Maintenance procedure · Written to ASD-STE100 Issue 9 · Formatted to ANSI Z535

Replacing a Shower Head

Standard shower arms — thread sealant tape, and the federal and WaterSense flow-rate maximums
ApplicabilityShowerheads on a standard threaded shower arm
Task time14 min to 18 min editorial estimate, not a measurement
PersonnelOne
Revisionv1 · 2026-08-04
BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Before you begin. This procedure is general reference information, not professional advice. Equipment varies by manufacturer, model, and year. Always follow the documentation supplied with your equipment — where it differs from this page, follow the manufacturer. Verify that you have the tools, the working conditions, and the ability to do this task safely. If anything is unclear, if the equipment is damaged, or if the task exceeds your experience, stop and use a qualified professional. You are responsible for your own safety and for the outcome. This site accepts no liability for any loss, damage, or injury arising from the use of this information.

Specifications marked unverified could not be traced to a manufacturer source. Do not rely on them — obtain the value from your equipment documentation.

Summary

A showerhead loses spray force over the years as mineral deposits clog its holes, or a household simply decides to cut its water use. EPA's WaterSense programme estimates that the average family could save about 2,700 gallons of water a year, and more than 330 kilowatt hours of the energy used to heat it, by fitting a WaterSense labeled showerhead. The mechanical part of the job is a short unscrew-and-rescrew onto the shower arm already in your wall. The part most people get wrong is the tape.

This page will not tell you the thread size of your shower arm, because household shower fittings are not standardized enough for one number to be safe to print, and it will not tell you the flow rate of the showerhead you buy, because that number is set by the manufacturer and marked on the product itself. What this page does give you are the two ceiling numbers that govern every showerhead sold in the United States — the federal maximum and the lower WaterSense maximum — so that when you read the number on your own new showerhead, you know what it means.

Necessary equipment

ItemNote
Adjustable pliers optionalUse the pliers only if the showerhead does not turn by hand.
ClothPut the cloth around the connection before you use the pliers.
Old towelThe towel catches drips from the connection.
Flashlight optionalA flashlight helps you examine the threads on the shower arm.
New showerhead materialRead the flow rate from the box before you buy it.
Thread sealant tape materialThread sealant tape is not the same product as thread sealant compound.
Replacement washer or O-ring for the showerhead connector materialUse this part only if the washer in the showerhead has damage.

Remove the old showerhead

Estimated 3 min to 6 min

  1. Close the shower control.
    <1m
  2. Put the towel in the tub or on the shower floor below the showerhead.
    <1m
  3. Turn the showerhead counter-clockwise by hand.
    • A standard connection loosens when you turn it counter-clockwise.
    <1m
  4. If the showerhead does not turn by hand, get the pliers.
    <1m
NOTICE

PUT THE CLOTH AROUND THE CONNECTION BEFORE YOU USE THE PLIERS.
The pliers can mark the finish of the showerhead or the shower arm.

  1. Put the cloth around the connection between the showerhead and the shower arm.
    <1m
  2. Hold the cloth with the pliers. Turn the showerhead counter-clockwise.
    1m
  3. Remove the showerhead from the shower arm.
    <1m

Prepare the shower arm

Estimated 2 min

NOTEOld tape can hide a damaged thread.
Thread size of your shower arm
Unverified — do not rely on this value
MEASURE THE THREAD ON YOUR OWN SHOWER ARM, OR CONSULT THE SHOWERHEAD MANUFACTURER

No tier-1 source was found for this value. Take it from the documentation supplied with your equipment.

  1. Look at the tape on the threads of the shower arm.
    <1m
NOTICE

DO NOT USE A METAL TOOL ON THE THREADS OF THE SHOWER ARM.
A metal tool can damage the threads.

  1. Remove the old tape from the threads.
    <1m
  2. Examine the threads on the shower arm.
    • A cracked or bent shower arm is a job for a plumber.
    <1m
  3. Wipe the threads with a dry cloth.
    <1m

Apply the thread sealant tape

Estimated 2 min

NOTEThread sealant tape and thread sealant compound are not the same material.
NOTICE

DO NOT USE THREAD SEALANT COMPOUND ON THE THREADS OF THE SHOWER ARM.
Thread sealant compound can block the spray holes of the showerhead.

