How to Fix a Leaking Shower Head
A dripping shower head tells one of two stories: water left over from your last shower, or a seal inside the wall that has given up. Learning how to fix a leaking shower head means telling those two apart, and the head itself is rarely the villain. Every job we attend in Cashmere is done by a licensed plumber, so here is how we read the signs before anyone picks up a tool.
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The suburb grew by an estimated 7.1 per cent between 2020 and 2025, and area-level figures record 308 dwellings approved over five years. That mix leaves plenty of bathrooms with showers old enough for worn parts.
Normal Drips Versus a Failing Seal
Water held in the fitting drains away for a short time after use, and that is perfectly ordinary. A drip that continues once the water is shut off signals a seal inside the mixer that has worn out.
Give it a few minutes and watch what happens:
Leftover water
the fitting holds a small amount, and gravity empties it. This stops by itself.
A continuing drip
water still creeping out after the drain-down has finished is coming from further back. The mixer is letting it through.
The mixer is the valve built into the wall that your handle turns. Inside it, a washer or cartridge does the sealing, and either part can wear out.
Where a Dripping Shower Head Comes From
Three places produce a dripping shower head: the joint where the head meets the arm, the mixer concealed in the wall, and the spout diverter on a shower-bath combination. Each shows a different sign.
The arm joint
Water appearing at the join only while the shower runs means the fitting has loosened or its seal has perished. Dry when shut off, it stays out of suspicion.
The mixer
A drip with the supply off is the signature of a washer or cartridge past its best. The cartridge sets both the flow and the temperature, so wear can also show up as a handle that sticks or water running at the wrong heat.
The spout diverter
Water reaching the head while the bath fills, or the spout losing water while you shower, points to the diverter rather than the head.
Scale
Mineral deposits can block the spray holes and force water through other openings, which looks like a strange leak from the head itself.
The Shower Head Swap the Law Allows
Yes, Queensland lets you swap a shower head yourself. The QBCC lists the job as unregulated, so a householder who understands the task may carry it out.
You need no licence for it, no sign-off from the QBCC or council, and no report to lodge afterwards. Whatever the licence position, the work has to satisfy the minimum standards in the legislation and the codes.
The boundary sits at the mixer. That list covers the head only, so the cartridge or valve deeper in the mixer is licensed work, handled by a QBCC licensee as minor work with neither permit nor Form 4.
Shopping for a replacement? Every head sold in Australia must be registered under the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) scheme. Its star rating and water-use figures have to appear wherever the product is listed or advertised, online included.
When a New Part Does Not Stop the Drip
A drip that continues after a fresh washer or cartridge has been fitted points to the surfaces those parts seal against. The washer presses onto the valve seat, and the cartridge sits within the body of the mixer. If either surface is scored or damaged, no new part will hold, and a licensed plumber needs to assess it.
Fitting another part will not change the outcome. Renewing a fitting inside the mixer is minor work, so a licensee carries it out.
When to Call a Plumber
Ring us when the drip continues past the drain-down, when the handle stiffens, or when the temperature wanders. Those signs put the fault inside the mixer, and Queensland law gives that work to a licensed plumber. Our shower repairs page goes deeper on mixers, diverters and arms.
The price depends on where the fault lies, which part it needs and how easily we reach the mixer. It arrives as a fixed quote before work begins.
Shower Head Questions We Answer
Call (07) 3524 0766Why is my shower head dripping after I turn it off?
Trapped water is usually the reason. The fitting and its arm hold a little after use, it drains for a short while and then stops by itself. A drip that keeps running well past that means the mixer is not shutting off, because its washer or cartridge no longer seals, and that repair belongs with a licensed plumber.
What causes a shower head to leak?
Four culprits cover most cases. The joint at the arm can work loose or lose its seal and leak only while water flows. The mixer's washer or cartridge wears and drips with the supply off, mineral scale can block the spray holes, and a shower over the bath adds the spout diverter as a suspect.
Who fixes a dripping shower head in a Cashmere rental?
The tenant reports it to the property manager or owner straight away, and the owner carries the repair. Queensland tenancy rules require the premises be kept in good order through the whole tenancy. Swapping the head itself is one of the very minor rental jobs needing no licensee, but anything inside the mixer goes to a licensed plumber.
What should I look for on a replacement shower head?
Check for the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) label. Every head sold in Australia is registered under that scheme and displays its star rating and water-use figures wherever it is advertised, online included. Comparing stars is the quickest way to choose an efficient model for your Cashmere bathroom.
Ring Us About the DripWe'll call you back.
Ring (07) 3524 0766 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) 3524 0766 today.