How to Add a Hand Held Shower Head to a Bathtub Faucet

If you enjoy taking a relaxing, hot shower and would like to replace your fixed shower head with a European type hand-held shower head, you will find that installing one of these shower heads can be surprisingly simple. Using a hand-held shower head will allow you greater flexibility is applying shower water and will also allow you to use the sprayer to clean your shower and tub. You can install one of these shower heads in less than an hour using the suggested 6 steps below.

Step 1 – Remove the Old Shower

The old shower head will be screwed onto the water pipe that comes out of the wall. Behind the shower head, towards the wall, you will find the attachment that you will need to turn in order to remove the shower head. Fit your wrench jaws over the flat part of this attachment and turn it counter clockwise until the head comes loose from the water

Step 2 – Prepare the Water Pipe

To make it easier to screw on the new shower head, pour some vinegar into a spray bottle, then spray the water pipe threads with vinegar and allow it to sit for 5 minutes. Then, use steel wool to clean residue from these threads and wipe them dry with a paper towel or a dry, absorbent

Step 3 – Wrap the Pipe Threads with Teflon

Wrap the pipe threads with a single layer of Teflon tape, using a clockwise motion that will keep the hose attachment from unwrapping the tape when the hose is screwed onto the pipe

Step 4 – Screw on the Hose Attachment

Carefully screw onto the pipe threads the new hose attachment. Be careful that the Teflon tape is not loosened or bunched by the turning of the attachment. Screw on the attachment with your fingers, tightening it as much as possible. Then, use the wrench to finish tightening.

Step 5 – Position and Secure the New Shower Head

Holding the wall mount against the shower wall in the location you prefer, turn the bracket until it is in the position you desire once the shower head is in-place in the wall mount bracket. A location about 6 inches from the old shower head should work for most people. When you have the bracket positioned, apply water resistant glue to the rear surface of the bracket. Place the surface against, the wall in the position you have chosen, then press the bracket against the wall and secure it by applying duct tape to the bracket and wall. Give the glue a full 24 hours to dry.

Step 6 – Finish Installing

When the glue has set, remove the tape, place the shower head in its position in the wall bracket, and adjust its position so that the water will spray in the right direction when it's turned on. When you are ready to hold the shower head, just unsnap it from the wall bracket.