A leaky showerhead can be quite an annoyance, not to mention it can be a costly annoyance. After all, a leaking shower head or faucet can lead to wasted money, thus wasting as much as five gallons a day (for a fast leak/60 drips per minute). Most of the time, you can fix your leaky shower head, but if it turns out to be more complicated, we always suggest calling Central Florida’s own Rainaldi Home Services.
The first step is to determine where the leak is coming from in your shower. Is the leak coming from behind the shower head’s faceplate, which wraps around the showerhead pipe, covering the tile? Or is the leak coming when the water has been turned off?
Option #1: Give it a thorough cleaning
Depending on the age of your home and its fixtures, you may have a buildup from hard water (and we know how Central Florida has hard water). You may notice a difference in the water pressure coming from your shower head because of hard water deposits filling up the holes of the showerhead. This forces water to back up, seeking other places to escape, like behind the faceplate or from the junction of the showerhead and arm.
Try soaking the showerhead in white vinegar overnight. This action will soften the mineral deposits, allowing you to scrub away anything left over after the soak. Use an old toothbrush to get into the crevices of the showerhead. Reinstall and run water through the shower to completely clear out the holes.
Option #2: Refresh and renew
Over time, washers and O-rings that are supposed to provide a watertight seal in faucets and plumbing can become worn out. They harden and split, which allows water to seep through. If you see leaks from the swivel assembly of your shower head, remove the showerhead and replace it with a new one.
In bath and shower faucets with two different handles (hot and cold), there could be a leak from the washer in the assembly of the compression faucet. After investigating to see which handle is the culprit, turn off the water supply. Then, remove the faulty handle and slip off the cover so you can access the inside of the faucet (the “stem”). Remove the hex nut that secures the stem with a deep socket wrench, and then remove the rubber washer. Replace with a new rubber washer and reassemble.
Option #3: When in doubt, call the expert plumbers at Rainaldi
If these simple fixes don’t solve the leaking mystery, contact Orlando’s best plumbers by calling Rainaldi at (407) 413-9795 to schedule an appointment. Don’t let the leaks drive you mad and your water bills higher. Investing in having a professional plumber fix a frustrating leak can wind up saving you in the long run.