At All City Plumbing, we are experts when it comes to all plumbing equipment throughout your house. In the bathroom, we can easily repair or replace the shower valve, ensuring your water pressure and temperature always stay at ideal levels. However, not all shower services require a professional plumber—in fact, some are fairly easy to complete on your own. For example, check out our DIY guide to replacing your shower head, and remember to call our skilled and experienced plumbers for same-day plumbing services.
How to Replace Your Shower Head in 7 Steps
- Make Sure You Have the Right Tools: Before you can get started replacing your shower head, you will want to assemble a few simple household tools needed to get the job done. Gather some Teflon tape, a few towels, an adjustable wrench, and – of course – your new shower head. You may also want to use a tarp, just to cut down on mess. If you do not have these things, you can order them online or pick them up at your closest hardware store.
- Check to See if the Shower Is All the Way Off: As simple as this may sound, ensuring your shower is completely turned off is essential before you can begin replacing the shower head. Even a few nascent drips coming out of your current shower head or bath faucet could be a problem (in addition to indicating you may have a leak on your hands.) If you do not turn your shower knobs all the way to the off position, you risk getting wet in later steps of the replacement process.
- Put Down Your Towels: Lay your towels (or tarp) on the shower floor or base of the bathtub. Covering the shower drain is particularly important here, since this will make sure that no pieces from your shower accidentally fall in and get lost in your drain lines.
- Unscrew Your Current Shower Head: Take one of your extra towels and wrap it around the base of the shower arm (the bent pipe that connects the water supply to the shower head.) Keep this towel held firmly in place as you take another towel and wrap it around the base of the shower head. Use your adjustable wrench to turn the shower head counterclockwise until it is completely unscrewed from the arm. Take a minute to clean the exposed shower arm, wiping away any visible grime and, if necessary, using soap and water to scrub it down.
- Apply Your Teflon Tape: Most shower arms have threads on both ends. One end typically threads into a fitting called a drop-ear elbow, inside your wall. The other end threads into the shower head, and is visible to the exposed end of the arm. Wrap your Teflon tape around the shower arm threads several times so that it creates a tight seal. Also, make sure you are wrapping clockwise, as you do not want the tape to come loose while screwing in your new shower head.
- Screw the New Shower Head in Place: Insert your new shower head into the taped arm. Turn it clockwise until it fits in place. Using another towel to wrap the new shower head, you should use your adjustable wrench to tighten your new shower head—not so tight that you risk breaking it, but firmly enough where there is no risk of it coming loose. All shower heads attach to shower arms similarly, regardless of whether they are fixed, mounted, or hand-held, so you should not have a difficult time finding one that fits.
- Test Your New Shower Head: Once your new shower head is snug in place, take the towels off of the tub/floor and give it a test. If it leaks, unscrew the head, apply more tape, and repeat step six. If you continue to experience leaks or dripping, you may be dealing with a bigger issue, in which case you should call a plumber. If, however, your new shower head is working properly, congratulations—you’re ready to start enjoying your shower once again!
For more information on shower heads or other plumbing appliances and fixtures, call All City Plumbing, Drain Cleaning & Rooter at (909) 552-7550, or contact us online.