You canfix a showerhead leakeasily by yourself without the assistanceor the costof a plumber.
By hand, turn the showerhead counter-clockwise off the threaded end of the shower arm.
Tip
If the showerhead is hard to turn, use a damp washcloth to grip it.
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Or you’re able to use channel-lock pliers.
ensure that they are intact and not damaged or blocked with sediment.
If the inside of the showerhead is dirty,clean your showerhead.
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Submerge the showerhead in a bowl of white vinegar for an hour or two.
Rinse the parts off with cold water before reassembling them.
Wrap Pipe Threads
Clean off the threads of the shower arm with a small nylon scrub brush.
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Wrap the threads with one or two loops of thread-sealing tape, sometimes sold as Teflon tape.
Wrap the tape clockwise.
Reassemble the Showerhead
Thread the showerhead back onto the shower arm and tighten it by hand.
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Turn on the shower faucet briefly to watch how the water stream performs.
Shut Off the Water
Shut off the water upstream from the shower controls.
These shutoffs are visible once you remove the shower faucet’s escutcheon plate.
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Many showers don’t have any fixture shutoff valves.
If this is the case, you will need to shut off the water at themain shut-off valve.
With the cap off, unscrew the handle screw.
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In some cases, you may need to use a hex wrench to remove the handle screw.
Remove the escutcheon by removing the mounting screws that hold it to the wall.
You may need to cut through a caulk bead around the escutcheon so you can remove it.
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Carefully pry off this U-shaped retaining clip with a flat-head screwdriver.
If there are washers present on the end of the cartridge, remove them.
Some manufacturers make special cartridge-puller tools that make it easier to remove their cartridges.
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Slide Out the Cartridge
Slide the existing cartridge out from the faucet body.
After inserting the cartridge, replace the retaining clip and hex screw, if present.
Replace any washers you removed.
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Replace the Escutcheon and Handle
Reverse the earlier steps to replace the control handle and escutcheon plate.
Turn on the water at the source.
If you have tried these two repairs and the showerhead still leaks, call a licensed plumber.
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The Spruce / Kevin Norris
The Spruce / Kevin Norris
The Spruce / Kevin Norris
