A leaking shower not just wastes water but it also irritates you with its constant sound of water dripping. Such plumbing problems call for immediate action and are often minor enough to be handled by you only. Some excerpts that may help you with diagnosing and fixing a leaking shower yourself are mentioned below.
Beforehand keep all the necessary plumbing tools in tact to assist you with the task. A pipe wrench( size proportional to the shower stem), a Teflon tape and plastic or rubber O-ring washers (if needed ).
The leaks are most likely to be located at the join between the shower head and the pipe. Remove the shower head by hand or use wrench of respective size if it is a screwed one.
Check the condition of the washer inside the shower head in order to replace it. If the washer leaves a black goo on your fingers then it has to be replaced by a new one. The size being same to the old one. While placing the washer make sure that it falls flat on the surface and not scrambled.
Once the washer is fixed, move towards the shower stem to tighten the thread wrap. The threads are bound to get loosened after a bit of a time and hence require regular repairs. Wrap the stem with a Teflon tape making sure that it is wrapped around tightly. Only two wraps of tape around the threads are necessary enough to seal the connection. Wrap in the same direction as the threads flow.
Once the washer and the threads are tightened remount the shower head on the pipe. Hand-tight the fixture as over tightening may damage the threads or the screws. Turn on the water to notice any water leaks or drips from the shower head.
If no leaks are observed then the task is rendered successful. However a reduced water dripping makes way for another inspection of the threading . You can replace the Teflon tape from the pipe to wrap it again(with three wraps this time). Also tighten the head with an extra half turn.
That should solve the problem for you but if it happens otherwise then make way for a plumber as the leak may be accredited to a faulty water-control valve of the shower.
Beforehand keep all the necessary plumbing tools in tact to assist you with the task. A pipe wrench( size proportional to the shower stem), a Teflon tape and plastic or rubber O-ring washers (if needed ).
The leaks are most likely to be located at the join between the shower head and the pipe. Remove the shower head by hand or use wrench of respective size if it is a screwed one.
Check the condition of the washer inside the shower head in order to replace it. If the washer leaves a black goo on your fingers then it has to be replaced by a new one. The size being same to the old one. While placing the washer make sure that it falls flat on the surface and not scrambled.
Once the washer is fixed, move towards the shower stem to tighten the thread wrap. The threads are bound to get loosened after a bit of a time and hence require regular repairs. Wrap the stem with a Teflon tape making sure that it is wrapped around tightly. Only two wraps of tape around the threads are necessary enough to seal the connection. Wrap in the same direction as the threads flow.
Once the washer and the threads are tightened remount the shower head on the pipe. Hand-tight the fixture as over tightening may damage the threads or the screws. Turn on the water to notice any water leaks or drips from the shower head.
If no leaks are observed then the task is rendered successful. However a reduced water dripping makes way for another inspection of the threading . You can replace the Teflon tape from the pipe to wrap it again(with three wraps this time). Also tighten the head with an extra half turn.
That should solve the problem for you but if it happens otherwise then make way for a plumber as the leak may be accredited to a faulty water-control valve of the shower.
About the Author:
Scott Rodgers is a noted author who has been providing amazing motivation on plumbing works all over the nation. His unique knowledge has, in fact, sparked significant rise in revenue for talented plumbers across the nation, from Winter Park Plumbers to West Palm Beach Plumbers.
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