How do I replace a showerhead?

Replacing a showerhead is one of the easiest plumbing jobs in a house. The shower handle is the shutoff, the head screws onto the threaded end of the shower arm, and the whole job takes an adjustable wrench, a cloth and a roll of thread seal tape. The one thing to protect is the shower arm itself, because the joint you cannot see is the one that matters.

Before you start

Look at what you have. A fixed showerhead screws straight onto the arm. A handheld shower on a bracket has a flexible hose with one end threaded to the showerhead and the other threaded onto a bracket, and that bracket is what threads to the shower arm.^[2] Either way, the connection to the arm is the same.

Gather an adjustable wrench, a soft cloth or rag to protect the finish, an old toothbrush or small wire brush, and thread seal tape (often called plumber's tape or PTFE tape). Lay a towel in the tub so a dropped washer does not disappear down the drain.

Protect the arm. Shower arms are usually threaded into an elbow behind the wall,^[1] so every twist you put on the head also pulls on that hidden joint. Hold the arm steady near the wall with one hand while you loosen or tighten the head with the other.

Choosing a new showerhead

Federal rules set a flow limit for new showerheads. Showerheads made after January 1, 1994 may use no more than 2.5 gallons per minute, measured at a flowing pressure of 80 pounds per square inch.^[5] Showerheads that earn EPA's WaterSense label use no more than 2.0 gallons per minute and are independently certified for spray force and coverage.^[4] EPA estimates the average family could save 2,700 gallons per year by installing WaterSense labeled showerheads,^[4] and because less hot water is used, the water heater runs less too.

Check with your water utility before you buy. In Charlottesville, you can pick up a WaterSense labeled showerhead for free at the Office of Utility Billing at City Hall.^[8] Ask your own water utility whether it offers one.

Do not drill out or pull the flow restrictor to get more pressure. Moen says of its own heads: "Our showerheads include a pressure compensating flow regulator that actively delivers the best water flow for the amount of water that is available. Removal of this will actually diminish performance."^[6] And federal rules require the flow-restricting insert in a showerhead to be mechanically retained at the factory.^[5]

Getting a good seal

Moen says "The new shower arm and shower head should be sealed using several wraps of thread seal tape."^[1] A few details make the difference between a dry joint and a slow drip.

• Clean threads first. Old tape, scale and grit stop new tape from bedding in. Clean the arm's threads with a wire brush or cloth to remove dirt, debris, or rust, so the tape adheres properly and forms a tight seal.^[3]
• Wrap in the right direction. Start at the end of the arm and wrap clockwise around the threads, the same direction the head screws on.^[3] Wrapped that way, threading the head on tends to smooth the tape down rather than peel it back.
• Do not overdo it. Use two to three wraps of thicker tape or four to five of thinner tape. More is not better: "Too much tape can cause stress to the fitting resulting in fitting failure."^[3]
• Check the washer. EPA suggests checking, and if needed replacing, the washer or O-ring inside the showerhead when you change it.^[4] New heads ship with one; make sure it is seated flat in the connector.

Hand-tight with fresh tape usually seals. Read the instructions in the box: some makers allow a light turn with a wrench, and some heads have plastic nuts that crack if forced.

If the new head feels weak

A new head that sprays poorly is often catching grit knocked loose from the arm. Take the head off, rinse its inlet screen, and run the shower briefly through the bare arm. A strong stream from the arm usually means the head is the problem; a weak one suggests the trouble is behind the wall.

On a Moen PosiTemp valve with no flow at the shower, test the flow with the showerhead removed, through the bare shower arm: good flow means the head needs cleaning or replacing, and still no flow means the cartridge needs replacing.^[7] For a faucet with the same problem, see why a new faucet has low water pressure, and to keep the new head spraying evenly, read how to keep faucets and showerheads free of mineral buildup.

Stop and call a pro if

• The shower arm turns, wobbles or comes loose in the wall. The elbow behind the wall may have cracked or unthreaded, and water can leak inside the wall where you cannot see it.
• Water appears behind the wall flange or below the shower after the swap, or a ceiling under the bathroom shows a stain.
• The arm's threads are broken, badly corroded or the arm snaps. A new arm is a small part, but a seized one can take the elbow with it.
• You want to move the arm, add a rain head on a new pipe, or change the valve. Virginia's building code exempts from a permit the replacement of plumbing fixtures without alteration of the water supply and distribution systems, sanitary drainage systems, or vent systems.^[9] New piping is an alteration, and that is a job for a licensed plumber. See whether you can replace your own plumbing fixtures in Virginia.
• The shower drips with the handle off or the flow stays weak through the bare arm. That can point to the valve; see replacing a shower valve cartridge.

Getting help on Loclis

If the arm, the valve or the wall is the problem, licensed plumbers on Loclis can quote it. You can browse fixture installation, find plumbers in Blacksburg, read what plumbers charge to install fixtures, or see every plumbing answer.

When the job is past a simple swap, describe the shower repair once and licensed local plumbers quote it.