Install a new shower head without wrecking the pipe
Fifteen minutes, two tools, and one roll of tape. This is the first win every new homeowner should collect.
What you need
- Adjustable wrench
- Old rag
- PTFE thread seal tape
- Channel-lock pliers
- 1
Protect the shower arm
Wrap a rag around the pipe coming out of the wall before you grab it with pliers. That chrome scratches if you look at it wrong, and a bent arm turns a 15-minute job into a drywall job.
- 2
Unscrew the old head counterclockwise
Hold the shower arm steady with the pliers and turn the head with the wrench. Two hands, opposite directions. If it will not budge, warm water and patience beat brute force.
- 3
Clean and re-tape the threads
Scrape off the old tape and mineral crust. Wrap fresh thread tape three to four times clockwise, the same direction the new head will thread on, so it tightens instead of unspooling.
- 4
Hand-tighten, then a quarter turn
Thread the new head on by hand until it stops, then snug it with the wrench about a quarter turn. Overtightening cracks plastic fittings — snug is the target, not gorilla.
- 5
Test and adjust
Run the shower and watch the threads for drips. A weep at the joint means one more quarter turn or one more wrap of tape. Dry after two minutes means you are done.
Plumber's tip
If your water pressure feels weak afterward, pop the flow restrictor out and soak the face plate in white vinegar overnight. Utah water leaves serious scale.
Stop and call us if
The shower arm turns inside the wall, you hear a knock in the pipe, or you see water staining the ceiling below.
Call Pando Plumbing