How to Add a Handheld Shower Head

Adaptive! Is that a word NOT new to you? And for the folks deeming upscale the design of the bathrooms, the one innovative thing is there to ADD and is very well called the handheld shower head to bring some change to the way you take a bath.

The handheld shower head is NOT really a new thing but has been dramatically lacking where it did not win its importance over time. Still, luckily, things have changed quite amazingly, and you might be able to spot the handheld shower head in any of your relatives’ and friends’ homes by now.

Convenient to take a bath with, the installation is relatively seamless to follow, thanks to what? Of course, THIS VERY GUIDE!

Let’s saddle up, and let’s install the handheld shower head all by your good self!

The process goes as follows;

Equipment required
Prep things up
Fitting types
Installation instructions per type

Equipment required

The tools and materials required before even thinking to install the handheld shower head and get commenced with.

Tools required

One wrench or the channel-lock plier
Hex key
Drill and the bits (mostly required for the newer installation)

Materials to have

One handheld shower head kit
Pipe seal tape
Tub spout and the diverter
Cross tee diverter
Piece of cloth or leather (for cleaning the pipes and your hands, too)

Prep things up

What we understand here you are up and ready to add a handheld shower head in your existing bathing system and in place of the older-installed shower head.

And in order to do that, the first and foremost step is to get rid of the existing shower head, which is as easy to do; just bring the wrench or get the help from the channel-lock plier to turn the shower head counterclockwise, which would easily make it lose.

Repeat the same process for a bit, and you would have the shower head right in your hand.

The next step is to get the mineral deposits and the old pipe compound as well as the pipe’s seal tape to get removed to make them look new. Trying to install the new handheld shower head right after removing the old one and cleaning it may hinder the installation process and make it remain loose or not fitting.

Finally and after the cleaning step, get the threads wrapped with the new plumber’s tape in a clockwise position four to five times as it would help get the new shower head fit tightly and harness the connection not to leak the water out.

Fitting types

Standard fitting
Fitting through tub spout diverter
Fitting with cross-tee diverter

Installation instructions per type

Let’s find out the quick and efficient ways to achieve the installation of handheld shower heads despite the fitting types.

Standard fitting

We love here to take out the old shower head (of any kind) and place the newest handheld shower head.

To do it by following the right kind of process, you must go through a bit of it;

Attach the shower head by removing the older one with wrapping the several loops out of the plumber’s pipe-seal tape over the thread that fits the shower arm in with gently screwing the handheld shower head base using your hand.

Now, connect the hose by applying the plumber pipe-seal tape onto the cross-tee nipple and then thread the hose firmly over the nipple by tightening with your hands.

After that, check for water leakage by turning the faucet. If you find any leakage, get the cloth or the leather wrapped over the shower head to prevent it from ruining its finish as you are about to use the wrench or the channel-lock plier to tighten it a bit harder.

And if you need to mount the wall bracket, make the drilling holes into the wall, and you are good to go!

Fitting through tub spout diverter

In the midst of not having the shower head installed at all, the tub spout diverter comes to your rescue.

Generally, it requires getting rid of the old tub spout with adding the newer diverter fitting to be able to have it hooked to the shower head with it.

The first step down here is to remove the old tub spout, which is possible in two directions; if it comes with the hex-head setscrew, the hex key (better known as Allen wrench) to get it comes off the pipe nipple from the wall.

And the second step here is if you do not find the setscrew up here, this goes with unscrewing the spit to the counterclockwise through the channel lock plier to keep rotating it unless it does come off from the threaded nipple.

Install back the new spout by wrapping the pipe nipple with the plumber’s pipe-seal tape if the spout actually belongs to the threaded family.

Or, if it happens to have a slip-on design, have it tighten up its setscrew using the hex key.

To the next, mount the slide bar and then attach the flexible hose over the nipple from the spout diverter valve, and you are right.

Make sure to scan for the leakage, and if it does, tighten up everything for a little using the wrench or the channel-lock plier.

Fitting with cross-tee diverter

Finally, we jump to using the cross-tee fitting where you have the existing and old shower head to get removed first.

Once it is removed, and the threads have been cleaned out thoroughly, apply some of the plumber’s pipe-seal tape over the threads from the cross-tee and reconnect the shower head onto one of the outlets found from the cross-tee diverter by tightening up with bare hands.

Once done, install the flexible hose from the handheld shower head onto one of the other outlets placed on the cross-tee diverter and tight it up with your hand.

Conclusion of how to add a handheld shower head

Presented with three primary and the easy-to-follow process that reveals and simplifies the whole of how to add a handheld shower head; now, we believe you are in the position to install it all by yourself by now.

Save MONEY (good money) and take up these sorts of tasks to give at least a try before even calling in the professional.

So, we are sure of seeing you doing this stuff in the future in all the DIY states! 🙂