How to Fix a Leaking Shower Head
Two faults explain most dripping shower heads: water emptying from the arm after use, or a worn seal inside the mixer. The first harms nothing. The second lets water slip past day and night and needs a licensed hand.
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Working out how to fix a leaking shower head starts with telling those two apart. This guide from Kedron Same Day Plumbing draws that line, and marks the one swap Queensland law lets you do yourself.
The suburb fits the topic. At the last census, 402 townhouses and semis stood here, and in those homes a shower mixer often sits close to a shared wall, so a drip behind the tiles is worth settling early.
Normal Drips Versus a Failing Seal
A few drips as the arm empties after a shower are nothing to worry about; a shower still dripping hours later points to a worn seal in the mixer. The two look alike at first glance, so watch for the difference:
Normal
water left in the head and the arm drains away by itself shortly after use.
Failing seal
the drip continues with the water turned off, because the mixer inside the wall can no longer hold the supply back.
The head's role
it rarely causes an ongoing drip, since the mixer is the part that stops the flow.
Leave the taps closed for an hour, then check the head again. A drip still running then has a live source, and the mixer is the obvious suspect.
The Shower Head Swap the Law Allows
Yes, Queensland law lets you swap a shower head yourself, because the QBCC lists that job as unregulated work for anyone with the appropriate knowledge and level of skill. No licence applies. The QBCC and the local government need no notification, and nothing is reported afterwards.
Licence or not, the finished job must still reach the minimum standards the legislation and codes set. Two boundaries are worth knowing:
Inside the mixer stays licensed
The unregulated list names the head alone, so a cartridge or valve behind the wall belongs to a licensed plumber.
Check the label on the replacement
A head sold in or to Australia must be WELS-registered, showing its star rating and water efficiency details wherever it is advertised, online included.
Renters get a small allowance too. Changing a shower head is among the few very minor jobs a Queensland rental can have done without a licensee. The owner or manager still has to keep the premises in good repair, so a tenant who spots a fault should report it quickly.
Signs Pointing to the Shower Mixer
A shower drip has three possible sources: the join between the head and the arm, the mixer behind the wall, and, where a bath tap shares the mixer, the spout and diverter. Each one shows its own sign:
The join with the arm
water appearing there only while the shower is running points to a slack connection or a perished seal at the fitting.
The mixer
the drip that continues once everything is shut, from a washer or cartridge worn past its best.
The bath spout and diverter
water pushing out of the head while the bath tap runs, or out of the spout mid-shower, flags a diverter past its best or a spout that cannot pass enough flow.
The spray holes
mineral build-up can choke them and force water from other openings in the head, an odd leak with a plain cause.
The cartridge inside a mixer sets both the flow and the hot-cold blend. When one wears, expect the drip plus a handle that resists, or a temperature that drifts.
Worn Seats and Bodies Behind the Wall
A drip that survives a new washer or a fresh cartridge points to a worn valve seat or a damaged mixer body, and a licensed plumber assesses both. The reason is mechanical: the washer closes against the seat, and the cartridge seals within the body.
Damage either surface and no new part can close the gap. Fitting another one changes nothing, so it pays to have the cause found first.
Repairing or replacing a fitting inside the mixer counts as minor work, which a QBCC licensee may do without a permit or a Form 4.
When to Call a Plumber
Call once the fault sits behind the wall rather than on the end of the arm. Three markers mean it is time:
- Water still arriving with every tap closed off.
- A handle that resists turning, or a temperature that will not hold.
- Water escaping the shower recess into walls or floors.
Our shower repairs page covers mixers, diverters and temperature faults in more depth. Moving fixtures during a full renovation is separate work, covered on its own page elsewhere on this site.
One visit carries the diagnosis and the fix. The price is set by a fixed quote before any work starts.
Questions About a Dripping Shower Head
Call (07) 3523 6484Why does my Kedron shower keep dripping after I turn it off?
Water left in the head and the arm runs out for a short while once the taps shut, and that is perfectly ordinary. A drip that hangs around for hours afterwards comes from the mixer: a washer or cartridge worn past its best is letting supply creep past its closing face. That is the point to call about.
Can I replace a shower head myself in Kedron?
Yes, you may. The QBCC treats a shower head swap as unregulated work, so a householder with the right knowledge and skill can do it, and no approval or report follows. The finished job must still reach the minimum standards.
Who can replace a shower cartridge in Queensland?
A licensed plumber, because the QBCC's list of unregulated work covers the head and nothing inside the mixer. Replacing a fitting there is minor work, which needs a QBCC licensee but skips the permit and the Form 4.
Why does water leak where my shower head joins the arm?
A leak that shows only while the water is on usually means the connection has slackened or its seal has perished. Fitting a new head is the unregulated job, and that swap often settles it.
Ring Us About the Dripping ShowerWe'll call you back.
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