Changing your shower head is not rocket science, and it is a good opportunity for you to make your bathroom more elegant. If you are ready to spare some time, and with the right tools, you will be able to carry out the process with ease so as to save some money.
Table of Contents
Things You Will Need
- New shower head
- A soft cloth or soft jaw pliers for protecting the finish
- A moist paper towel, an old toothbrush
- or wire brush
- Ladder or stool
- Adjustable wrench or channel locks
- Thread tape
Shower Head Types
Before delving into the replacement details, you need to know some types of available shower heads so that you can understand this piece better. Here are some of them.
Wall-mount Shower Head
A wall-mount shower head is the most common type you will find in the market. It is easy to maintain, and getting its parts is a piece of cake. It is usually mounted on the wall and comes with various features that make your showering experience to get a boost.
Ceiling Shower Head
This type is mounted on the ceiling, and it offers greater convenience in the bathroom. It provides direct water flow to the body so that you can feel relaxed after leaving the bathroom.
Rain Shower Head
A Rain Shower Head can either be wall or ceiling-mounted, but it usually comes with a large shower face. This makes maximum coverage of your body a reality, giving you a feeling that you are in the rain. The size of the shower face ranges between 6 and 12 inches.
LED Shower Head
A LED Shower Head adds fancy to your bathroom. It features LED lights that change when you switch it on. Some models come with LED lighting that changes randomly while others change in accordance with temperature change. The number of changing colours vary from one model to another, and your kids will love this wonderful experience.
RV Shower Head
You can attach this type to your RV so as to enhance your adventure if you travel frequently in your RV. It is not expensive, and its maintenance does not come with headaches.
Also Read: How to Clean a Shower Head?
Replacing Your Shower Head (Step-by-step Guide)
The replacement process relies on the type of shower head you are replacing. However, you can use the guide below to replace any type because we considered all of them before putting it together.
Step 1: Turn Off The Faucet
You should turn off the faucet so that you won’t mess up the whole place. You don’t need to turn off the major water supply to the house, once the faucet is off, you are good to go.
Step 2: Unscrew The Shower Head You Want To Change
If you have not removed the shower for some years, there is every possibility that it will be corroded. Hence, you may need a wrench to remove it, otherwise, your hand is enough. You only need to turn its neck in the anticlockwise direction to get it off.
When turning the neck, you should be mindful of not turning the pipe in the wall. You can hold the connecting pipe with a plier as you turn the neck so as to prevent the turning of the pipe. Thereafter, protect the pipe by wrapping it with a soft cloth or soft jaw pliers.
Step 3: Get Rid of Excess Dirt
Ideally, there may be dirt around the extension pipe’s thread after you have removed the old shower head. Hence, you should clean the thread with a moist paper towel, old toothbrush or wire brush. You should make sure that the threads get proper drying before you go ahead with the application of the thread tape.
Step 4: Apply the Thread Tape
You should wrap the tape around the thread, and make sure that you apply adequate tape. Let your application begin at the base, and continue in a clockwise direction until you get to the point where the thread ends. You should wrap around two times so as to ensure that you have enough tape around the thread.
Do not wrap the tape in the anti-clockwise direction so that you won’t it will not unravel during the process of screwing in the new shower head. You should then use your forefinger and thumb to smoothen the tape into the thread. The function of the tape is to help in sealing the link between the pipe and your new shower head so as to prevent leakages.
Step 5: Attach the New Shower Head
Before attaching your New Shower Head, you should read the manual of the product you purchased. Some products may require cumbersome assembling while others may come with a rubber washer. Some products may require connection to an external arm.
Typically, you may not need a wrench to connect your shower head. You only need to hand-screw it clockwise until it is tight. You should make sure that you tighten it properly so that there won’t be any leakage when you start using it. However, you should avoid over tightening so as not to break the connecting nut, which is made of plastic.
Step 6: Turn On The Faucet and Check For Leakage
Put on the cold and hot faucets to see how things work. If you discover a leakage, there is every possibility that you didn’t tighten the shower head enough. Also, it is possible that there isn’t adequate tape on the threads, which is causing the leakage.
If the black seal is damaged or was not properly fixed, there can be leakage. Also, when you are installing the shower head, you might have displaced the tape in the threads.
To fix any leakage issue, turn off the faucet and carry out proper checking of the seal. Retape, retighten and put it on again to be sure that there are no more leakages. If leakage persists, it is very possible that there is damage to one of the components.
Enjoy Your Shower Head
If you go through this step-by-step guide properly, you will discover that you can easily Change Your Shower Head without much difficulty. In fact, the whole process is a piece of cake.
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