Fix a Leaking Shower Head

What is actually broken

There are three different leaks that all get blamed on the shower head. Spray shooting sideways out of the face means mineral deposits are clogging some nozzles. Water running down the arm or dripping from the swivel nut means the rubber washer inside the nut has flattened out or the thread tape has failed. A slow drip from the face with the water fully off is different — that water is getting past the shower valve behind the wall, and no new shower head will stop it. This guide fixes the first two and tells you how to prove the third.

The fix, step by step

1. 1 Name your leak before you touch a wrench

   Run the shower and watch the connection at the wall: water weeping from the nut or running down the arm is a washer/tape leak. Then turn the shower fully off and watch the face for a minute — a steady drip with the handle off is the valve, not the head. Note which one you have; the fixes are different.

   Tip: A phone flashlight behind the arm joint makes a slow weep obvious — look for the shine, not just drips.

2. 2 Descale the head for sideways spray

   Unscrew the head by hand or with a padded wrench. Fill a bowl with white vinegar, submerge the face, and leave it at least an hour (overnight for heavy crust). Scrub each nozzle with an old toothbrush, poke stubborn holes clear with a pin or toothpick, and rinse. No vinegar bath handy? Fill a plastic bag with vinegar, rubber-band it over the head still on the arm, and wait the same time.

   Tip: Florida and hard-water homes: this is a yearly job. If the spray pattern goes crooked again within weeks, the head's internal screen is packed with grit — unscrew it, rinse it backwards, and refit.

3. 3 Replace the washer and re-tape the threads

   With the head off, pull the old rubber washer and screen out of the swivel nut with a small screwdriver and fit the new washer, flat side in. Scrape the old thread tape off the shower arm with a wire brush or rag, then wrap fresh PTFE tape clockwise — as you face the threads — four to five tight wraps, pressing it into the threads with your thumb.

   Tip: Tape direction matters: wrapped the wrong way it balls up and leaks worse than no tape. Clockwise when you look at the end of the arm is right for standard threads.

4. 4 Refit the head and test under pressure

   Thread the nut on by hand until snug, then a quarter turn more with the padded wrench — no further. Turn the shower on full and check the joint dry with a fingertip, then check the spray pattern. A dry joint and an even fan of spray means you are done.

   Tip: Wrap the nut with a strip of painter's tape or a rag before the wrench touches it — chrome scratches if you even look at it wrong.

5. 5 If it still drips with the water off, it is the valve

   A face drip that never fully stops means the shower valve cartridge or washer behind the handle is passing water. Shut off water to the shower, pull the handle and trim, and note the cartridge brand and shape before ordering a replacement — cartridges are brand-specific. Swapping one is a bigger job than this guide's scope for most people; a photo of your valve in the ClickTheFix app will identify the part before you buy anything.

   Tip: Take the old cartridge with you to the store. Two cartridges that look identical can differ by one spline, and that spline is the whole job.