Water runs occasionally from rainfall showerhead when shower is off.

[Vjred]

I have a Riobel shower kit with a RE45 3-way Type T/P (thermostatic/pressure balance) coaxial valve. Connected to it is a rainfall showerhead and a hand-held shower on a rail. They cal be controlled separately or at the same time.
The problem is that water will run from one showerhead or both (but usually the higher rainfall one) when the shower is not in use. Usually 5-10 minuted after using the shower, and all of a sudden. This shower was installed 2 years ago and had done this from the start. It’s probably the residual water in the pipe. Or maybe a fluctuation in water pressure in the house? How can I stop this from happening? Do I have to change the o-rings on the mixing valve? What do you recommend? Thanks in advance!

 

[Reach4]

So water dripping is done within half an hour? Are the two control doing the same thing for their respective showerhead, or is one controlling water, and the other directing water?

If the latter, try putting that control in the position where both showerheads are in position to receive water. Or cycling that control. If these are independent for each showerhead, these ideas will not work.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Vjred]

There is only one control for the water flow: down is all off, right is rainfall, left is handheld, top is both. The water starts leaking out with the handle in the down position. There is another dial that controls temperature. Thanks

 

[WorthFlorida]

The old water glass trick, fill the glass to the very edge of the glass so the edge is wet, place a thin piece of cardboard on top of the glass. Now turn the glass upside down, the cardboard stays in place because of the air pressure is greater than the weight of the water.

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Your shower head is holding back water because it cannot drain, similar to the glass trick. After 10-15 minutes enough air seeps in and thus the water drains from the shower head only.

 

[Vjred]

Yes that’s probably it. Do you think that I can change the seals in the mixing valve so that it doesn’t do this?

 

[Jeff H Young]

I dont see that it has 2 showerheads and a rainfall but regardless Id cycle it after turning water off might minimize the issue or eliminate . Sounds normal to me but possibly annoying

 

[Vjred]

I dont see that it has 2 showerheads and a rainfall but regardless Id cycle it after turning water off might minimize the issue or eliminate . Sounds normal to me but possibly annoying

What do you mean by cycle it? I don’t think my installation allows that as it’s either off, handheld, rainfall, or both.

 

[WorthFlorida]

Yes that’s probably it. Do you think that I can change the seals in the mixing valve so that it doesn’t do this?

After shutting off the water, give a shower head a little bump or two where it might allow air to enter from the nozzles.

 

[wwhitney]

What do you mean by cycle it? I don’t think my installation allows that as it’s either off, handheld, rainfall, or both.

Try setting it at "both" after you turn the water off. That should prevent an airlock, and water should drain from the handheld/rainfall piping system down to the level of the lower outlet.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[Vjred]

Try setting it at "both" after you turn the water off. That should prevent an airlock, and water should drain from the handheld/rainfall piping system down to the level of the lower outlet.

Cheers, Wayne

Good idea but there is only Both On or both off.

 

[wwhitney]

Good idea but there is only Both On or both off.

Ah, sorry, I was thinking you had separate On/Off and A/B/AB controls, rather than a single combined control. Then I don't think there's an easy way to fix the airlock problem (post #8 might help).

You could install an exposed valve just before the rainfall head; if you shut off the water there as well as at the shower valve, then only the water in the head itself can drain out later, not the pipes in between.

If the shower valve supports a tub, and depending on how its internal 3-way diverter works, it may leave the main shower outlet (straight up) connected to the tub outlet (straight down) when in the off position. If so, and the rainfall head is on the main shower outlet (rather than the extra outlet), and you have access to the backside of the shower valve wall, and you are willing to do some surgery on the plumbing and tile wall, you could take advantage of that. I.e. plumb in a tub spout with its own diverter or a spigot with a ball valve. That would let you drain the rainfall head after use, either automatically if using a tub spout with the type of diverter you'd have to actuate each time you use the rainfall head, or manually with the ball valve by opening and closing it.

Cheers, Wayne