Most of us definitely find problems when we are taking bath due to low or poor amount of water that we get from the shower heads. If you think that your shower heads needs some cleaning it is right to give it a thorough cleaning than replacing it with brand new. One of the primary reasons that cause trouble on the poor service of shower heads is build-up of city minerals or well waters that leads to reduction of water pressure. Here are some of the common steps that you can use in cleaning your shower heads.
Steps to Clean Shower Heads :-
- The first thing that you must consider is to safely remove the shower heads so that you can clean it completely. Most of it has a thread that needs to be twisted in order to detach. Depending on the type of shower heads that you have, the most common tools that you can use for removing it are pipe wrench and screw drivers.
- If your shower head is under warranty see to it that you handle it carefully and under the package instructions to avoid forfeiting such warranty.
- You will need a large bottle of white vinegar for the cleaning procedure. Distilled white vinegar is considered the most natural one and the most affordable. It is also commonly utilized element for mineralization of water.
- The process of cleaning starts by filling a large container wherein the shower head can rest together with the white vinegar. If you are just detaching the shower head, you can put several inches of white vinegar inside a non-metal container. Put the shower head in the vinegar facing down the container. Let it soak for about two to three hours.
- If you want to clean the shower head though it is still mounted, you can pour of about 3 inches of vinegar in a plastic bag and bring it to the bathroom using a rubber band. You can the open plastic bag on the shower head. Then, move the spout in order to face it down ward and begin wrapping the rubber band round the bag together with the top of shower head. You can leave the nozzle inside the vinegar for about two to three hours.
- After several hours of soaking. Remove the shower head from the white vinegar. Put the vinegar down on the drain.
- Start brushing the small nozzles using a tooth brush that is dipped in the vinegar. If there are plenty of minerals in the water, it will help loosen all the accumulated minerals from the inside of the shower head.
- After brushing and you noticed that the minerals are removed, you can rinse the vinegar in the shower head. Once you remove the nozzle, you can turn on the sink faucet and let the heavy stream of water go through the nozzle and allow the water to run for about 30 seconds so that it will remove the stains and the odor of the vinegar.
- If the nozzle is connected when you perform the process, same procedure applies, let the high pressure of water clean the mineral deposit and the vinegar and let it works for about 30 seconds.
Additional Tips For Shower Head Cleaning
- Remove filter on the pipe attachment. Wash the filter that is underneath of the sink tap and the reinstall it to the pipe of the shower. It can be possible once you detach the shower head, as the filter is like a small mesh screen, which is put in the pipe next to the attachment of the shower head. The minerals have great possibility of clogging the filter that can result on poor water pressure.
- You can also polish the external part of the shower head using a soft cloth. It will help to lessen the water spotting and create some shine.
You can repeat the process of vinegar cleaning every month or three months, depending on how fast does the mineral accumulate to the shower heads. It is also good that you clean the nozzle regularly to avoid getting the minerals to turn big and create damage on the shower and it fails to provide you the necessary amount of water that you need.
How to Fix Leaking Shower Heads
One of the common problems that many people experience with the shower heads is leak. It is disturbing for the fact that it can waste plenty of water even though its just a small drip. It can also affect the amount of water that it can bring to you as it fall far from where you are situated. This kind of problem can be easily fixed using several methods to cure the leaking problems. Here are the ways that you can perform in order to eliminate and fix the shower head leaking problems.
- The first thing that you must do is to detach the shower head. You can use wrench or screw drivers if needed. When removing the shower head see to it that you must not create further damage on it.
- Remove the inside rubber gasket so that you can inspect for the root cause of the leakage. One the gasket creates black goo to your fingers, replacing the gasket is needed. If you are buying for replacement, see to it that the old ring will match on the selected new size.
- Put the ring in the shower head. It may give you some effort of pushing it into place. See to it that the ring is placed flat inside the shower head.
- Begin wrapping the pipe threads with Teflon tape. Make sure that you are wrapping in a single direction wherein the threads flow. Fully cover the thread area by not covering the smooth pipe. You can utilize two tape wraps that is pulled tight enough. You must be seeing the threads ridges however they must not be cutting on the tape.
- Tear the tape in order to separate on the spool and thread the shower head in place by turning it until it is hand-tight.
- You can dry run by turning on the water. If the is no leak, then you are done. But if there are still leakages, unscrew and remove again the head. Sometimes the leakage happens because of the wrong method of screwing.
- If the leak seems gone, by using the wrench, you can turn the shower half-turn further. Be careful not to over-tighten it as you can risk stripping the threads. You can test again the water flow.
- If the leak insist above that is almost undetectable, you must start all over again and try to replace the Teflon tape and make it a little bit tighter, and have an additional wrap of tape. Once you notice that the pipe seems too old, its thread might be worn enough to have the additional tape.
By fixing the leakage of your shower heads you can avoid having a big loss of water when it is unused. If think that you can make these steps, it is a good investment and it can be a sure saving on your part as you will not hire somebody to make it done for you. However, if you think that you can worsen the current situation of your shower head. You can ask for the help of someone who has greater knowledge in accomplishing the job. It can be the most practical one in terms of savings as you will pay for sure fixing of the problem.
The shower head problems are unavoidable circumstances that are triggered by many causes. Therefore, a regular inspection of your shower is necessary in order to avoid greater damage and big expenses. Regular cleaning at least once a month can be very helpful to avoid leakage. Give time to check the shower heads as it is one of the most commonly used items inside your house. You can read about top rated toilets available in the market.