Shower head is leaking, how do I troubleshoot the issue? (My hypothesis as well)

Submitted by Hagisman t3_zsqnrp in DIY

My wife and I bought a new home and the shower head for the bathroom is leaking. But its not leaking in a way I've seen before.

The shower head has two heads: one at the normal place and one handheld (Shower only not bathtub). From my perspective both showerheads leak from where the water should be coming out, but only one which is currently "in use".

https://preview.redd.it/fkogbbqw9h7a1.png?width=898&format=png&auto=webp&s=0a2e57632b6841471d46bc72bb4143064c89ed2e

Now because the normal showerhead was leaking I tried moving the lever so the water was coming out of the handheld head instead of the normal showerhead. What ended up happening was the handheld head began to leak instead. This makes me think the issue isn't with the heads themselves, but with another part of the shower. (One which is likely not as accessible to me and would require a plumber) I'm guessing the valve isn't fully closing when the faucet/knob/lever is fully closed/turned off.

What do you all think? Is this an easy issue to fix or will I have to get a plumber?

Edit: Clarification the shower heads are dripping when not in use. I put a garbage bag over one of them and it collected about a pint of water after a day.

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TheRealMrNarwhal t1_j19iqox wrote

You most likely need a new shower cartridge. I had the same issue with my tub recently. It's pretty easy to do by yourself if you can find the correct replacement parts. There are a bunch of videos on YouTube.

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dxrey65 t1_j19px87 wrote

Remember to shut off the water first, usually at the water main. Shouldn't need to be said, but...

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chaosgasket t1_j19zaw8 wrote

This is exactly what I was going to say. I also have a multi-head shower and the cartridge needs to be cleaned out every 8 months or so or one of the heads will inevitably start dripping. It's a pretty easy process that really just requires a screwdriver. And remembering to turn off the water is crucial to not launch the cartridge across your shower when you get it loose 😂

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Nothing_ t1_j1b19nr wrote

Get a water softener.

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chaosgasket t1_j1b1o9v wrote

Yeah, whenever the water heater conks out we're going to do a whole house filtration and softening thing but just haven't wanted to go there yet.

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idontknowwhynot t1_j19bdjb wrote

Leaking from where? Where the water is supposed to come out? Or where the base is screwed in? Might just need some thread tape.

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Hagisman OP t1_j19buq5 wrote

From where the water should be coming out.

Added clarification to the post

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Alwayssunnyinarizona t1_j19cmt1 wrote

Figure out the brand. The valve cartridge is what you'll need to replace. That may be above your head, but I'd start looking those terms up.

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TinKicker t1_j19dse8 wrote

You are correct. Your valve that controls the water flow is not fully closing. The show heads are simply where that water ends up coming out. I would assume that, since this is a new house, the builder will fix the issue?

Your photo doesn’t show the make/model of your valve. But it’s typically just a faceplate between the valve handle and the actual inner workings of the valve.

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Hagisman OP t1_j19h2es wrote

Not a new house in the sense of built. We bought it recently. The previous owner did a fair number of home improvements.

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IxI_DUCK_IxI t1_j19ougk wrote

Not sure your budget, but shower heads are super cheap and easy to replace. Just takes a wrench to get started. As others have said it sounds like a problem with the valve in the shower head itself, and if you're gonna start pulling apart the shower head anyways, might aswell just replace it.

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texag93 t1_j19weh1 wrote

Many home sales contracts include a year of home warranty coverage paid for by the seller. Since you bought it recently, it might be worth seeing if that's covered.

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bcvickers t1_j19in2i wrote

The shower heads themselves are completely dumb non-operable devices. They don't have any valves in them and only distribute the water they are fed, from the valve. Your valve is leaking.

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brock_lee t1_j19bf00 wrote

How does it leak? My shower head drips from the ball joint about once per second when taking a shower. I don't even worry about it, since there's a bunch of water flying around already :)

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Hagisman OP t1_j19c6ru wrote

Thank you, I added clarification to the post.

The shower heads drip when not in use. About 1 pint a day I think.

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kittenrice t1_j19cvn1 wrote

[the] "showerheads leak from where the water should be coming out"

As in: "the water dribbles out rather than spraying"?

Is this a new problem, or has it been this way since you moved in?

If it's a new problem, is it cold where you live right now?

If it's new and it's cold, it could be a mostly frozen pipe. Turn the water on in the shower to halfway between hot and cold (so both lines are running) and just leave it for 30 minutes. Does the flow improve?

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Hagisman OP t1_j19dvrc wrote

Old problem. Someone has suggested a new value cartridge as a possible solution

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HawkeyeByMarriage t1_j19xuox wrote

Do this. Cartridge is cheap. Make a list of all the issues in the house. Do all in a single trip.

I will never understand people who call a plumber for minute issues and pay so much in fees. Do it all at once

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chaosgasket t1_j19zi83 wrote

I would also suggest just taking the cartridge out, cleaning it, and putting it back in. I've had this problem before and cleaning everything up and making sure all the springs are properly seated fixes it.

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ToolMeister t1_j1ad37a wrote

How old is the shower? Cartridges don't last forever but can be replaced in a few minutes. Check the make and model of your shower valve. Moen for example gives a ten year warranty on their cartridge. Just contact customer service and they'll send you a new one free of charge.

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raven_shadow_walker t1_j1amqne wrote

Probably the cartridge, you should be aware there is a "cartridge puller" tool and attempting the repair without it can cause more damage. Maybe just call a plumber.

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cnyle111 t1_j1a8p1i wrote

Where you adjust the temperature is the cartridge that is being recommended that you change. The valve that changes the different heads is just a diverter valve. You don’t show any views of the temperature valve but I caution you disassembling without trying to identifying the manufacturer and having the replacement cartridge on site. Nothing worse than removing a cartridge and having it come apart and not being able to reinstall and having the water off. Looking closer I can tell that the brand is Kohler. You should be able to look on their website and identify your exact model and pick up a cartridge locally.

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potatodevi1 t1_j1a9aib wrote

As others have said, could be the valve cartridge, or it could be the remaining water in the pipe between the shower head and the valve draining out after use. In a normal bath/shower combo, that water drains immediately out the bath spout once the water is turned off. Just thought I'd add this since I hadn't seen it suggested yet.

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