How to Fix a Leaking Shower Head
A drip from the shower an hour after you have dried off is telling you something. Either leftover water is still emptying out of the head, or the seal in the wall mixer has worn through and is feeding water with the shower switched off.
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Sorting out how to fix a leaking shower head starts with that split. This guide from Banksia Beach Same Day Plumbing sets out what Banksia Beach locals may handle themselves, and what stays with a licensed plumber.
Is a Dripping Shower Head Normal
Some dripping is normal, and a drip that never stops is not. A head and its arm hold water after use, and gravity empties that out within a few minutes.
A drip that keeps going well past that point is not stored water. Water is reaching the head with the shower off, which means the washer or cartridge in the mixer has worn enough to let it through.
Housing here spans the 1960s through to post-2000 construction, so mixers range from decades old to nearly new. On an older unit, age points to a worn seal ahead of anything else.
Can You Replace a Shower Head Yourself
Yes, the QBCC treats replacing a shower head as unregulated work, so the job is open to anyone with the knowledge and skill it calls for.
A plumbing licence is not needed for that swap. Neither the QBCC nor City of Moreton Bay council needs to approve it, and there is nothing to report afterwards.
The line stops at the head. A cartridge or valve inside the mixer is licensed work, because the QBCC's unregulated list covers the head and nothing further in the wall.
Australia's water-efficiency labelling scheme (WELS) also applies to any replacement head. A head sold to Australian buyers carries registration under the scheme and shows its star rating and use figures wherever it is sold, online stores included.
Signs Pointing to the Shower Mixer
A drip has only three possible sources: the threaded join between head and arm, the mixer behind the tiles, and on a bath-shower set-up the tub spout with its diverter. Each source has its own sign.
Head-to-arm join
water appearing there only while the shower runs means a loose connection or a seal that has perished at that point.
Taps closed
a steady drip with everything shut off points to a worn seal inside the mixer, letting water past even with the shower off.
Bath-shower set-up
water reaching the head while the tub fills points to a tired diverter or a partly blocked spout, not a faulty head.
Scale can muddy the picture. Mineral crust blocks spray holes, so water escapes through other gaps and reads as an odd leak from the head itself.
When a New Part Does Not Stop the Drip
A drip that survives a fresh washer or cartridge has one usual explanation: the metal the part seals against is worn. A washer closes onto the valve seat, and a cartridge closes inside the mixer body. Score either surface and no replacement part can seal.
That assessment belongs with a licensed plumber. Repairing or renewing a fitting inside the mixer is minor work under the QBCC's classes, which a licensee handles without a permit or any Form 4.
When to Call a Plumber
Call us when the drip keeps going after the head has been swapped, or when water runs from the head with every tap shut. Both signs point behind the wall.
The mixer, its diverter and the arm are jobs we cover on our shower repairs and mixer jobs page, including access through tiles and the licence classes each repair falls under.
Where the fault sits, the part required and how easy the mixer is to reach set the price. Area-level figures put 210 dwellings approved in 2021-22 alone, so a fair share of bathrooms are nearly new. The fixed quote comes after we have seen the job.
Dripping Shower Head Questions
Call (07) 3523 7121Can I replace a shower head myself in Banksia Beach?
Yes, the QBCC counts a shower head swap as unregulated work, so no plumbing licence applies to it. Nothing needs approving or reporting, although the finished job still has to reach the standard the plumbing laws and codes set.
Why does water leak where the shower head joins the arm?
Water showing at that threaded join only while you shower points to a loose connection or a seal that has perished there. Because nothing appears once the taps are shut, the fault sits at the join rather than in the mixer.
Who fixes a dripping shower head in a Banksia Beach rental?
The tenant reports the drip to the property manager or owner straight away, because tenancy rules ask for prompt notice of anything needing repair. The owner or manager carries the duty to keep the premises in good repair for the whole tenancy. A head swap is among the few jobs needing no licensee.
What should I look for on a replacement shower head?
Look for the WELS star rating and its water-efficiency details. Every shower head offered to Australian buyers has to carry that registration and show the label wherever it is listed or advertised, online included.
Ring Us About That Dripping ShowerWe'll call you back.
Phone (07) 3523 7121 for a licensed plumber in Banksia Beach. We work under QBCC No: 15024607, with flat-rate pricing, no hidden fees and same-day where we can.
To claim your $0 call-out fee, call (07) 3523 7121 today.