How to Fix a Leaking Shower Head
Two faults sit behind a weeping shower head, and they get fixed differently. Leftover water in the head runs out shortly after use, which is nothing to chase. A drip that keeps going with the taps shut lives in the mixer, and no replacement head will stop it.
If we're late, $100 comes off your bill
- Licensed and InsuredEvery job done by a licensed plumber. QBCC No: 15024607
- Fixed Quote FirstFlat-rate pricing, agreed before any work starts
- Lifetime Labour WarrantyBacked by our Fix-It-or-It's-Free guarantee (T&Cs apply)
- $0 Call-Out FeesNo extra charge for nights, weekends or public holidays
Knowing how to fix a leaking shower head starts with telling those two apart. Redcliffe Same Day Plumbing sorts these jobs across Redcliffe and the peninsula, and every job is done by a licensed plumber, same-day where we can.
Normal Drips Versus a Failing Seal
A few drips straight after a shower mean nothing; one that keeps going once the water is off points to a worn seal in the mixer.
Each head and its arm hold a little water after use, and it drains away by itself within moments. That water is leftover, not a fault.
The mixer sets the flow and blends hot with cold, so a worn cartridge shows up as a drip, a stiff handle, or water at the wrong temperature for the setting. Census figures put separate houses at 51.4 per cent of dwellings here and flats or apartments at 37.6 per cent.
That spread runs from old wall mixers in post-war cottages to compact single-lever units in the newer foreshore buildings, and both drip the same way when a seal goes.
What Counts as Unregulated Plumbing Work
Yes, you may swap the shower head yourself: the QBCC treats a shower head replacement as unregulated work, so anyone who has the ability to do it properly may take it on.
No licence applies, neither the QBCC nor local government asks for an approval, and no report is lodged. Whatever hands do the job, though, the finished work still has to reach the standards the legislation and codes set.
The mixer's own parts are another matter:
- The QBCC's unregulated list names the head only, so a cartridge or valve inside the mixer remains licensed work.
- Fixing, replacing or removing a fitting in that assembly is minor work, done by a QBCC licensee, with no permit or Form 4 attached.
- A replacement head sold in Australia carries registration under the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) scheme, with its star rating on the label and repeated in any listing, online shops included.
Rentals follow the same split. A head swap is among the few very minor jobs open on a Queensland rental without a licensee. The owner or manager still has to keep the property in good repair, and a tenant tells them about damage or needed fixes as soon as possible.
Signs Pointing to the Shower Mixer
A drip has three possible homes: the join between the head and its arm, the mixer behind the wall, or, on a bath-shower set-up, the spout and its diverter.
The signs tell you which one you have:
Water at the join while the shower runs
a loose connection or a perished seal where the head screws on.
Dripping with the taps shut
a worn washer or cartridge in the mixer, letting water slip past the seal it should be holding.
Water reaching the head while the bath fills, or spilling from the spout mid-shower
a worn diverter or a restricted spout, not the head at all.
Mineral crust
scale blocking the spray holes sends water sideways through other gaps, which reads as an odd leak from the head.
Sea air off Moreton Bay is hard on chrome and brass, so fittings on the foreshore side age faster than the same parts a few streets back. A weeping join in a Marine Parade unit deserves a closer look than an identical fault inland.
Worn Seats and Bodies Behind the Wall
When a fresh washer or a fresh cartridge fails to stop the drip, the valve seat is worn or the mixer body itself is damaged, and a licensed plumber assesses both.
A washer seals against the valve seat, and a cartridge closes against the inside of the mixer body. Score either surface and no new part can close the gap, which is why a second swap rarely helps.
Those repairs sit inside the mixer, so they count as minor work for a QBCC licensee. If a new part has already failed to fix the drip, stop swapping and get the body looked at instead.
When to Call a Licensed Plumber
Call when the drip keeps going with the water shut, when the handle stiffens, or when the temperature drifts. A bath spout and shower trading water in both directions counts too.
Every one of those sits inside the wall mixer and is licensed work, and Redcliffe Same Day Plumbing books these jobs first. The shower repairs page covers mixers, diverters, arms and the licence detail behind each.
The price turns on where the fault sits, which part the mixer takes and how easily the wall opens up. A fixed quote comes before any work starts: flat-rate pricing, no hidden fees, and your go-ahead first.
Dripping Shower Head Questions
Call (07) 3524 7163Why does my shower head drip after I turn it off?
A little water sits in the head and arm after a shower and runs out over the next few moments, which is normal. A drip that goes on with the water shut off comes from the mixer, where a worn washer or cartridge is letting water past its seal.
Can I replace a shower head myself in Redcliffe?
Yes, and no licence is needed. Replacing a shower head is unregulated work in Queensland, open to anyone with the knowledge and skill for it. Nothing gets reported, though the finished job still has to meet the plumbing standards.
Do I need approval to change a shower head in Redcliffe?
No, and nothing gets lodged with anyone. Unregulated work skips the QBCC and council entirely, though the standards still bind whoever does the swap. A licensed plumber can handle it if you would rather leave it to someone qualified.
Why does water leak where the shower head joins the arm?
Water seeping at that join while the shower runs points to a loose connection or a perished seal between the head and the arm. A new head usually settles it, and the swap itself is unregulated work.
Call Us About the Dripping ShowerWe'll call you back.
Ring Redcliffe Same Day Plumbing and describe the drip: how long it runs after the taps shut, and whether the bath spout and the head trade water.
Phone (07) 3524 7163 for a licensed plumber in Redcliffe. We work under QBCC No: 15024607, with flat-rate pricing, no hidden fees and same-day where we can.
To claim your $0 call-out fee, call (07) 3524 7163 today.