How To Change Shower Head Within 5 Minutes!

How To Change Shower Head Quickly?

Your showerhead has to perform the best because it can cleanse you and save your water bills. Therefore, the simple task of cleaning the shower head and changing it has to be done.

Let us tell you how to change a shower head and save you time so that you can enjoy a relaxing shower sooner than expected. If you are a beginner who wants to complete changing the showerhead within 2 hours, this is the perfect guide.

Before installing a new showerhead, you need to take off your old showerhead.

By Hand

Try turning the showerhead counterclockwise to remove it with your hands.

With Pliers

Grab some slip-joint pliers and cover its jaws with tape. Alternatively, cover the shower arm with a towel and use the pliers to hold the shower arm. Finally, you can use an adjustable wrench to unscrew the old showerhead.
Next, unscrew the showerhead with an adjustable wrench.
Wipe off any tape, rust, mineral, or sealant residue on the threads of the showerhead.
Tying a thread seal tape around the shower threads 2-3 times clockwise.
Put the tape over the threads.

How To Install A New Shower Head?

Now that your shower arm is prepared screw the new shower head on the shower arms in a clockwise direction to fasten it.
For testing, turn on the water and check if there are any leaks.
If you see leaks, put another layer of thread seal tape on the shower threads and tighten the screws with the adjustable wrench.
Repeat the process until the shower head is not leaking water anymore.

How To Install A Shower Head With A Hose?

You can install a shower head with a hose or a handheld showerhead with the following steps:

The shower arm is the base of all shower heads. Take the handheld mount and screw it on the shower arm.
Tighten with hands to make sure that water won’t leak through.
Take the shower hose and connect it to the shower mount. Then, connect it further to the handheld shower.
Fasten all three together with hands.
Turn on the water and look for leakages.
If water leaks, apply more thread seal tape and tighten the screws with an adjustable wrench.

How To Install A Showerhead (Combo Of Fixed And Handheld).

A shower diverter channelizes water to the shower head. Connect the diverter to the shower arm and tighten it with your hands.

To get water in the fixed showerhead, you have to screw the fixed showerhead to the diverter and tighten it with your hands.

You have to install the handheld shower mount as per manufacturer guidelines.

Connect the flexible hose to the handheld shower and the diverter to get water in the handheld shower.

Turn on the water and try to switch between the fixed and handheld showers. Look for leaks.

Cover the shower arms with extra thread seal tape and fasten the screws with an adjustable wrench if you see water leaking.

How To Change The Shower Head To The Handheld?

Handheld showerheads hold many advantages over fixed ones because they allow you to enjoy:

Mobility in the shower experience.
Low power bills
Low water bills
Customizable water pressure

You will need:

An adjustable wrench
Thread seal tape
Towel
Handheld showerhead

A handheld showerhead guarantees a more enjoyable shower experience.

Here are some steps to convert your fixed showerhead to a handheld one:

Cut off the water supply to the shower head and spread a towel on the ground under the shower. If any heavy shower fragments drop and absorb spillage, this will protect the floor.
Take off the fixed showerhead with an open wrench by setting the wrench on the screws and turning it counterclockwise. The threaded pipe will be exposed.
Wipe off any dirt on the shower thread with a clean cloth.
Take 4 inches of thread seal tape (preferably Teflon) and wrap it clockwise around the shower head, beginning from the tip.
Now, take the handheld showerhead and twist it on the threaded pipe clockwise. To tighten further, use the open wrench.
Play with the angle of the showerhead and open the valve to see whether water leaks from any angle.

If you see leaks, try to hand-fasten the showerhead tighter, or take off the showerhead and put a new layer of thread seal tape before re-installing it.

There are three ways to change an existing shower head or tub spout into a handheld shower:

As a standard practice, the existing shower arm is attached with a hose and a handheld shower – replacing the old showerhead. The handheld shower can double up as a fixed showerhead too.
A cross-tee shower diverter arrangement shows as a primary showerhead which is fixed, and a secondary one with a hose and a handheld shower unit. The diverter has a T-shaped connection with two water outlets – one connecting each of the two showerheads.
A diverter valve can be connected to a worn-out tub spout to create a handheld shower set where showerheads of any type are absent.

How To Turn A Tub Spout Into A Handheld Showerhead?

When there are no showerheads available, a tub spout diverter valve can help create a handheld shower. The old tub spout needs to be replaced with a new one with a fixed diverter valve.

Remove the old tub spout. If there is a hexagonal screw on the top, you can slip off the spout with an Allen wrench. But, first, separate the spout from the root pipe.
If there is no set screw, it’s a shower thread. The spout screws must be twisted out of the root pipe counterclockwise with pliers.
Get a new tub spout with the diverter valve installed – and match the fixing style of the old spout – threaded or slip-on.
If the spout is a slip-on type, slide it on the root pipe and secure the screws with an Allen wrench. If the spout is threaded, apply thread seal tape over the shower threads clockwise, fix the spout on the pipe, and tighten the screws.
Fix the handheld shower slide bar on the wall as per company directions.
Now, it’s time to connect the hose. Secure the hose and the threads of the spout’s diverter valve with the thread seal tape. Attach the other end with the handheld showerhead with the same tape.
Test of water leakage at different angles of the handheld shower. Cover the area with a towel and use pliers over it to tighten the linkage in case of leakage.

Do All Showerheads Fit The Same?

All over the U.S, shower connection threading sizes are uniform at 1/2” NPT.

But, it is important to read through the installation manual beforehand. This will help you know whether you can upgrade it yourself or go to a plumber for it.

How Hard Is It To Change A Shower Head – Final Words.

Can I change a showerhead myself? Yes.

Changing your showerhead is not rocket science. The right tools and pressure would make it an easy job. Even when your showerhead looks okay, upgrading it to better options would save you power and water bills.