If your shower drips for a short while after you've used it, it doesn't necessarily mean anything is wrong. But if it's still dripping hours later, overnight, or constantly day and night, then the shower isn't shutting the water off properly and there is a fault.
The first question I ask is simple: does it drip all the time, or only for a little while after you've used it?
Fixed overhead shower heads and the pipework feeding them can hold water after the control has been turned off. That trapped water may slowly drip out as air finds its way back into the head.
Think of sucking water into a drinking straw and putting your thumb over the top. The water stays in the straw because air can't get in. Remove your thumb and the water comes out. A shower head can behave in a similar way.
If it drips for a few minutes and then stops, it may simply be the water left in the head and pipework draining away.
If you used the shower in the morning and it's still dripping that evening, or it's dripping overnight when nobody has used it, that's different. The control valve isn't shutting the water off properly.
In my experience the usual problem is the cartridge inside the shower valve. The ceramic discs can wear, a small piece of debris can damage the sealing surface, or limescale can prevent the cartridge from closing properly.
At that point the important question becomes: is the shower exposed or concealed?
Exposed bar mixer showers are normally much easier to deal with. They're the familiar horizontal mixer valves with an on/off control at one end and a temperature control at the other.
With a standard bar mixer, it can make more sense to replace the complete mixer rather than spend time identifying and ordering an individual cartridge. Some replacement bar mixers can cost less than the cartridge itself, and they're relatively straightforward to change.
More expensive exposed showers are different. They often have a manufacturer's name or identifying marks on them, which gives us a much better chance of finding the correct replacement part.
A concealed shower valve is buried behind the finished wall, so replacing the complete valve can mean unnecessary disturbance to tiles and finishes. If the valve itself is sound, finding the correct cartridge and repairing what is already there is usually the sensible route.
The cartridge itself normally isn't difficult to change once I've got the correct part. The real detective work can be finding out exactly what make and model of shower was fitted, especially when there is no obvious name on it.
I start with any markings behind the controls or faceplate, old receipts or order details if they're available, photographs, measurements of the faceplate and controls, and image searches to try to match the shower.
It's a bit like asking a garage for an exhaust without telling them what car you've got. They may know exactly how to fit it, but first they need to know which part they're looking for.
You don't need to be a plumber to help identify an unmarked shower. Take a clear photograph and try Google Images or Google Lens. Look for a manufacturer's name, check old receipts or emails, and if necessary measure the faceplate and the position of the controls.
If you can tell me exactly what shower you've got — or already have the correct replacement cartridge — it can save time and save you money.
I'd rather arrive knowing what I'm dealing with, turn the water off, change the correct part and get your shower working properly than spend chargeable time trying to identify an unknown valve and phoning around suppliers.
Normally it's straightforward: isolate the water, relieve the pressure and drain what needs draining, remove the controls and faceplate, take out the old cartridge and fit the replacement.
Older showers can occasionally take longer because faceplates have been heavily sealed to the wall, controls are scaled on, or screws have been damaged by previous attempts. A little limescale treatment and patience will usually get them apart.
But generally, once the shower has been correctly identified and the right part is available, the repair itself is no drama.
Another common problem is a shower that will run but won't regulate the temperature properly. Customers often describe it as “my shower is only hot”, “my shower is only cold” or say that turning the temperature control doesn't seem to make any difference.
Sometimes the problem is simply that the temperature control itself has become heavily scaled up and won't physically turn through its proper range. Depending on the shower, it may be possible to dismantle and free the control.
If the control moves normally but the water temperature still doesn't respond properly, the usual culprit is the thermostatic cartridge.
Again, whether the shower is exposed or concealed matters. With a cheap exposed bar mixer, replacing the complete mixer can make more sense than spending time and money repairing it. With a concealed or more expensive shower, identifying the make and model and replacing the correct thermostatic cartridge is normally the sensible route.
The process is much the same: identify the shower, find the correct part, isolate the water, remove the old cartridge and fit the new one.
If your shower is constantly dripping, won't shut off properly or has a faulty control, I repair showers across Bromley and the surrounding local area.
If you can, send me a clear photo of the shower and any make or model information before I attend. The more we know beforehand, the better chance there is of getting it sorted efficiently.
