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A leaky showerhead can be both annoying and costly. After a few
hours, the constant dripping noise is as brutal on the eardrums
as nails on a chalkboard. And, even though a singular drip is
only a few milliliters of water, it doesn’t take long before
that leaky showerhead wastes hundreds of gallons - adding an
extra zero to the end of the water bill.
Most homeowners don’t realize that a leaking showerhead is
pretty simple to fix. There’s no need to buy a new one or,
worse yet, hire a plumber. You can finish the job yourself
in just a few short minutes with nothing more than a screwdriver,
an adjustable wrench, and a washer that you can buy for a nickel
at any hardware store.
Now that you’ve decided to take on the job yourself, you need
to understand the two most common things that go wrong with
showerheads. Either they start leaking at the point where
the pipe screws into the actual showerhead, or the holes
in the showerhead become clogged, causing water backups
and creating a leak.
First, you’ll need to unscrew the showerhead from the
outlet pipe. To protect the showerhead from damage, wrap a
towel around the point where the head screws onto the
outlet piping. Take the pliers and remove the head from
the outlet. You’ll see the washer. Pull it off and replace
it with the new one. If you think you need a tighter seal,
use plumbers tape across the threads before screwing the
showerhead back in.
Also, if you have a rotating or swiveling showerhead,
you might as well take an extra step while you have it
taken apart. To increase the swivel range and flexibility,
take some lubricant, preferably silicone, and lube up
the interior swivel ball before you screw the head back in.
If the holes in the showerhead are clogged, take off the
faceplate by removing the screws attaching it to the head.
If you can’t remove the faceplate, that’s okay, just keep
the entire unit unscrewed. The reason showerheads get
clogged is the lime deposits that are formed and get
stuck in the holes over time. To get rid of the lime
deposits, take either the faceplate or the whole showerhead,
and soak it in a bowl of white vinegar for at least
eight hours. This will dissolve the deposits, and make
them easy to remove by sticking a toothpick or small nail
through the holes in the showerhead. After that, scrub the
faceplate with a stiff plastic brush and screw the unit
back into the wall.
About the Author
Eric Shannon is a freelance author who frequently
contributes to several websites, including http://www.allfaucets.info.
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