  1. Hold the roll of thread sealant tape at the end of the shower arm.
    <1m
  2. Wrap the tape around the threads in a clockwise direction.
    • Clockwise is the direction that tightens the showerhead.
    <1m
  3. Cover the threads completely with the tape.
    <1m
  4. Press the tape flat against the threads.
    <1m

Install the new showerhead

Estimated 2 min to 3 min

  1. Look at the washer or O-ring inside the connector of the new showerhead.
    <1m
  2. If the washer has a crack or a flat surface, replace the washer.
    <1m
  3. Put the showerhead onto the shower arm.
    <1m
NOTICE

TIGHTEN THE SHOWERHEAD BY HAND FIRST.
Too much force can crack the shower arm or the showerhead.

  1. Turn the showerhead clockwise by hand until the showerhead stops.
    <1m
  2. Tighten the showerhead a small amount more.
    <1m
  3. Aim the showerhead where you want it.
    <1m

Examine the connection for a leak

Estimated 3 min

  1. Open the shower control.
    <1m
  2. Look at the connection for one minute.
    1m
  3. If water leaks at the connection, close the shower control.
    <1m
  4. Remove the showerhead from the shower arm.
    <1m
  5. Add more tape to the threads.
    <1m
  6. Install the showerhead again.
    <1m
  7. Do the leak test again.
    <1m

Read the flow rate

Estimated 2 min

NOTEA WaterSense labeled showerhead prints its flow rate on the product and on the box.
Federal maximum flow rate permitted for a showerhead sold in the United States
Manufacturer or standard verified
2.5 gpm

Source: Best Management Practice #7: Faucets and Showerheads · tier 1 · accessed 2026-08-04

Maximum flow rate required for the WaterSense label on a showerhead
Manufacturer or standard verified
2.0 gpm

Source: WaterSense Specification for Showerheads, Version 1.1 · tier 1 · accessed 2026-08-04

Rated flow of the showerhead you are installing
Unverified — do not rely on this value
READ THE NUMBER STAMPED OR MOLDED ON THE SHOWERHEAD, OR PRINTED ON ITS PACKAGING

No tier-1 source was found for this value. Take it from the documentation supplied with your equipment.

  1. Close the shower control.
    <1m
  2. Look at the new showerhead for a number in gpm.
    • The connector often carries a stamped or molded number.
    • The box also shows this number for a WaterSense product.
    <1m
  3. If you cannot find a number on the showerhead, look at the box or the printed sheet.
    <1m
  4. Make a record of the flow rate for your own use.
    <1m
  5. Remove the towel from the tub or the shower floor.
    <1m

Terminology

This page uses one term for each item and holds it throughout, as ASD-STE100 requires. Equipment sellers and other guides use the names below for the same parts.

showerhead
Also called: shower head, shower head replacement, shower nozzle, shower rose, rain shower head, the shower thing
shower arm
Also called: shower pipe, shower stem, shower riser, shower head pipe, shower head thread size, the pipe the showerhead screws onto
shower control
Also called: shower handle, shower valve handle, shower faucet handle, shower knob, the knob that turns on the shower
thread sealant tape
Also called: Teflon tape, PTFE tape, ptfe tape shower arm, plumber's tape, pipe tape, white tape
flow rate
Also called: GPM, gpm shower, gallons per minute, water flow, low flow shower head, weak shower
WaterSense label
Also called: WaterSense certified, EPA WaterSense, water-efficient label, WaterSense logo

When to use a professional

Stop if the shower arm turns or moves in the wall when you turn the showerhead. Speak to a plumber.

Stop if the shower arm has a crack or a bend. Speak to a plumber.

Stop if the leak continues after the second attempt. Speak to a plumber.

Do not do work behind the wall. Do not remove the shower arm from its wall fitting.

This page does not give a thread size for your shower arm. This page does not give the flow rate of your own showerhead. Read the flow rate from the showerhead itself or from its box.

Common questions

How do I know the flow rate of my new shower head?

Look at the showerhead itself first: many carry the number stamped or molded near the connector, in gallons per minute (gpm). If you cannot find it there, check the box or the printed sheet that came with it. WaterSense's own specification requires a certified showerhead's rated flow to be marked “in gpm and L/min in two or three digit resolutions,” for example “2.0 gpm [7.6 L/min],” so a genuine WaterSense product carries the number by design. We are not going to guess the number for your particular showerhead — read it off the product or the box.

