You guys are pretty smart, tell me what you think about this: In mid November, my shower head started dripping. The water would accumulate for about five minutes, and then pour out - drip drip drip drip drip. Then the cycle would start over. And it did this, day and night, for about a month.

I know I should have tried to fix it. It was on my to-do list to fix it. But I never got around to it. It was pretty loud though. I heard it all the time. For a while, it kept me up at night, but eventually I learned to ignore it.

About a week ago, I noticed that it had apparently stopped. I made a point to listen carefully while I sat in the next room, reading a book. Sure enough, no more dripping.

So, what are your theories as to what happened? I have two competing theories, both of which are based on my complete and total ignorance of all things plumbing related. 1) there was a bit of debris stuck in the valve, maybe a bit of sand, and it cleared itself. 2) atmospheric temperature and pressure changes associated with the time of year have expanded or contracted a valve somewhere.

They sound plausible to me... I would also add, a washer somehow slipped and finally got reseated. Or maybe even your awareness of it makes you close the valve better.

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Numbers are not case sensitive. (me)

Hi, You didn't mention your water source. I have an artesian well, which
generates some very fine sand particles. I have since installed a "sand filter"
as This culprit will play havoc with all sorts of valves: dishwashers, clothes washing machines, ice makers in your refrigerator and bathroom fixtures.
The sand filter is simply back flushed once in a while to waste, which removes the sand before it can cause any trouble, and sand will make trouble. It cost me $50 for the filter , and I installed it in line with another $15 in parts. Well worth it for the grief it saves me.
Some valves....Moen (like mine) are of the sliding barrel type with a diagonal
groove cut in the body. Otherwise called a spool valve. Sand, being abrasive can chew up the O-Ring that forms the seal . It can easily be replaced.
Any valve can be serviced in short order. Why not do this and ensure good performance now and in the future?
If the shower head plugs up, they sell a miracle cleaner that you dip the shower head into and it disolves lime and stuff. (lime away? ) .
That's about it. Good luck in your endeavours.
Best regards, Dan

I'm on the city water system. This is terribly disappointing. I was hoping for an explanation involving aliens or a secret society of stealthy ninja repairmen.

So if this happens again, how does one go about replacing a valve in a shower? I guess it just screws out from the wall? What I normally do when something I don't understand breaks, is to buy a replacement first, and then learn from it how to take the original apart.

I think I prefer the Phantom Plumber, wandering through your house with his spectral plunger in the wee small hours

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But you're sure the astronauts are lying; you just don't seem to know what they're lying about: Jayutah


I are Learnding.

Maybe yours is a hard water [high mineral content], prone to calcification.

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If you're careful enough, nothing bad or good will ever happen to you.

In that case I would have expected problems with the toilet.

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At night the stars put on a show for free (Carole King)

One Earth, One Sky - IYA 2009

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But you're sure the astronauts are lying; you just don't seem to know what they're lying about: Jayutah


I are Learnding.

Spectral plumbers aren't all they're cracked up to be...

BTW, you know that plunger you've got stashed somewhere? It's actually a Tralfamadorian. Some morning around 3 listen carefully for tap dancing and the passing of gas.

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Can you specify what you mean by "built up"? Was there a little dam of some sort in the head or pipe that was backing the water up until it breached? Or just that the water would drip for a few minutes, stop for a few?

Perhaps it had the shower version of the common cold, in which case it was trying desperately to ask for a decongestant. Alas, it had no mouth or hands with which to get attention.

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None to speak of

Almost sounds like a siphoning effect. I had a shower head do that. The cure was to replace it with one that had a shut off valve.

In your case, the intermittent problem may be due to changes in water pressure, or even something as minor as the hot/cold mix.

Of course, engineers just love intermittent problems. Just ask NASA.

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Yea. Right.

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Maybe to catch this ghost plumber, you can call in the plumbers who are part-time ghost hunters!

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"If you think the LHC will create black holes, you might as well believe Hobbits are at the bottom of your garden."- Dr. Mike Inglis
Rovers forever! - ToSeek
"Carl Sagan sent a message to ET,
Neil Armstrong walked in the Sea of Tranquility
Steve Squyers built Spirit and Opportunity
Dan Haylen upchucked in zero gravity." -Brent Simon, The Space Camp Song

Or maybe you can call him instead.

"ghost plumber .. come-out ,come out wherever you are"

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Jean
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"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing." - Albert Einsteiin

Well, the resident plumber should probably add to this thread- If your seats unseated, then reseated themselves, you might have reason to be concerned

The dripping will return in time. This is usually caused by deposits within the line and faucet.

Oftentimes, a leaky drip will suddenly stop when the crevice or hole created through normal wear and tear become covered in or plugged up a bit by calcium deposits. When the deposits wear off with the moving of the faucet- the drip will resume.

It doesn't sound like a major problem that you immediately want to repair- or you would have already done so. But eventually you are going to want to replace either the single unit cartridge or the seats and stems. There are two basic types - although the companies, parent companies and splinter companies all have different names- The Moen and The Delta. Moen uses a single cartridge. Delta uses seats and stems- two faucets- the hot and cold. To do this may require some specific tools- and though I can walk you through the process- believe me when I say that showers can be fickle beasts... My first advice to you , as a stranger, would be to go ahead, bite the bullet, and hire a plumber. The very first time you do a shower faucet- what can seem simple can quickly baffle you and more damages will result in greater cost.

I've gotten some very good business out of Do it Yourselfers- who made the problem much worse And if it comes to getting at the plumbing behind the wall- you are looking at replacing tiles, a shower unit, greenboard, sheetrock, trim- long list...

Welcome back, Neverfly!

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"If you think the LHC will create black holes, you might as well believe Hobbits are at the bottom of your garden."- Dr. Mike Inglis
Rovers forever! - ToSeek
"Carl Sagan sent a message to ET,
Neil Armstrong walked in the Sea of Tranquility
Steve Squyers built Spirit and Opportunity
Dan Haylen upchucked in zero gravity." -Brent Simon, The Space Camp Song

Was I gone?

Hi, Neverfly is right about the valves.
My Daughter just bought an old house (1936 ) which had a leaking shower valve. Since it had been " inspected " just prior to the sale, the bad shower was warranted, so a plummer made the repair instead of me. The valve body
was fine. The innards were replaced. All this repair is done without tearing appart the walls. This is by design. You don't have to throw the baby out with the bath water...so to speak. The supply houses carry all the necessary repair parts in stock . It's not a big deal for a plummer. Your valve will be restored back to zero time. (like new condition...in function).
Best regards, Dan

Astral-plane, perhaps?? out of closet experience?

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But you're sure the astronauts are lying; you just don't seem to know what they're lying about: Jayutah


I are Learnding.

I won't tackle do-it-myself plumbing on anything that doesn't have a local shutoff valve, but instead requires shutting off the whole house. The concern, obviously, is that if something goes wrong the whole house is out of business until it's fixed. Showers would fall into that category.

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