A: Hi, Rick, and a big hello to all my friends in Canada! Believe it or not, I have received several letters from homeowners in Canada with the same problem. There is one thing you can try that may be a simple fix.

The type of spout you described has a built-in diverter valve. When you pull the lever up, it diverts water up to the shower. The key is that when you finish with the shower and shut off the water, you need to push the lever down to drain out the shower feed line. If you don't drain the line, the water may slowly drip out of the spout for hours.

However, if you notice that the water never stops dripping, or even after you drain the shower water line it still drips constantly, you may have a mixing valve leak. A mixing valve leak needs to be addressed by a licensed plumber ,since it is now a temperature control valve issue. But try the simple diverter setting first, and you may save yourself a service call.