How To Remove a Shower Head That is Glued On?

If you have shifted into your newly bought or rented house and want to change your plumbing, you may find that the former owner glued the showerhead directly to the pipe. In this situation, it will be much more difficult to remove a stuck showerhead. Though this incident rarely happens. Removing an old showerhead is usually a simple task.

But in some cases, you may face some challenges, particularly if the showerhead has glued to the shower arm. And everybody knows that glue is pretty complicated to deal with when you want to divide two glued things. In this case, using only the white vinegar method sometimes does not help. So, how do you remove a glued shower head?

This article will explain to you how to remove a shower head that is glued on.

Before You go Forward, Collect All the Necessary Things you Require in this Method

As you are confronting the glue here; so it is very significant to get the proper instruments; and everything you need to do the job perfectly. So you require:

• An adjustable wrench or pliers
• Acetone nail polish remover 
• An old piece of cloth
• Lemon juice
• Hot water
• Plastic bag
• Rubber band
• Scrubber/an old toothbrush

Looking at the needs of this work, it is clear that you will need to work a little harder for this job. Anyway, let’s start- 

How to Remove Glued Showerhead by Using Household Products

Removing glued shower heads is not an easy job. So, it is strongly recommended you follow the instructions given below. Otherwise, you may damage your shower head, which is undesirable. 

Steps on Removing a Glued on Shower Head

Follow the simple below steps to remove your glued shower head. 

Turn the Water Supply Off

Before removing a stuck shower head, it is relevant to turning off the water supply to bypass the possible problems. It is a safer way; and will help reduce the hassle of cleaning if water starts splashing from an open pipe. 

To turn off the water supply, find the water supply valve in the area below.

• It is right under the tap position in the basement.
• In the bathroom, under the sink.

 Let’s Try to Loosen it Up

The first task is to try to remove the showerhead by hand pressure. To do this, try to rotate it counterclockwise. Though, this will work little. But if you put a little pressure on the glue, it can start to peel off. It will loosen the connection between the adhesive and the showerhead and makes the job much easier. 

But do not need to try hard to rotate; because you do not want the showerhead to be damaged or broken.

Prepare a Solution by Using Home Remedies

It’s an important step for the entire process of removing the glued shower head. In this step, you need to prepare a liquid by utilizing home remedies. This solution will help diffuse the adhesive so that the showerhead can be removed easily.

And for the preparation of this mixture, you need lemon juice, hot water, and a plastic bucket.

So, firstly take a plastic bucket and pour hot water into it until the bucket becomes half full. Then, add some lemon juice to the water and your liquid is ready.

The next thing that needs to be done is, grab the showerhead and put it in the bucket. Dip the showerhead into the liquid, and let the solution diffuse the glue and mineral buildup or rust calcium on the showerhead.

But if your shower head is placed on the shower arm, then follow the next step.

Immerse the showerhead in the Solution

As mentioned before, the shower head needs to be immersed into the solution to make the glue dissolve. But problems arise when the showerhead is set in the shower arm. 

In this situation, take the solution and pour it into a plastic bag, and slowly bring it up around the showerhead. When the showerhead is fully immersed in the mixture, tie the plastic bag around the shower arm with rubber bands to protect the liquid draining. You can use a plumber’s tape to tie it better.  

Rinse with hot water

You need to wait about 30 minutes after soaking the showerhead into the solution and then take off the solution bag from the showerhead. In the meantime, the glue should be partly dissolved in the liquid. And now, the showerhead removal will be much easier. Repeat this process if necessary until you can remove the shower head from the shower arm.

Now you need to clean the showerhead thoroughly and remove all rust or minerals

deposits on it. Sometimes, when the glue melts, it can leave dirty stains and trash on the showerhead.

Rinse the showerhead with hot water, and leave it for a few minutes to wash away everything.

Scrubbing with a Soft Wire Brush or with an Old Toothbrush

After you have cleaned your shower head with hot water, now comes the time to apply acetone nail polish remover. 

Just spray a little acetone all over the glued area and take an old toothbrush or a soft wire brush to clean the rest.

Do not scrub hard with the brushes, as the acetone will easily remove everything left on the adhesive.

You are Almost Done.

Just Unscrew it with an Adjustable Wrench

Now all you need to do is unscrew the showerhead with an adjustable wrench or pliers. Before doing this, take an old piece of cloth and cover with it the place where the wrench will fit.

It will confirm there will not be any scratch on the surface of the showerhead. Then try to rotate the showerhead counterclockwise to unscrew it easily.

Everything needs to be cleaned up

Finally, you reached the last step, and now you need to cleanse up everything and scrutinize the inside of the showerhead.

As the showerhead was glued on, the rust of mineral deposits might be gathered inside the showerhead. And all these should be cleaned up.

All you have to do is wash your shower head with water from the tap, and everything will be perfect.

Conclusion

As you can see, removing the glued shower head needs a lot of effort. It’s not simple, but it’s possible to do. In other words, all the processes should be done carefully and patiently. Otherwise, there is a chance of breaking or damaging your shower head.