How to Fix a Leaking Shower Head
Turn off the water supply to your shower head., Remove the shower head faceplate or the entire shower head., Immerse the faceplate or shower head in white vinegar for 8 hours., Manually remove leftover deposits., Check to see if the leaking shower...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Turn off the water supply to your shower head.
At first you can just turn the shower off at the knob if you are just replacing the head or inspecting it.
A leaking shower head can be caused by clogged holes, resulting from lime and other mineral deposits that build up in the holes over time.
If you’re unsure what could be causing your leaking shower head, start here.
It’s a simple, cheap fix that doesn’t require you to take apart your entire shower fixture.
Shut off your water supply before you get started.
You can do this in one of two ways: locate and turn off the shutoff valve to the bathroom or turn off the main water line.
It will probably be easier on your household to turn off the water supply directly to the bathroom instead of cutting off the supply to the entire house.
While not all homes have a shutoff valve to the bathroom, if there is one it can usually be found somewhere near the shower or in the basement. -
Step 2: Remove the shower head faceplate or the entire shower head.
Because you’ll have to soak and scrub the parts of the shower head that have the lime and mineral deposit buildup, you’ll have to remove it from the rest the shower fixture.
Unscrew just the faceplate, if you can.
If you can’t, then remove the entire shower head from the fixture.
How you go about doing this depends on the make and model of your shower head.
In a typical disassembly, look for screws surrounding the shower head faceplate or the shower head itself to undo.
Once the screws are undone, twist counterclockwise or pull the faceplate or shower head to remove. , Purchase or obtain a container large enough to hold the faceplate or shower head.
If you have more than one bathroom that you and/or your family can utilize, you could otherwise use the bathroom sink, if it’s large enough.
Fill your container or sink with white vinegar with some coarse salt.
The amount of vinegar you use should be enough to fully cover the faceplate or shower head.
Set a timer for 8 hours, or calculate 8 hours from the time you set the faceplate or shower head in the vinegar.
While it’s soaking, the vinegar will work to dissolve the buildup and deposits. , After 8 hours, the lime and other mineral deposits have dissolved.
Now you’ll need to remove it.
First find a toothpick or a nail small enough to fit in the shower head holes.
Stick the toothpick or nail into each hole of the faceplate to remove the debris.
Then scrub the faceplate clean with a stiff plastic brush.
You can also use an air compressor to gently blow out debris. , To determine if unclogging the shower head holes has fixed your leaking shower head, attach the faceplate or shower head back in place.
Turn back on the water supply to the shower head, and ensure the faucet is turned off.
If you no longer notice a leak, then you’ve solved your problem.
If your shower head is still leaking, then consider another possible reason for the leak. -
Step 3: Immerse the faceplate or shower head in white vinegar for 8 hours.
-
Step 4: Manually remove leftover deposits.
-
Step 5: Check to see if the leaking shower head is fixed.
Detailed Guide
At first you can just turn the shower off at the knob if you are just replacing the head or inspecting it.
A leaking shower head can be caused by clogged holes, resulting from lime and other mineral deposits that build up in the holes over time.
If you’re unsure what could be causing your leaking shower head, start here.
It’s a simple, cheap fix that doesn’t require you to take apart your entire shower fixture.
Shut off your water supply before you get started.
You can do this in one of two ways: locate and turn off the shutoff valve to the bathroom or turn off the main water line.
It will probably be easier on your household to turn off the water supply directly to the bathroom instead of cutting off the supply to the entire house.
While not all homes have a shutoff valve to the bathroom, if there is one it can usually be found somewhere near the shower or in the basement.
Because you’ll have to soak and scrub the parts of the shower head that have the lime and mineral deposit buildup, you’ll have to remove it from the rest the shower fixture.
Unscrew just the faceplate, if you can.
If you can’t, then remove the entire shower head from the fixture.
How you go about doing this depends on the make and model of your shower head.
In a typical disassembly, look for screws surrounding the shower head faceplate or the shower head itself to undo.
Once the screws are undone, twist counterclockwise or pull the faceplate or shower head to remove. , Purchase or obtain a container large enough to hold the faceplate or shower head.
If you have more than one bathroom that you and/or your family can utilize, you could otherwise use the bathroom sink, if it’s large enough.
Fill your container or sink with white vinegar with some coarse salt.
The amount of vinegar you use should be enough to fully cover the faceplate or shower head.
Set a timer for 8 hours, or calculate 8 hours from the time you set the faceplate or shower head in the vinegar.
While it’s soaking, the vinegar will work to dissolve the buildup and deposits. , After 8 hours, the lime and other mineral deposits have dissolved.
Now you’ll need to remove it.
First find a toothpick or a nail small enough to fit in the shower head holes.
Stick the toothpick or nail into each hole of the faceplate to remove the debris.
Then scrub the faceplate clean with a stiff plastic brush.
You can also use an air compressor to gently blow out debris. , To determine if unclogging the shower head holes has fixed your leaking shower head, attach the faceplate or shower head back in place.
Turn back on the water supply to the shower head, and ensure the faucet is turned off.
If you no longer notice a leak, then you’ve solved your problem.
If your shower head is still leaking, then consider another possible reason for the leak.
About the Author
Ruth Mitchell
Specializes in breaking down complex practical skills topics into simple steps.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: