DIY Bathroom Plumbing - Installing a New Showerhead
Of all the home plumbing repairs you could tackle, the
replacement of an old showerhead with a new one is probably the
easiest. A shower plumbing project is a good starter project for
a number of reasons. No special tools are required, the
necessary parts are pretty close to one size fits all, and if
you do make a mistake and have a leak, the only thing that gets
wet is your shower/bathtub. This is the perfect project for the
novice home repair handyman to start with and can usually be
completed in well under an hour.
The first step is to decide what type of shower head you want to
replace. While most shower fixtures connect to a standard size
pipe thread, you must make sure you have enough clearance for
your new showerhead. If the stem (the portion of the pipe from
the wall to the existing shower head) is short or close to the
ceiling you will want to check before purchasing a large
fixture.
The Tools You Need - For this project, you will need a
wrench or pliers and some teflon tape. Depending upon the age of
your existing fixture, you may also need to have a pipe wrench
on hand as well. You may also want to have something available
protect your fixture from the jaws of the wrench or pliers (a
folded rag or piece of rubber from an inner tube work well)
Remove the Old Showerhead - If you have an older unit you
probably have some rust, oxidation, or lime buildup that may
make removal difficult. If the fixture does not readily unscrew,
use two sets of pliers/wrenches (with the jaws of each protected
as indicated above), one set on the stem and the other on the
fixture. Apply equal pressure to both sides to until the
showerhead starts to move. Be careful not to apply too much
force as you do not want to break either the stem or existing
showerhead. Once the shower head starts to turn you should be
able to remove it by hand.
Clean and prepare the stem pipe - A little preparation
here could save you quite a bit of time later if you decide to
replace the showerhead again. Clean the threads of the stem of
any rust or lime and apply teflon tape to the threads. This will
help the new showerhead install easily, provide a good seal, and
make it easier in the future if you ever have to replace the
shower head again.
Install the New Shower - If you selected a simple
replacement showerhead all that remains to be done is to screw
the new fixture onto the prepared pipe stem. Make sure not to
over-tighten when you are installing this - hand tight plus a
quarter or half turn is probably all you need. If you have
purchased a more sophisticated fixture like a shower massage
wand you may have a few pieces to install. Make sure that you
apply teflon tape to all threaded connections (unless otherwise
specified by the manufacturer) to ensure a good seal.
Test It - Before putting your tools away and jumping in
the shower take a few minutes to make sure the job is done. Turn
on the water and check each of the connections for leaks. If you
find any, usually they will be fixed by tightening the
connection another quarter or half turn. If this does not
address the problem you may need to check for a missing or worn
washer.
About the author:
Ray Breitenbach writes for
Simple Home Repairs.
Please visit for more information on how to perform you own
basic home repairs.
Ray Breitenbach
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