Shower head spontaneously starts dripping.

[Grim Reaper]

What causes a shower head to spontaneously start dripping? The shower's water is totally turned off at the single lever control at the shower and at the control for the shower wand which is located approximately 6 feet away. It happens when no one has used the shower for hours or even a day or two. Sometimes it can go for a week or more without spontaneously dripping. The dripping can be be for a short time or continues for a few minutes. It is a mystery.

 

[CT18]

Could be from a spike in pressure or a water hammer and it is breaking a vacuum in the shower head and allowing water to drain out. It isn't really a cut and dry situation I don't think

 

[Twowaxhack]

What causes a shower head to spontaneously start dripping? The shower's water is totally turned off at the single lever control at the shower and at the control for the shower wand which is located approximately 6 feet away. It happens when no one has used the shower for hours or even a day or two. Sometimes it can go for a week or more without spontaneously dripping. The dripping can be be for a short time or continues for a few minutes. It is a mystery.

Check for thermal expansion from a tank type water heater. You can look up how to do that.

 

[Grim Reaper]

I should have mentioned that my bathroom is located in my apartment/suite in a condominium building.

 

[Geofd]

Is it a hand held shower with a hose,we have some regular shower heads at work that drip for a few, after use, is it shower only or is there a tub option, if so try the spout,and see what happens, if you are able to isolate the hot and cold try that see what happens,sometimes it's what's left in the hose, but those are just suggestions that you could try

 

[frontporch]

Strange but I have experienced the same thing in my shower that gets daily use. It might drip in a small stream 6 or 8 hours after the last use. All total maybe 1or2oz of water and then it stops. It more a quick stream than a drip. I have been ignoring it but I was hoping for an explanation as well

 

[Geofd]

I don't think it's anything to worry about,if it was a leak from your shower valve it wouldn't stop

 

[frontporch]

I did read somewhere that buildup on the shower head might keep water inside the shower head after it is off due to some surface tension on the water in the nozzles. Mine is definitely not clean but flows well under pressure. It kind of makes sense for that remaining water no longer under any pressure may be trapped there until?

A vibration of some sort (you walk by?)
A temperature change?
Evaporation?

Also for water to flow out air has to enter as well and that might be restricted

Either way I know it’s only trapped water because I have only noticed it happening once after not being used so I have been ignoring it

 

[pakle]

https://www.plumbingforums.com/threads/rainfall-showerhead-drips-hours-later.18941/I've given up solving the problem on mine. You could try a vacuum breaker though.

 

[Bird Doo Head]

This may sound crazy, but when our air handler kicks on high for cooling, one of the shower heads will start producing spurts of water. This sticatto flow lasts up to a minute.
When a door to the house is closed quickly, another shower shoots a quick stream.

Thinking along the lines of what FrontPorch said in #8: These are hand-helds, so I suppose the tubing is full and the pressure change of the air mover or a door opening causes a cosmic yin-yang unbalance of some sort & the water escapes.

But just to be sure though, I'm going to ask our parish priest for an exorcism.

 

[TomFOhio]

Take the shower head off and see if the water drips. If it doesn't replace the shower head or clean it good so the water
can flow out better when its shut off. if it does drip I would change the cartridge on the faucet.