How to replace a hand held Shower Head? Sometimes a simple shower head replacement job can turn out to be anything but simple. It doesn’t have to be a difficult task if you know before hand what to watch for. Here are some simple tips to help make the process more streamlined.
Choose the Right Shower Head
When you choose the new shower head, you need to think of how much room you have in your shower. A small shower may not be suitable for a rain style shower head. Also think about the people who will be using the new shower head. If you choose an adjustable stream shower head, you want to make sure it’s easy to reach for anyone to adjust. If this may be a problem, consider getting one that is attached to a hose that can be pulled down from the wall.
Removing the Old Shower Head
An old shower head may require some elbow grease to remove. You may need to use an adjustable wrench to loosen the collar on the old head. It’s best to try to be at eye level with the collar when you do this. It’s also important that you resist the urge to pull or apply too much pressure to the existing shower head. This can create damage with old pipes that can end up being costly to repair. If you pull on the goose neck that the head is connected to, you can damage the connection to the water supply behind the wall. This will result in a slow leak that you probably won’t notice until you’re facing thousands of dollars in damage control.
If you must use a wrench it’s a good idea to cover the wrench with a few strips of masking tape. This will prevent you from marring the finish on the pipe, or the new shower head that you install.
Thread Tape
Unless you plan on replacing the plumbing, there is a good chance that older pipes will have worn down threads. Your old shower head may not have been a problem, but installing a new shower head on worn down threads can cause the shower head to spew water from above the head itself, or just create annoying drips. The simple solution to this is to use plumbers thread tape. This can be purchased at the same time you purchase the new shower head, and is very inexpensive. This is also something that is a good idea to have on hand, so even if you don’t need it you will have it for the next plumbing job that may require it.
Safety
More accidents happen in the bathroom when compared to other rooms in a home. When you are working with a shower head you may have to climb up a step stool. It’s important that you understand that there may be water in the line for the shower head before you do anything. If you must use a step stool make sure it has non slip grips on the feet. Also have some towels handy to place on the floor to catch any drips.
