Pro Handyman Blog

Water Leaking From Tub Spout

 Email Article  

Tweet  

  

 delicious  

  

If you have water leaking from your tub spout, you need to determine the root cause. Does the spout leak when the water is turned on or does it leak when the water is off? If your tub spout also has a diverter on it to shoot water to the shower head, it is common for some water to leak out of the tub during the shower, as the diverter usually doesn’t do a perfect job at stopping all of the water.

A valve behind the handle controls the flow of water to the tub spout. If water flows out of the spout when the handle is turned off, the problem is with the valve, and not the spout. You likely need the cartridge replaced (if a single handle valve) or the stem and seat replaced (for separate hot and cold handles). If water leaks from around the spout when the water is on, you need to check the tub spout and see if it is installed correctly. Tub spouts are either threaded on, or there is an o-ring that seals out leaks. These connections can get corroded and nasty, so maintenance is common. You will also get a leak if you try to rotate the tub spout once it has been installed, so once is it on, leave it alone unless you have a problem.