Did You Know? A Shower Head Leaking at 10 Drips per Minute Wastes More Than 500 Gallons per Year!
Your bathroom is likely one of the most used areas of your home, and accounts for the most water usage. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 17% of all indoor water use, in a home, is reserved to showers. If your shower head is dripping or leaking, it can be annoying and also cost you. Think about it, if the average household uses almost 20% of their water use in the shower, if yours is dribbling water when not in use, your water usage is likely much higher.
To solve a leaking shower head, you need to understand what is causing it in the first place.
Why Is My Shower Head Dripping?
A shower head leaking at 10 drips per minute wastes more than 500 gallons per year. That’s the amount of water it takes to wash 60 loads of dishes in your dishwasher (EPA). That’s a lot of water and money down the drain.
While every Buffalo, NY home’s shower and shower head is likely different, there are a few things that could be causing the water to trickle out of yours, when it is not in use. Let’s review.
It needs cleaned. The constant drip of a shower head can be caused by it needing to be cleaned. If there is dirt, grim, hard water, or lime scale buildup, it can affect the water flow and cause blockages and leaks.
There are worn or damaged seals. The washers or O-rings in your shower act as a watertight seal between connections on your shower head, preventing water from leaking out. Over time, these components wear and can harden or split, and when they do, it causes water to escape.
Issues with the faucet. There are different kinds of faucets that a shower may have. Regardless the type, if your faucet is loose or there are failing parts in it (such as the valve), it can cause the shower head to drip.
Time and age. As with all things, over time, your shower head may just simply wear out. There is some disagreement over how often your shower head should be replaced. Some experts say that shower heads are recommended to be replaced every six to eight months; while others say they are good for over 10 years. If there are issues with yours, it may be time to replace it, but this really varies by situation.
How Can I Fix My Leaking Shower Head?
How to resolve a dripping showerhead depends on what is causing the issue in the first place. Once you have determined what the source of the issue is, you can try to tackle stopping the drip on your own, or call a Buffalo plumbing expert.
From faucets to drains, Reimer Home Services handles everything showers. If your shower needs work, contact us. We repair and install showers in Buffalo and Erie County.
Even if the dribbling isn’t bothering you, it can be dramatically impacting your water costs and could be a sign of a much larger plumbing issue.
