Installing a shower head is quick and painless if you know what you’re doing. Below is a quick video walkthrough of the basics as well as some more step-by-step instructions.

Shower head installation

There are many different kinds of shower heads out there. Some are cheap between five and ten dollars, while others are hundreds of dollars. The mechanics of installing them are basically the same but I would make sure to look through any instructions before moving forward.

There are 3 basic things you will need for this job.

1. Shower arm
2. Shower head
3. Plumbers tape
4. Multi-tool (Might need)
5. Cloth rag (Might need)

Once you have these in hand you will be ready to complete your task.

Step 1: Remove the old shower head

The first thing you will have to do is to remove the old shower head from the shower arm. Doing this shouldn’t be that difficult but you need to be gentle when unscrewing it from the shower arm. Sometimes hard water build-up can make it difficult to do so the best course of action is to hold onto the shower arm with one hand while simultaneously unscrewing the shower head with the other. Be careful not to pull out or damage the shower arm during this process.

Step 2: Clean off the Shower arm

Make sure that you have removed all the old plumber tape from the grooves in the shower. Most of the time you can just unwrap it but on some occasions it can degrade enough that you may have to use a rag or multi-tool to get it off.

Also, make sure that you inspect the inside of the shower arm and remove any debris that might be left in there. Sometimes you may find pieces of the old shower head gasket that have gotten stuck during the removal process.

Step 3: Wrap the shower arm in plumbers tape

Take out your plumber’s tape and unwrap about an inch to start. Place the tape on the threads of the shower arm and start wrapping it evenly clockwise. Make sure you are going around a few times and covering all of the threads.

It is very important that you wrap the tape clockwise so that when you are installing the shower head it doesn’t unwrap your work and leaves you with a mess.

You also want to be sure not to wrap it too much. This will cause the shower head to be unable to be put on and it can also cause the threads to bunch up the tape pushing it off of where it needs to be. If this happens you will have to remove the tape and start over.

Step 4: Install the new shower head

Insert the shower arm into the new shower head and start turning the base of it clockwise. Be sure to do this gently so as not to damage the shower arm. Hand-tighten it as far as you can making sure the shower head is square on the shower arm.

Once it is as tight as it can go you should be all done.

Step 5: Test out the new shower head

Turn on the shower and let it run for a few seconds. Make sure you check where the shower head and the shower arm connect and see if there is any water coming out where it shouldn’t.

If there is water coming out by the threads that means that you need to add more plumber’s tape to the threads as well as check to see if you can tighten the head anymore.

Final product

This is the very basic install that most can do in little to no time. Most fancier shower heads come with many different attachments and hoses and can look pretty complicated. As long as you follow the instructions that come in the packet and make sure you follow the steps above anyone can change out a shower head without calling in an expert.

In some situations though you may need a plumber to come in to completely change your pipes and possibly drill into your shower wall. In these instances I would rely on the expertise of a professional so that things don’t get out of hand and end up costing much more in the long run.