Dripping showers need to be taken care of as soon as possible as they could lead to other problems. The problems are in terms oaf soaking through the walls and damaging them as the plaster starts to bubble and the paint gets damaged. The leak causes could be due to cracked tiles, aged or cracked movement joints, leaking pipes or cracked and missing grout.
When do you need to hire a plumber to get rid of a leaking shower?
 At first, the handle cap needs to be removed but before that, the water supply to the shower has to be turned off. Then the internal handle screw is to be exposed which is under the handle cap. The handle is then to be removed. The stop tube is then to be removed. The next step involves the prying up of the cartridge retaining clip by using an awl or a screwdriver. The handle washer is then to be removed and the cartridge stem is then to be loosened by twisting and pulled out using pliers.
You need to replace the faucet to get rid of a dripping shower:
In case it is a two-knob style faucet then you will need to replace both of the valves. For this a screwdriver as well as a crescent wrench would do. Also, you need to remember that the shower stem has several washers. They need to be replaced when the faucet is disassembled. However, the entire faucet removal needs to be done only under the guidance of expert plumbers, and you need to get rid of faucets which are covered with rust and iron sediments.
It is also important to get rid of a brittle shower head:
- In case it looks like the showerhead is brittle and dried then the best option would be to replace it. When the showerhead is off, it also helps to clean the showerhead especially if there is a decreased flow which is seen. This is usually caused due to mineral deposits or sediments.
- These can be cleaned by mixing one part of water to three parts of vinegar, boiling it and then adding the showerhead parts to it without the rubber removable parts. After 20-30 minutes of it sitting in the solution it needs to be rinsed and scrubbed of all the deposits.
- If the washer or the O ring is replaced, the threads on the pipe stem are to be wrapped with Teflon tape and then the showerhead should be reattached. After this, the water should be turned on to check to see if the leak has stopped.
When do you need to add a new strip of silicon?
- If it seems to be a problem with the movement joints, then it is possible it is with the grout, for this the grout or the silicon needs to be removed and the entire area cleaned, then dried and treated with anti-mould. Then a new strip of silicon needs to be installed.
- In case there are very fine cracks, which are there in the grout, the shower needs to be cleaned, dried and then sealer needs to be applied along the grout lines.
- In case the grout has extensive cracks, it needs to be replaced. For this the shower is to be cleaned, the grout is to be removed, the new grout is to be installed and then neatly finished. It is also advisable in such cases to remove and replace the movement joints.
A licensed plumber is required when there are issues with regards the waste pipes or inlet pipes or even if there are risks of further unknown causes. If you want to need some professional help then get an expert advice on these issues.