What does GPM mean, and what is the difference between a standard shower head and a WaterSense one?

GPM is gallons per minute, the rate the showerhead lets through. Federal law sets a ceiling for every showerhead sold in the United States: the Department of Energy states that showerheads made and sold after January 1, 1994 “must use no more than 2.5 gpm,” and calls that figure “the maximum flow rate allowed.” EPA's WaterSense programme sets a lower, voluntary ceiling for its own label: a WaterSense certified showerhead's rated flow “must be equal to or less than 2.0 gallons per minute.” Both are maximums, not typical use, and neither is a promise about your own water pressure.

Can I use pipe dope (thread sealant compound) instead of Teflon tape on the shower arm?

No. Kohler's own installation instructions carry a direct caution: “To avoid plugging the showerhead spray outlets, use thread sealant tape on the shower arm threads. Do not use thread sealant compound (pipe dope).” Thread sealant tape and thread sealant compound are different products, and the compound can work its way into the showerhead's own spray holes and block them. Use the tape.

My new low-flow shower head feels weak. Is something wrong?

Maybe not the showerhead. WaterSense labeled showerheads are tested for spray force and spray coverage as well as flow rate, specifically so a lower-flow product still feels adequate, and the label cannot be used on a product that fails those tests. The Department of Energy's own maintenance guidance points at your home's water pressure instead: “Test system pressure to make sure it is between 20 and 80 psi. If the pressure is too low, high-efficiency devices won't work properly.” Low household pressure, not the showerhead, is the more common cause.

Do I need to turn off my home's water supply to change a shower head?

No, not the whole house. Close the shower control the way you normally would to stop the shower, and the shower arm holds no standing pressure once the control is closed. This is different from a fixture like a toilet, which stays full of water under pressure right up to its own fill valve even when nobody has touched the handle.

How much water and money does switching to a WaterSense shower head actually save?

EPA's WaterSense programme puts the average family's saving at about 2,700 gallons a year, plus “more than 330 kilowatt hours of electricity annually” from the water heater doing less work. Scaled up, EPA estimates that if every home in the country used a WaterSense labeled showerhead, the country would save “more than $2.9 billion in water utility bills and more than 260 billion gallons of water annually.” The part itself is usually inexpensive, and the labour is the job on this page.

Sources

Every specification on this page is traced to one of these sources. Tier 1 is a manufacturer document, a published standard, or a government safety authority. See Standards for the full tiering rule.

  1. Tier 1ShowerheadsWaterSense, United States Environmental Protection Agency · accessed 2026-08-04 · re-verification due 2027-01-31
  2. Tier 1Best Management Practice #7: Faucets and ShowerheadsFederal Energy Management Program, United States Department of Energy · accessed 2026-08-04 · re-verification due 2027-01-31
  3. Tier 1WaterSense Specification for Showerheads, Version 1.1WaterSense, United States Environmental Protection Agency · accessed 2026-08-04 · re-verification due 2027-01-31
  4. Tier 1Installation Guide: Showerhead, Arm and Flange (K-14424)Kohler Co. · accessed 2026-08-04 · re-verification due 2027-01-31

Revision history

Current version 1 · updated 2026-08-04 · next review due 2027-08-04

  1. v1 · 2026-08-04First draft. Federal and WaterSense flow-rate maximums from DOE's FEMP Best Management Practice #7 and from the WaterSense Specification for Showerheads v1.1 itself; both are ceilings, not measurements, and neither is reported as the rating of any specific product. The pipe-dope hazard is sourced to Kohler's own installation guide, which names no wrap count or wrap direction for the tape, so none is published. No thread size and no per-product flow rate publishes as a verified value. Written independently in Simplified Technical English; no competitor page was read or drafted from.

Corrections to this page are listed in the public corrections log. Reports that are credible and not yet verified are listed in the public errata register, and an open one renders above the step it concerns.

Comments and corrections

Found an error? A correction with a manufacturer source is applied and logged publicly. You can also write to corrections@fixchecklist.com.

Every step above carries its own report control, which tags the report with that step so a correction reaches the right place. For anything about the procedure as a whole — the order of the sections, a step that is missing, something that did not match your equipment — use this: report something about this whole procedure.

The comment system is not connected yet. Comments are stored in GitHub Discussions through Giscus, outside this site, so that a redeploy cannot destroy them.