap: water from the wall, from the tap's own couplings, or a tap that keeps leaking when closed and that you can't fix yourself. The shower head and hose are always a job you can do yourself; see replacing a shower head in 5 minutes.
New washers in the box
All Besjaar shower heads fit the standard half-inch connection. The Besjaar Rain Shower with Hose comes with two seals, and the shower heads with filter come with two rubber sealing washers and PTFE tape. Is your hose due for replacement? Then choose a set with hose, such as the Rain Shower with Hose or the Besjaar Shower Head with Hose and Filter, both with a 1.5-metre hose.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my new shower head leaking at the connection?
Usually the rubber washer is missing, crooked, or there are two. Check the nut and tighten it by hand.
Is it normal for a shower head to keep dripping?
For a few minutes, yes: the last water runs out of the head and hose. If it keeps dripping for a long time, the tap is not closing properly.
Does PTFE tape help against a leaking shower head?
Sometimes, as an extra. On a shower head or hose, the rubber washer seals the connection. Without a good washer, tape usually won't help.
Besjaar makes shower heads and filters for Dutch bathrooms, from Assen. Better water, every day.