Direct answer
Replacing a showerhead takes about 10 minutes and requires no special skills or plumbing knowledge. You need an adjustable wrench, plumber’s tape, and the new showerhead. The hardest part is usually getting the old one off if it hasn’t been changed in years.
What you need
Adjustable wrench or slip-joint pliers, plumber’s tape (also called Teflon tape), a dry cloth or rag, and the replacement showerhead. That’s it.
Turn off the water first
You don’t need to shut off the main water supply for this job. Just make sure the shower valve is in the off position before you start. No water should be running to the showerhead while you’re working.
Remove the old showerhead
Wrap a dry cloth around the shower arm where the showerhead connects. This protects the finish on the arm from the wrench. Grip the connection point with your wrench and turn counterclockwise to loosen.
Most showerheads unscrew by hand once the initial resistance breaks. If the old showerhead hasn’t been changed in a long time it may be stiff from mineral buildup or old tape. Apply steady pressure rather than jerking it, which can damage or bend the shower arm.
If it won’t budge, a small amount of penetrating oil like WD-40 applied to the threads and left for a few minutes usually loosens things up.
Once the old showerhead is off, wipe down the threads on the shower arm with a rag to remove old tape residue, mineral deposits, or any debris.
Wrap the threads with plumber’s tape
This step is small but important. Plumber’s tape creates a watertight seal between the shower arm threads and the new showerhead, and prevents leaks at the connection point.
Wrap the tape clockwise around the threads two to three times, pressing it into the grooves as you go. Clockwise matters here because tightening the showerhead in the same direction will pull the tape tighter rather than unraveling it.
Don’t skip this step even if the new showerhead comes with a rubber washer inside. The washer handles sealing at the face of the connection, the tape handles the threads. Both together give you a leak-free joint.
Attach the new showerhead
Thread the new showerhead onto the shower arm by hand first. Finger-tighten it as far as it will go before using a wrench. This prevents cross-threading, which can damage the threads on the arm and cause leaks that are much harder to fix.
Once hand-tight, use the wrench for one additional quarter to half turn. You want it snug, not cranked down hard. Overtightening can crack the fitting on the showerhead or distort the washer inside, both of which cause leaks.
Wrap a cloth around the showerhead base before using the wrench to protect the finish.
Turn the water on and check for leaks
Turn the shower on and let the water run for a minute. Check the connection point where the showerhead meets the arm while water is flowing. A small drip at the joint usually means the threads need another quarter turn, or the plumber’s tape wasn’t seated properly.
If tightening further doesn’t stop the drip, turn off the water, remove the showerhead, rewrap the threads with fresh plumber’s tape, and reattach. This fixes the issue in most cases.
A few things worth knowing before you buy
Most showerheads use a standard half-inch NPT thread and will fit any standard shower arm without an adapter. If your bathroom has an older or non-standard setup, check the thread size before purchasing.
Low water pressure in the new showerhead is sometimes caused by a flow restrictor installed inside the inlet. Most showerheads include one by code. If pressure feels noticeably low, check the product documentation as many have a removable restrictor if you prefer higher flow.
If your old showerhead was a handheld unit mounted on a slide bar, the bar is usually attached to the wall with two screws. Removing it is straightforward but you’ll have small holes to patch if you’re switching back to a fixed head.
When to call a plumber
This is a task almost anyone can do. The only situations that warrant a plumber are a stripped or damaged shower arm that won’t accept a new showerhead, a leak that persists after multiple attempts at reseating the tape, or corroded plumbing behind the wall that becomes apparent when you remove the old head. All three are uncommon in a standard residential shower.
