A hose leak almost always comes down to a missing or worn washer at one of the two connections, not a faulty hose. Work out which end is dripping first, then check the washer before you buy a replacement hose.
Applies to: shower cabins
If your shower cabin is leaking from the hose, the good news is that this is usually a simple connection issue rather than a major fault.
In most cases, leaks from the hose occur at the connection points or from the hose itself due to wear over time. These are typically easy to identify and resolve without needing specialist tools or major repairs.
Compatible with many shower cabin brands including
Quick diagnosis
If your shower cabin is showing these symptoms:
- Water dripping from where the hose meets the handset
- Water dripping from where the hose meets the wall or column
- Drips appearing only when the shower is running
- Water coming from partway along the hose itself
- The hose feels twisted, kinked or strained behind the unit
- Leak started after refitting or replacing the hose
Likely causes, most likely first
- Leaking at the handset end. The small rubber washer inside the union nut is missing, flattened or perished, so the joint can’t seal even hand-tight.
- Leaking at the valve end. Same washer fault at the connection into the wall or shower column, often made worse if the nut was only ever finger-tight from new.
- Leaking from the middle of the hose. The braided outer or the inner lining has split with age or a sharp kink. No washer fixes this; the hose itself needs replacing.
- Leaking from the mains supply hose behind the unit. The braided 1/2" BSP hose that feeds hot or cold water from the mains to the valve sits out of sight behind the cabin and fails at its own fittings the same way a handset hose does.
Likely cause
In most cases this comes down to a worn or missing washer at one of the two hose connections rather than a fault with the hose itself. A washer that has perished, or was never refitted the last time the hose was disconnected, won't form a seal however tight the nut is done up. Cross-threading is the other common cause at either end … a hose forced on at a slight angle can look tight but never actually seals, and a kinked or twisted hose puts extra strain on both connections. Where the leak is coming from the body of the hose rather than either end, the internal lining has failed and the hose needs swapping out.
Check this first
- Hand-tighten both ends of the hose before reaching for a spanner … a joint that was never fully done up won’t seal.
- Look inside each nut for the small rubber washer. If it’s missing, that’s the leak.
- Run a hand along the full length of the hose while the water’s on, checking for a kink or a trapped loop behind the column.
Which part fits your cabin
| Brand | Model / range | Part | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insignia | GT, ES, INS and Diamond range cabins | Shower Hose Chrome | Listed on Insignia’s own parts pages |
| Vidalux | SS (Steam), Essence and Essence Classic ranges | Shower Hose Chrome | Checked against Vidalux’s own product records |
These lists are a floor, not the full range … if your model isn’t shown, check the fitting and length against your existing hose before ordering.
How to identify your part
Handset hoses use a 15mm fitting, not a universal thread, so check which end needs replacing before ordering. The chrome hose to a hand shower or foot spa is a fixed 150cm length with 15mm fittings at both ends. The PVC hose that runs from the valve to a monsoon head, foot spa or hand shower comes in 50cm, 100cm or 150cm, and is sold either with a 90° 15mm fitting at one end and a blank end for a jubilee clip, or with a 15mm fitting at both ends … measure end to end and check both connections before choosing. If the leak is on the mains side, behind the unit, that hose uses a 1/2" BSP fitting instead, which is a different part.
Parts that fix this problem
In most cases, this issue can be resolved by adjusting or refitting the hose. If the hose itself has failed, a standard replacement hose will fix the problem.
Not sure if your hose needs replacing or just adjusting? Send us a photo and we’ll help you identify the issue and the right solution.
How to fix it
- Turn off the water supply to the shower before you start
- Unscrew the hose from the end that’s leaking
- Check the rubber washer is present and in good condition inside the nut, and replace it if it’s missing, flattened or split
- Refit the hose by hand first so it threads on straight … tightening at an angle causes cross-threading, which will never seal properly
- Nip it up with a spanner once hand-tight, without overtightening
- Turn the water back on and run the shower, checking both ends and the full length of the hose for drips
Also described as
- Shower hose leaking
- Shower hose dripping
- Leak from shower handset hose
- Shower hose connection leaking
- Water leaking from shower hose
When to call a professional
If the leak is coming from inside the valve body or the wall connection itself rather than the hose, that's a job for a plumber. Don't work on the shower's electrics while you're dealing with a water leak.
