I have a single faucet bathtub shower combo in my condo. Recently got plumbing re-piped (goodbye P. Noticed a small but persistent drip from bathtub spout. Had cartridge replaced. Still have small drip from spout for about an hour after using shower, then no drip. Is this water draining back down the shower pipe? Shouldn't there be some sort of seal or gasket to prevent this?

Yes it could, but normally not for that long a time. However, a faucet leak would NEVER stop and would only get worse over time. And no there is not a seal to prevent it.



Edited 1 times.

Hiya Mike
Much depends on the make and model of your shower valve. Yes, cartridges are suppose to mate with the inner body, under normal conditions. Sometimes, debris as small as a strand of hair can prevent the cartridge to mate properly. Other times a worn brass body or seat assy is defective. The inspection process requires removal of the inner assembly and close inspection for defect or debris.

Which brand and model of valve do you have?
Best Wishes

If it stops then the valve is not leaking and the drip is water contained within the valve body and piping. There is nothing you can do about it.

One other possibility worth checking is if you are seeing the results of thermal expansion in your water heater and it's associated pressure increase. Try running the shower with cold water only then see if you still have the same results.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Since 1995 (3 years before Google started) PlumbingSupply.com has been THE best plumbing supplier on the web. Please visit our sponsor [www.PlumbingSupply.com]

Talked to the master plumber from the re-pipe job. He said the brand is MOEN. Also thinks might be because cartridge not quite seating with old valve. Make sense? The "cold water" shower test has same result. Does not drip when water goes only from spout into bathtub, only when shower engaged.

Sounds like water draining back down...

Normal operation, but, a bit unusual for it to do it for that long.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Since 1995 (3 years before Google started) PlumbingSupply.com has been THE best plumbing supplier on the web. Please visit our sponsor [www.PlumbingSupply.com]

this is the only reason i resist putting a single handle valve in my bathroom. i can leave the diverter partly open and it allows air in to let the shower drain quickly.

if it stops then there is no problem with the valve. the water is just air locked and will take forever to drain. i have seen this many times and the customer had destroyed the handle or cartridge trying to get it to shut off more so the dripping would stop. which fcourse it did eventually

- - - - - - -

PLUMBERS "Protecting The Health Of The Nation"

When you're finished showering, and the water is shut off, activate the diverter. You may be able to help drain the valve, shower head and riser piping in the wall so it doesn't drip for so long. If it eventually stops, replacing internal parts of the faucet will not help at all.

e-plumber
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"The society which scorns excellence in Plumbing as a humble activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an
exalted activity will have neither good Plumbing nor good philosophy: neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water." -
John William Gardner 10/8/1912 - 2/16/2002

Repair your leaking Plumbing fixtures ASAP [www.theplumber.com]
This slow drip will waste 7+ gallons of water per day.

Is the diverter opening when you shut off the water? If not, then it could be the water in the shower riser draining until the diverter finally opens all the way.

Hi. I have had a recurring bathtub spout leak problem that is driving me nuts. Twice now the spout has dripped. Each time a new cartridge has fixed it for many months, but then it starts up again. The last time I watched the replacement and made sure the installer flushed the system before putting in the new cartridge. Could the problem be the cartridge going bad each time? Could grit be getting in the system? Or are there other parts that need to be checked and possibly replaced? I was told by a plumber that I might have to tear out the entire wall (my house was built 25 years ago; it's a moen faucet). Since the leak is always out of the spout it seems that the problem should be something in the cartridge area. Any suggestions?