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The hot and cold shower knobs open and close the valves that release and stop the water flow. Water will continue to flow from the shower head if the washers or other internal parts of one or both of those valves have become damaged or excessively worn. Repair may be as (relatively) easy as replacing a washer, or it may mean replacing other internal parts. Usually it's not necessary to replace the entire valve, which is a good thing, because that's very hard in a finished house. You'll be able to tell which valve needs repaired according to whether it's the hot or cold water that's still flowing. (If this is a tub shower and the symptom is that warm water comes from the shower head even when the diverter valve is set to tub, then that diverter valve is likely the one with the problem.) Do-it-yourself Plumbing repair books at hardware stores and home centers have good guides on doing water valve repairs. Some detail on older faucets:

Older and inexpensive faucets use rubber washers, on the end of the valve stem, to stop the water flow. The valve stem is the spindle that projects out of the valve and onto which the handle is attached. On the other end of the valve stem, inside the valve, this rubber washer is attached by a screw through the center. Tightening the handle presses the washer against a valve seat. Water is attempting to flow through the hole in the center of the valve seat, and it's the washer that stops it. When the washer is worn, it's hard to make a tight seal. The washer may become so worn, though, as the user tightens the handle down more and more, that it simply breaks away. At this point, you have metal against metal, the valve stem grinding on the valve seat. This may grind away or chip the valve seat. Then even a new washer may not be able to properly stop water flow. When you're replacing rubber washers, examine the valve seat. If it's not unbroken and perfectly smooth, replace it too. Otherwise, not only might water still leak, but the new washer will be quickly ruined.

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17y ago

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