Shower and Sink Tap Leaks

Low pressure in a shower can be caused by several issues such as a clogged showerhead, a worn-out mixing valve, closed valve, leaking pipe, or even a faulty water heater. Don’t get overwhelmed though, call Mr. Drains Plumbing Services now for a free quote on (02) 9986 1234.

Simply follow these easy steps to fix your leaking shower head;

1. Turn off your water supply - Before you get started, turn off the water supply to avoid any unpleasant surprises later on.
2. Clean the shower head - Remove your showerhead from the hose, taking care not to lose the O-ring or rubber washer, then soak your showerhead in vinegar for at least 30 minutes. Rinse it with water and use an old toothbrush to remove any stubborn dirt, grime and limescale, paying close attention to the individual nozzles. Rinse it again, then set the showerhead aside.
3. Check for a worn seal - Your O-ring or rubber washer is the component that prevents water from leaking between your showerhead and hose. Check to see if it looks worn or damaged and if so, replace it with a new one.
4. Reattach the showerhead and turn on the water - Put your showerhead back together, reattach it to the hose, turn the water supply back on, and turn on your shower to flush out any remaining dirt and grime. Hopefully, this has done the trick and your showerhead has now stopped leaking, but if not, move on to step 5.
5. Turn your attention to the valve - If you’ve followed all these steps and your showerhead is still leaking, there is likely a problem with a valve in your shower taps. If you have two separate taps – one for hot water and one for cold water – you'll first need to identify which one is leaking by feeling the temperature of the dripping water (you’ll need to turn the water supply back on to do this and turn it back off once you’ve determined which tap is faulty). If you’ve followed all these steps and your showerhead is still leaking, there is likely a problem with a valve in your shower taps. If you have two separate taps – one for hot water and one for cold water – you'll first need to identify which one is leaking by feeling the temperature of the dripping water (you’ll need to turn the water supply back on to do this and turn it back off once you’ve determined which tap is faulty).

Simply follow these easy steps to fix your leaking shower head;

1. Turn off your water supply - Before you get started, turn off the water supply to avoid any unpleasant surprises later on.
2. Clean the shower head - Remove your showerhead from the hose, taking care not to lose the O-ring or rubber washer, then soak your showerhead in vinegar for at least 30 minutes. Rinse it with water and use an old toothbrush to remove any stubborn dirt, grime and limescale, paying close attention to the individual nozzles. Rinse it again, then set the showerhead aside.
3. Check for a worn seal - Your O-ring or rubber washer is the component that prevents water from leaking between your showerhead and hose. Check to see if it looks worn or damaged and if so, replace it with a new one.
4. Reattach the showerhead and turn on the water - Put your showerhead back together, reattach it to the hose, turn the water supply back on, and turn on your shower to flush out any remaining dirt and grime. Hopefully, this has done the trick and your showerhead has now stopped leaking, but if not, move on to step 5.
5. Turn your attention to the valve - If you’ve followed all these steps and your showerhead is still leaking, there is likely a problem with a valve in your shower taps. If you have two separate taps – one for hot water and one for cold water – you'll first need to identify which one is leaking by feeling the temperature of the dripping water (you’ll need to turn the water supply back on to do this and turn it back off once you’ve determined which tap is faulty). If you’ve followed all these steps and your showerhead is still leaking, there is likely a problem with a valve in your shower taps. If you have two separate taps – one for hot water and one for cold water – you'll first need to identify which one is leaking by feeling the temperature of the dripping water (you’ll need to turn the water supply back on to do this and turn it back off once you’ve determined which tap is faulty).

There are a few reasons that your toilet keeps running after you have flushed it;

1. You need to lower the float - Among the most common causes for a running toilet is overflow water leaking down into the bowl from the tank via the overflow tube. This happens when there's too much water in the tank. You can adjust the water level by adjusting the height of the float. To lower the water in a toilet with a float arm, loosen or tighten the screw until the float arm lowers. To lower the water in a toilet with a column float attached to the fill valve, loosen the screw or clip, push down the float, and tighten everything back up again.
2. The flapper is leaking and needs to be replaced - The most common reason for a running toilet is an old flapper that needs to be replaced. Remove the old one by detaching the chain and taking the flapper off the pins on the side of the overflow tube. To attach the new one, connect the chain and attach the sides to the pins. Tip: Drain the water from the tank before you replace the flapper. Shut off the water supply to the toilet, and then flush the toilet to drain the water.
3. You need to shorten the refill tube - Another cause behind your running toilet could be that the refill tube is always pumping water into the bowl, and this happens when the tube is too long and isn't positioned properly in the overflow tube. To shorten a refill tube, pull the tube out of the overflow and hold it just above the opening of the overflow, trim it off there, and clip it to the side of the overflow tube to keep it in place.

Not confident to do this plumbing work yourself? Mr. Drains is here to help. Call us now on (02) 9986 1234 and a member of the team will be able to assist.