How to Fix a Leaky Shower Head
It’s annoying when your shower head leaks, disrupting your bath time regimen. It can be a pain in the neck, but instead of buying a new one, there’s a way to fix this unpleasantly leaky problem. Here’s what you should do.
What You’ll Need:
Strap wrench or adjustable wrench
Teflon tape (also known as plumber’s joint tape)
Replacement O-ring or rubber gasket
Small wire brush
Vinegar
Procedure:
Turn on your shower and inspect the leak. A shower head can leak in two places, either where the shower head and the swivel ball is connected, or at its connection to the shower arm, where the water comes from. Some dysfunctional shower heads also have blocked holes or spit water, lessening the number of working holes.
Remove the shower head carefully from the shower arm. Get your adjustable wrench and use it to grip the attaching nut. Turn clockwise, so you can loosen and remove the head.
If you saw that your shower head leaks at this part, what you can do is clean the threads on the shower, using a small wire brush. You can also use your fingers for this.
Take away any plumber’s tape that has bunched up. Afterwards, rewrap the shower threads with fresh tape, going in the same direction where you’ll be turning the shower head when you reattach it. This is so that you won’t have to remove the plumber’s tape you wrapped around the arm.
Reattach the shower head, tightening it firmly, but just enough so you can still bend the pipe. Check if the leak has stopped.
If it still leaks, and you see that the leaks comes from the swivel ball, remove the shower head again. Use the wrench to take away the swivel ball ring.
Find the o-ring. It appears like a washer, but instead of being flat, it’s round. Remove it, and purchase a similar one at your home improvement store or hardware.
Install the new O-ring you bought, reattaching the shower head to the shower arm and the swivel ball. By this time, the leak should be gone.
If you see that the water from the shower head doesn’t flow properly, it must have some blocked holes in it. This might be because of a calcium buildup or some grit inside the shower head that blocks the water flow.
To remove the calcium buildup, remove the shower head and soak it in vinegar for several hours. Rinse it using clean and warm water. To scrape away heavy calcium buildup, scrape on the shower head’s inside, so you won’t scratch the face.
Some Tips:
Use real Teflon tape. It might cost a bit more, but it works better, and longer.
Don’t force the head to come off. Coat the shower head’s joint with white lithium grease or marine jelly, to loosen the shower head easily.
Only use two wraps of tape. Too much might only cause a bad fit.
Try these steps to repair a leaking shower head. You’ll soon find yourself bathing comfortably under a well-functional shower fixture.