How to Fix a Leaking Shower Head
Before you touch anything, work out what kind of drip you have. Learning how to fix a leaking shower head begins with a single question: is the water just draining out of the fitting, or is the wall mixer letting it through? A licensed plumber handles the mixer side, and this guide shows you which side of that line your drip sits on.
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We take these calls across Newport, canal-front homes and the newest releases alike, and the diagnosis is the same on every one.
What Leftover Water Looks Like
A brief dribble from the spray face means nothing; a drip still there hours after the shower points to the mixer, where a tired internal seal is letting water through. The first kind stops by itself. The second never does.
Here is the quick comparison:
Normal
the head and its arm empty out for a minute or two, then go quiet.
Not normal
a steady drip from a shower nobody has used since morning.
Give the head ten minutes after a shower before judging. A drip gone by then was stored water. One still ticking means the mixer is passing water, and a new head will not cure that.
Where a Dripping Shower Head Comes From
Three places produce these drips: the join between head and arm, the mixer inside the wall, and the diverter on a bath-shower unit. Each has its own signature.
The join at the arm
water seeping there only while the shower runs means a loose connection or a perished seal at that point.
The wall mixer
a drip that persists once the water is shut means the washer or cartridge has aged and lets water creep past.
The bath diverter
the head feeding water while the bath tap runs, or the spout running during a shower, means a worn diverter or a restricted spout.
Scale
mineral crust blocking the spray holes can send water out through the head's weaker gaps.
The cartridge governs flow and temperature mix, so a tired one can also announce itself through a handle that stiffens or water that drifts off temperature. Canal-front homes breathe salty, humid air year round, and it is hard on brass inside a mixer, so on waterfront streets the mixer wears out first.
When a New Part Does Not Stop the Drip
When a new washer or cartridge has gone in and the drip still runs, the seat or the mixer's body is worn, and a licensed plumber assesses both. Neither part is on the householder's list. Neither shows up until the obvious one has been ruled out.
The reason is simple geometry. A washer closes against the seat, and a cartridge closes inside the mixer's body. Damage either surface and the new part has nothing sound to press against, so the drip runs on.
Work on the mixer's internals is classed as minor work under QBCC rules, so a licensee does it with no permit applying and no Form 4 lodged. Trying another part on a guess wastes money; the seat and body need eyes on them first.
Can You Replace a Shower Head Yourself
Yes, you may. The QBCC lists a shower head swap among its unregulated work, so a householder with the right knowledge and skill may do it alone. No licence is needed, no approval from the QBCC or the local government applies, and the job does not have to be reported.
Two things still apply:
- The swap has to comply with the minimum standards in the plumbing code.
- The mixer's cartridge and valve stay on the licensed side, because the QBCC's list of unregulated jobs stops at the head.
On a replacement head, look for the water rating label. Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards, or WELS, is the national scheme that registers shower heads for water efficiency. A head sold in or to Australia has to carry WELS registration and show its stars and water-use figures wherever it is listed or advertised for sale.
Newport grew quickly: area-level figures record 24.3 per cent population growth over five years and 518 dwelling approvals in 2021-22 alone. Many showers here are therefore close to new. Plenty of owners are fitting heads to them for the first time, so the label check is worth a minute before buying.
Renters get one small allowance. On a Queensland rental, changing a shower head is among the few jobs needing no licensee. The owner or manager still has to keep the home repaired and compliant through the tenancy, and a tenant reports any fault to the owner or property manager as soon as it appears.
When to Call a Plumber
Ring when the drip outlasts the draining water, when a new part has failed to cure it, or when the handle stiffens or the temperature drifts. Those signs all live in the mixer or its seat, and both are licensed work. The full story on the mixer, the diverter and the arm is on our shower repairs page.
Water escaping the shower recess and staining the ceiling below is a different fault. Humid canal air makes a damp patch easy to misread, so a mark that will not dry deserves a proper look.
Dripping Shower FAQs
Call (07) 3524 0766Why is my shower head dripping after I turn it off?
Water parked in the head and the arm empties for a minute or two after use, which is normal. A drip still going hours later in a Newport shower means the wall mixer is letting water creep past a worn washer or cartridge. The head is not at fault, and a new head will not stop it.
Who can replace a shower cartridge in Queensland?
A licensed plumber. The QBCC treats repairs inside a mixer as minor work for a licensee, with no permit and no Form 4. The unregulated list names the head alone, never the mixer or its cartridge.
How much does it cost to fix a leaking shower head in Newport?
Two things drive the price: whether the fault sits in the head or the wall mixer, and how easily a plumber can reach that mixer in your Newport bathroom. A fixed quote before any work starts settles the figure.
What should I look for on a replacement shower head?
Look for the water rating label. Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards, or WELS, is the national scheme that registers shower heads, and any head sold in or to Australia has to show its star rating and water-use details wherever it is listed for sale, online included.
Ring Us About the Dripping ShowerWe'll call you back.
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