How to Fix a Leaking Shower Head
Working out how to fix a leaking shower head starts with a single question: is the head just draining, or is water creeping past a seal that should be shut? A few drips in the minute after you turn the shower off are the head and arm emptying. A drip still landing an hour later means the mixer has not fully closed, and that repair belongs to a licensed plumber from our team across Taigum.
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The suburb's housing shapes how often we see it. At the last census, townhouses numbered 1,568 against 1,402 detached houses, and the townhouse rows were built to a single bathroom schedule. The cartridge mixers in those bathrooms went in together, so they wear out together, and the same drip turns up in unit after unit.
Is a Dripping Shower Head Normal
Water trapped in the shower fitting drains away for a minute or so after use, and that is normal. A drip that carries on once the taps are shut is not normal, and it points to a worn internal seal in the mixer.
The difference matters for what you do next:
Normal
a short run of drips as the head empties, finishing within a minute or two.
Not normal
a steady drip hours later, which means the mixer has failed to close fully.
A mixer is the wall or floor fitting that blends hot and cold supply and sets the flow. Its washer or cartridge does the sealing, and either part can age enough to let water creep past.
Where a Dripping Shower Head Comes From
A drip has three sources: the joint where the head attaches to the arm, the mixer concealed in the wall, or the diverter on a shared bath spout. Each has its own tell.
The joint with the arm
seepage there while the shower runs means the connection has loosened or its rubber seal has hardened. The leak stops with the shower.
The wall mixer
a drip from the head with the taps off means the internal washer or cartridge is past its best. This is the most common cause.
The bath spout
water running out of the head while the bath fills, or the spout pouring while you shower, means the diverter or a restricted spout is at fault.
Scale plays its own part. Mineral crust sometimes blocks the spray holes, so water squirts from odd angles and mimics a leak.
Still Dripping After a Repair Attempt
A drip that persists after a new washer or cartridge usually means the sealing surface itself is worn. The washer closes onto the valve seat, and the cartridge seals against the body of the mixer. If the seat or body is scored, no new part can close the gap, so the water keeps coming.
That diagnosis is a licensed plumber's job. Work on the mixer's internals counts as minor work under Queensland rules: a QBCC licensee carries it out, and the job needs no permit and files no Form 4.
The cartridge is worth knowing about. It also governs the hot-cold blend, so a tired one often shows up first as a handle that grinds or water that runs cold.
What Counts as Unregulated Plumbing Work
Yes, a householder in Queensland may swap a shower head without a plumbing licence. The QBCC classes a shower head swap as unregulated work. Anyone with the know-how and skill may do it.
- No approval from the QBCC or the local council is required.
- Nothing gets reported afterwards.
- Whatever the licence status, the result still needs to comply with the minimum standards set by the rules and codes.
That freedom ends at the head itself. Anything on the cartridge or valve within the mixer is licensed work, because the unregulated list covers the head only, not the mixer's internals.
One shopping note: a replacement head sold in Australia has to be registered under the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) scheme. Its star rating and water-use details have to appear wherever the head is listed for sale.
When to Call a Plumber
Ring us when the drip continues with the taps off, when a new part has not stopped it, or when the handle grinds and the temperature wanders. All three lead into the mixer, and that is licensed work. Our shower repairs in Taigum page covers the mixer, diverter and arm side of the job in detail.
One related sign sits nearby. Water escaping the shower recess and staining the wall or floor is a leaking shower rather than a dripping head, and we treat it separately. Where a whole run of townhouse bathrooms starts dripping at once, one mixer model has likely reached its limit across the complex.
Dripping Shower Head Questions
Call (07) 3523 7121What makes a shower head drip?
Three faults cover most drips: a worn seal at the arm joint, a worn mixer cartridge dripping with the taps off, or scale blocking the spray holes. Where a bath spout shares the mixer, a faulty diverter can push bath water up to the head.
Do I need approval to change my shower head in Queensland?
No, a shower head swap in Queensland needs no approval from the QBCC or the local council, and no report is required. The minimum standards still apply, and the new head should carry a WELS label.
Why is my Taigum shower still dripping after a new cartridge?
A washer seals against the valve seat and a cartridge against the mixer body, so a scored surface will keep leaking past any new part. A licensed plumber diagnoses the mixer, because that repair is licensed minor work.
Who fixes a dripping shower head in a Taigum rental?
Tell your property manager or the owner straight away, because a Queensland tenant has to report needed repairs promptly and the owner has to keep the rental in good repair. Swapping the head is one of the very minor jobs a renter may do without a licensee, but the mixer stays plumber's work.
Call Us About the Dripping HeadWe'll call you back.
Ring (07) 3523 7121 and tell us what's wrong. You get $0 call-out fees, a fixed quote before any work starts and same-day where we can, 7 days a week.
To claim your $0 call-out fee, call (07) 3523 7121 today.