How to Change Shower Heads With the Little Ball on the End

When changing a leaky shower head, you might find that the shower arm has a ball on the end. Price Pfister and other manufacturers once used this type of shower head, which has a collar that threads over the ball and draws the head onto the arm. These shower heads are now discontinued and not available for replacement. Changing shower heads with the little ball on the end of the arm requires changing the shower arm to accommodate a new shower head.

Vise grips
Plumber's tape
Cloth

Instructions

- 1
  Lock the jaws of a pair of vise grips over the shower arm, 4 inches away from the shower wall. Hold the shower arm between the wall and the vise grips with one hand to prevent pushing the inside plumbing pipe. Rotate the shower arm counterclockwise with the vise grips, and remove it from the shower wall.
- 2
  Wrap plumber's tape around the threads on each end of the new shower arm. Wrap the tape in a clockwise direction to prevent the tape from unwinding when attaching the shower arm and shower ahead.
- 3
  Thread the end of the shower arm into the pipe in the shower wall until it is hand-tight. Place a cloth over the shower arm and lock the vise grips over the arm and cloth. Rotate the arm clockwise until the opposite end of the arm is pointing toward the tub or shower floor.
- 4
  Screw the new shower head onto the end of the shower arm until it is hand-tight. Move the cloth from the arm onto the shower head connection and turn it another three-quarter turn with the vise grips.

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