My Shower Head Is Leaking Constantly

The source of the leak can be located in the shower head itself or the faucet.

Normally your shower head should not leak water for more than a few moments after you shut the faucet off. A leaking shower head is an annoyance, wastes water, and can create an unsightly stain on the floor of the shower. To eliminate the problem, you must replace the wearable parts, both in the shower head itself and in the shower's faucet, restoring the watertight seal necessary to prevent leaking.

Things You'll Need

• New shower-head washer
• Phillips screwdriver
• Pliers
• Flat-head screwdriver
• Cartridge puller
• New faucet cartridge

Instructions

1. Unscrew the shower head from its pipe and pry out the rubber washer in the portion of the shower head that connects to the pipe. Press a new washer into the connection piece of the shower head, then twist it back onto the pipe.

2. Turn off the water in the house by closing the main water valve. Remove the anchor screw in the shower handle, located either under a plastic cap or in a small hole in the base of the handle.

3. Remove the handle from the faucet, and slide the metal washer on the cartridge stem off. Pry out the retaining clip on the side of the cartridge, using a flat-head screwdriver for leverage, and set the clip aside.

4. Twist the faucet cartridge counterclockwise with a pair of pliers to remove it from the faucet. If the cartridge will not turn, slide a cartridge puller tool over the cartridge, lining up the notches in the cartridge and the tool, and twist the cartridge out of the faucet.

5. Slide a new cartridge into the faucet, lining up the notches in the cartridge with the notches in the faucet assembly. Replace the metal washer and retaining clip, then slide the handle back on and tighten the retaining screw.

References

• Family Handyman: How to Fix a Dripping Shower