Rain showers have become very popular in the past few years. They are a lot of fun to use. Unfortunately, they tend to drip after shut off as a lot of water flows through them. It is annoying if you wake up from water dripping or have to clean it up afterward. Plumbers often get called for this but there are some things that you can do yourself to get this fixed. Let’s see how it can be fixed.
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Rain shower head leaking: possible solutions
Turn the showerhead after use
The issue is that water gets stuck in the showerhead and it only comes out after a while. If you have a movable shower head, you can change the angle of it after you have used it. This allows the water that is stuck in the showerhead to flow out of it immediately.
Make sure that the shower is level
Installing the shower is often an afterthought. Plumbers often notice that they don’t hang completely level as a screw was forgotten or the installer didn’t check it. If the showerhead hangs at an angle, it is possible that water gets stuck in it and only drips out after a while.
Drill a hole in the showerhead
If this problem really annoys you, you can drill a small hole in the showerhead. This allows air to push the water out of it. While you shower, water will go through this hole as well so it is not the best solution. The guarantee of your shower head will also be voided. In most instances, it is better to pick another shower head that already has a system built in for this.
Add a vacuum breaker
Adding a vacuum breaker can do the trick as well. This small piece makes sure that water doesn’t flow back into the drain. Small droplets can get stuck and this vacuum breaker makes sure that they only flow in one way. In most areas, this is obligated as dirty water can contaminate the proper city water and cause problems. Most showers have this built-in already but some brands don’t do this and you need to get one yourself. Keep in mind that it might reduce the water pressure somewhat. This is quite easy to install yourself so can be worth a try.
Tap the showerhead
After you have done showering, you can tap your showerhead. Don’t use too much force as showers are not that strong. Just give it a few soft taps on the showerhead. Small drops should start to fall out when you do this. This can help to remove water that was stuck in the showerhead. This can be harder to do if the showerhead is hanging high on the wall. It takes some work to do this every time but can fix the problem in some instances.
Remove limestone
If you have hard water, it is possible that some limestone has built up around your showerhead. This can hold some water drops that only come out after a while. You can remove the showerhead by turning it counterclockwise. Then you can soak it in vinegar. Another method is to use a plastic bag and plastic ties. You then add vinegar to the bag and attach it to the showerhead. In this case, you don’t have to remove the showerhead. This should be done at least once per year. You can also install a descaler to get rid of hard water stains and problems. This is not allowed in certain areas though as the salt that these systems use can affect the wastewater.
Place a towel under the shower
If nothing helps, you can try to place something on the shower floor that reduces the noise. A small towel might work. You can also consider a small bucket to make it easier to remove the water afterward. It requires some effort to do this every time though.
Contact the manufacturer
Some shower manufacturers take customer service very seriously. They might have a solution for this issue. It can involve adding a piece to the shower or replacing certain parts. Keep in mind that cheaper shower brands often don’t offer much support as they try to reduce the time that they have to spend on this.
Replace the valve inside the shower
If your shower is older, it is possible that the closing valve inside the shower is getting older and starting to leak. You have to find the model number of your shower to find the right replacement part and instructions. This model number can be found on the website of the manufacturer. If you don’t find it, you can send a picture of your shower to the manufacturer of the shower and they should help you out. Each shower is different but you typically have to open the shower handle with a hex key or with a Philips screwdriver. Adding the new piece is often quite straightforward. Just make sure that you turn off the water supply before you start working on your shower. A plumber can help you out with this as well if you don’t want to do it yourself.
Plumbers often prefer bigger brands as they offer replacement parts and support. Showers from big box stores often use inferior materials and don’t offer replacement parts. Often the shower has to be thrown away as they don’t have the required parts in stock. Plumbers charge per hour and if they have to spend a lot of time finding a new part, it can be cheaper to just install a new shower. After 10-15 years showers start to break down and you can start to think about getting a new one.
To conclude, we can state that a rain shower is great. Unfortunately, they can drip after you have used them. In this post, we have outlined some things that you can do to avoid this in the future. The solutions range from descaling the shower head to installing a vacuum breaker.
Resource
https://www.hansgrohe.com/bath/products/product-line/rainmaker
