Why Is My Shower Dripping After I Turn It Off?
A short drip after shutoff is normal. A drip that keeps going means the valve is not sealing, usually a worn cartridge, sometimes the seats and springs under it. How to tell, and the diverter mix-up to avoid.
Updated
On this page
Short answer. A drip that stops within a minute or two is water draining from the shower arm and head, and it is normal. A drip that keeps going, or comes back later, means the valve is not sealing. In a single-handle shower that is usually the cartridge, and on some valves the rubber seats and springs it presses against. Both come out through the front. The valve body in the wall stays.
Draining water or a leaking valve?
Turn the shower off and wait two minutes.
- The drip slows and stops. Residual water. Kohler says a showerhead can drip for up to about 90 seconds after the valve closes. Soaking the head in 50/50 vinegar and water can shorten it.
- It keeps dripping past two minutes. The valve is letting water through. On a tub and shower, take the showerhead off the arm: if water still comes from the arm or the tub spout, it is the valve, not the head.
- Water comes out of the tub spout while the shower is running. That is the diverter, not the cartridge. On a pull-up spout the diverter is inside the spout, and the fix is a new spout.
Read the drip
| What you see | What it usually means | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
| Drip stops within about 90 seconds | Residual water in the arm and head | Normal; clean the head if it is slow |
| Constant drip, one handle that turns to set temperature | Worn cartridge, or worn seats and springs under it | Replace the cartridge, and the seats and springs if the valve has them |
| Constant drip, two or three handles, warm drip | Hot side washer, seat or ceramic unit | Replace the hot side part |
| Constant drip, two or three handles, cold drip | Cold side washer, seat or ceramic unit | Replace the cold side part |
| Drip started after plumbing work or a water heater swap | Grit lodged in the cartridge | Flush; replace if the cartridge is scored |
| Tub spout runs while the shower is on | Worn diverter | Replace the spout or the diverter stem |
Single-handle showers
Most showers built in recent decades have one handle that sets the temperature, and inside is a pressure-balance or thermostatic cartridge. When it drips with the handle off, the seals or ceramic surfaces in it are worn. On some valves the cartridge seals against two small rubber seats with springs behind them, sitting in the valve body. Those wear just like the cartridge, and it makes sense to replace them while the valve is open.
Two things to know before ordering. First, pull the whole cartridge, not just the stem, because pressure-balance and thermostatic cartridges are identified by the body and the bottom. Second, shower cartridges that look alike can differ in length, stem splines, and how hot and cold are oriented, and a near miss runs backwards or will not seat.
Two and three handle showers
Each side has its own stem or ceramic unit. To find the leaking side, feel the drip soon after the shower has been used, while the hot line is still warm: a warm drip is the hot side. Water sitting in the pipe cools, so a cold drip hours later proves nothing. If you cannot tell, shut off the hot water at the water heater and see whether the drip stops.
The diverter warning. On a three-handle shower the middle handle is usually the diverter. Its stem can look almost the same as the hot and cold stems, but it does a different job. Fitting a diverter stem where a hot or cold stem belongs, or the reverse, is one of the most common wrong-part mistakes. Pull one stem at a time and keep each with its handle.
What to do next
- Shut off the water at the shower’s stops if it has them, otherwise at the main. Open the shower to drain it.
- Remove the handle and trim plate. Score old caulk first so you do not pull grout with the plate.
- Release and pull the cartridge. It is held by a clip, a nut or a bonnet depending on the brand. Note its orientation and photograph it before it comes out.
- Look in the valve body for seats and springs, and replace them with the cartridge if they are there.
Removal steps by brand: Moen, Delta, Kohler, Pfister, American Standard. The general procedure is in how to replace a shower cartridge.
Trim replaced, logo worn off, no idea what the valve is
Very common in showers. The trim gets swapped during a remodel and the valve behind it is a different brand, or the logo wore off years ago. A chart cannot help with that. Photograph the handle, the trim plate and the cartridge face, and a specialist identifies the valve and the cartridge. If you already have it out, start with shower cartridge identification.
When to call a plumber
Call a pro if the cartridge is seized and will not come out with a proper puller, if the valve body is cracked or its threads are damaged, if there are no stops and the main will not close, or if the valve itself has to be replaced behind the tile.
Common questions
Is it normal for a shower to drip after turning it off?
A short drip is normal. Water left in the shower arm and head drains out after the valve closes, and Kohler notes this can last up to about 90 seconds. A drip that keeps going after that, or starts again hours later, means the valve is not sealing.
What causes a shower to drip constantly?
In a single-handle valve, a worn or scored cartridge or a torn seal on it. On some valves the cartridge seals against rubber seats and springs in the valve body, and those wear too. In a two or three handle shower, a worn washer, seat or ceramic unit on one side.
Which handle is the diverter on a three handle shower?
Usually the middle one. It sends water to the tub spout or the showerhead and does not control temperature. It can look almost exactly like the hot and cold stems beside it, so keep the three parts separate and labeled when they come out.
Do I need to replace the whole shower valve?
Usually not. The valve body stays in the wall and the cartridge inside it is the part that wears. A cartridge swap fixes most drips without opening the wall. The body only needs replacing if it is cracked, badly corroded, or nothing is made for it anymore.
How do I know which shower cartridge I have?
Pull the whole cartridge, not just the stem, because shower cartridges are identified by the body and the bottom as much as the top. If the trim has a readable brand, the brand guides on this site show the common ones. If not, photograph the handle, the trim plate and the cartridge and a specialist can identify it.
How much water does a dripping shower waste?
The EPA estimates that a showerhead leaking 10 drips a minute wastes more than 500 gallons a year.