Old and rusted shower head not only looks bad but also becomes an obstacle in functionality. You spend more water to clean yourself with a low-pressure shower and resultantly increase your monthly water bill. Moreover, nothing is more annoying than a low-pressure shower. The best possible solution for this is to replace the showerhead with an eco-friendly, mineral shower filter. 

Here in this blog, we’ll tell you how to install a simple (without hose) and handheld showerhead and how much it’ll cost you. 

Assemble all things

Changing the shower head is not a challenging game; gather all essential things and follow a few DIY steps to install a new shower head, and you’ll be perfect for taking a relaxing and rejuvenating shower. 

Here is a small list of things you need;

1. Rag or Hand Towel
2. Adjustable Wrench
3. Teflon Tape
4. Rubber Washer
5. Slip Joint Pliers 
6. New Shower Head 

Shower Head Installation Steps

Here are some easy and quick installation steps that won’t take more than 10-15 minutes. 

• Prep your work area

Preparations in changing the shower head require gathering all the essential tools in the bathroom. Ensure an old towel or sheet on the floor so that every dirt and debris falls on that and your floor will remain clean. Dry the old showerhead with a towel to maintain a grip. 

• Remove the old Shower Head

Now! Remove the old shower by wrapping a hand towel on the shower arm’s base and move it in a counterclockwise motion. If this is not happening easily, then you can use tools such as adjustable slip-joint pliers or wrenches for a better grip. It will unscrew the arm from the showerhead. 

• Apply Teflon Tape

Clean the shower arm thoroughly, remove any dirt, debris, or rust. Apply some new Teflon tape on the threads of the shower arm to help prevent water leakage. Must remember to wrap it in the direction where the showerhead will be tightened. Give your tape about 5 to 6 turns and smooth out the tape’s end using your finger. 

If you wrap the Teflon tape in the opposite direction, it may tear when the shower head is installed, thus will be ineffective at preventing water leakage.

• Attach the Shower Head

Some showers have a pre-installed rubber washer. It provides an extra layer of a leak-free seal. If you didn’t find any rubber washer inside your shower package, you could also buy it separately from the hardware store. 

Make sure that the washer is appropriately fitted inside the threads in the arm before proceeding. Now, screw the new shower head on the taped arm and twist it until properly tightened. You can also use an adjustable wrench or a pair of soft grip pliers to tighten more. It is always suggested to cover your shower head with a cloth so you don’t scratch the fitting while using any tools.

How to Attach a Shower Head with a Hose?

If you are attaching a handheld shower, you’ll want to make sure that which side of the hose goes where. Many hoses have two different sides; the hex nut side and the conical nut side. The hex nut side needs to attach to the showerhead holder, and the conical side is for the hand shower. If you didn’t consider this and reverse it accidentally, the shower head wouldn’t dock in the showerhead holder.

Two rubber washers are needed if you are installing a handheld shower. Place one inside the hex nut side and tighten the hose onto the bottom of the shower holder threads by hand. You can also use an adjustable wrench but do not overtighten it.

Use the next washer inside the conical nut side’s threads and hand-tighten the hose on the hand shower’s bottom part. With all your showerhead, hose and holder installed, dock the hand shower into your shower holder.

• Test the New Shower Head

It is the final time to test the shower head. Run some water and check if there is any leakage. Some points need to be checked;

• Shower hose connection to the shower holder.
• Shower hose connection to the hand shower.
• Shower holder connection to the shower arm.

If there is any leakage, tighten all the fittings with an adjustable wrench or soft grip pliers. If that doesn’t work, then you’ll have to reinstall the shower and apply more Teflon tape to seal the threads. Also, make sure that all the washers are seated correctly in the right place.

If you are good at one shot, that’s super! Enjoy your shower.

• How much does it cost to change a Shower Head?

Replacing a shower head is not so hard on your pocket. Only the essential cost of shower head purchasing is needed, and you can do the installation by yourself without asking for any professional help. Moreover, you can buy the excellent filter shower head at a very affordable price of under 50 dollars.