| Worn washers or seals |
Rubber washers or O rings in the valve or the head connection flatten or crack over time, so water slips past the seal. |
Disassemble the head or valve and inspect the rubber parts. If they look brittle, misshapen or cracked, replace them. |
| Tired cartridge or valve |
In mixer showers, a worn cartridge may not close fully, so a small flow continues and appears as a drip at the head. |
Turn off water, remove handle and trim, then test or replace the cartridge. If the drip continues after replacement, check upstream. |
| Mineral or limescale build up |
Hard water deposits clog nozzles and internal passages, trapping water and interfering with shut off. |
White or chalky deposits on the face plate or blocked jets. Descale the head and clean the nozzles. |
| Loose joints or connections |
Threads between the arm and head, or other joints, can loosen and allow seepage that shows as a drip. |
Check for play at the connection. Reseat with PTFE tape and hand tighten. Avoid over tightening. |
| Residual after drip |
Some heads and pipe runs trap a small amount of water which drains for a short period after shut off. |
If the drip stops within a few minutes, this is normal. If it runs indefinitely, treat it as a fault. |
| High water pressure |
Excess pressure stresses seals and can push water past a closed valve, accelerating wear and causing drips. |
Measure with a gauge or ask a plumber. If consistently high, fit a pressure reducing valve. |
| Cracked internal pipework |
Less common, but damage behind the wall can feed water towards the outlet and present as a persistent drip. |
Look for damp patches around the wall or ceiling below. If suspected, call a professional. |
