Replacing a shower head is a do-it-yourself plumbing project that most homeowners can successfully tackle. You may have an old deteriorating shower head or just want a fancy new LED or water saving shower head or you may want a T-Rex shower head like featured below..Whatever the reason, we are here to walk you through the task.

Step 1: Gather Your Materials

Before we get started, you should gather all the tools and materials you will need. Grab a tarp, a few towels, some Teflon tape, an adjustable wrench, and your new shower head. If you do not have have any of these things, you can pick them up at the nearest home improvement store.

Step 2: Turn off the shower

This sounds obvious, but we are serious. Make sure your shower is as OFF as OFF can be. Turn the knobs as far as they will go. If you skip this step you might get sprayed or at least dribbled on in the next steps.

Step 3: Lay down your tarp or towels.

Place your tarp or towels directly into the tub or shower floor. Make sure you have something directly under the shower head and covering the drain. Your towel or tarp will catch small pieces that fall off before they go down the drain, and avoid a potential clog later on.

Step 4: Remove the existing shower head.

Use the adjustable wrench to turn the head counter-clockwise and unscrew it from the arm. Once it is unscrewed, clean the shower arm threads with another towel (or rag).

Step 5: Tape the shower arm threads.

Wrap your teflon tape around the threads of the shower arm clockwise two or three times. Press the tape into the grooves as you go, wrapping it as tightly as possible. You want it to embed properly to create a seal and embed the tape in the threads. Make sure you are wrapping clockwise, so you do not undo the wrapping when you screw in the new shower head.

Step 6: Screw on the new shower head.

All shower heads attach to shower arms pretty much the same way whether they are fixed, mounted, or hand-held. Place the new shower head onto the now-taped arm. Twist it clockwise into place. Use the adjustable wrench to tighten the shower head onto the arm as much as you can.

Step 7: Turn the water back on to test the new shower head.

Twist the knobs to let the water flow. Check for any drips or leaks. Make sure the water pressure is what you expect. If you noticing leaking, unscrew the shower head and apply additional tape to the arm. Screw the shower head back in as tightly as possible and try again.

Tackling DIY plumbing projects solo is not for everyone. If you would rather have a professional take care of installing your new shower head, that’s no problem. Just give Super Rooter Plumbing and sewer a call and we will send someone out ASAP to address this or any other plumbing needs you have.