A leak could happen at any time, anywhere in your home where there is plumbing, and it’s something that must be dealt with quickly. Shower leaks are a common type of leak, and they could require an emergency plumber, or they could be a little less severe and be dealt with in a day or two after discovering the leak.
If your shower springs a leak, here are five quick tips to identify and deal with it:
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Don’t Ignore a Shower Leak
Whether the leak is coming from the shower head, the faucet, or elsewhere, don’t ignore it or just hope that it goes away. Leaking water can cause tremendous damage over time. It can lead to mould and water damage, erode your walls or seep through your home, and it will lead to higher water bills. Even a small drip will add up to a lot of water over the course of a day or more.
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Figure Out Where it’s Coming From
As best you can, try to figure out where the leak is coming from. Is it coming from the showerhead or perhaps the faucet? Is it coming through the grout and silicone and out to the tilework?
If it’s coming from the showerhead, check to ensure that the showerhead is attached properly and tightly and that the faucet is completely off. If it continues, or if the leak is coming from lower down (at the faucet, if you have one), and it’s completely off, the issue is usually a faulty or worn-out O-ring inside that needs to be replaced.
If it’s coming from within the walls and you’re seeing it seep through to the tilework, the leak is probably happening with plumbing inside the walls. It could be a corroded pipe or faulty valve – either way, an emergency plumber should be called at your earliest convenience.
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Is the Bathroom Floor Feeling Wet or Soft?
If the leak is going into the shower basin and draining out as though you were taking a casual shower, you probably don’t have to worry too much about drainage – just fix the leak, either by yourself or with a plumber, and carry on.
But if the floor is feeling damp or soft when it shouldn’t, it’s likely because your bathroom wasn’t waterproofed well and water is making its way into the flooring.
If not dealt with immediately, this can mean having to do a full strip-out and replacing the flooring and waterproofing it all over again.
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Temporary Solutions for Leaky Faucets or Shower Heads
For leaks that are coming from the shower head or faucet where you’ve made sure the water is off, you’ll need to call a plumber to resolve the issue. So long as the water is draining out properly and isn’t accumulating on the floor, it can wait a day or two.
In the meantime, you could place a heavy object or use a few rubber bands to tie the faucet and keep it closed, although some leaking will still probably come through.
The best solution is to go to your home’s main water supply valve and turn it off. Only turn it back on when you need to use the restroom or kitchen sink, then turn it back off afterwards.
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Call a Fast & Local Plumber Sooner, Not Later
If you need an emergency plumber in Melbourne, call FastnLocal Plumbing and arrange for 24/7 service for your shower or other plumbing issue.
For non-urgent plumbing issues, and shower leaks might be less urgent but nonetheless important to deal with quickly, you should still call us for plumbing services. A leaky showerhead or faucet can sometimes wait a day or two, but don’t wait a few days and then call – just call us and explain the issue to us, and we’ll walk you through what you should do for peace of mind and to resolve the matter.
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