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QiLady · Mar 11, 2007, 06:06 PM

I am not very good at this happy homeower stuff and I am trying. This question may seem trivial and I am not sure what to do next.

I am trying to replace a shower head that is probably the original one in my 55 year old home. I figured out that I will have to replace the shower arm (the threads are on the inside, not the outside -- even if I could get the ball thing out and that appears to be a problem). So far it (the shower arm) will not budge. When I moved the collar down to see if I could put some WD-40 on the threads all I see is the pipe going into the wall and there is plaster around it (it is above the tiles). No threads in sight. Is there any hope here without tearing out a piece of the wall? I hate to be condemned to the drizzly shower I get with the current head.

Thanks for any help offered.

labman · Mar 11, 2007, 07:24 PM

Pipes that go back into the wall are a good place for a DIY to get into trouble. You don't want to go there, https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/plumbi...ht=shower+head

You can chip the plaster away enough to squirt some WD-40 or other penetrating oil into the threads for what good it may do. If you have a torch, or can borrow one, heat it up, holding the torch on it for about 5 minutes. Then turn the water on briefly. See if it will unscrew. If not, try the torch again.

A more risky technique, with no turning back, is to saw off the arm between the bend and wall. Then pound the stub with a hammer. You just want to create vibrations and shock to break the corrosion, not destroy everything. Again, try to turn it out. Hammer some more, try again. It is worth using the spray lube too. The pounding helps it penetrate in.

doug238 · Mar 11, 2007, 08:47 PM

labman, I totally disagree with you formula for removing a shower arm.
Qilady, are you personally trying to remove the shower arm or is another helping you? Are you feeling you lack the strength or are you afraid of damages?

gem6155 · Jan 28, 2011, 04:35 AM

I'm no pro, but I disagree with the discouraging answers above. Though I also was having the same issue, I can say that just about everyone (including professional plumbing forums) seem to all agree that the solution is as simple as going out & buying an EASY OUT pipe wrench (w/ cam). I know I'm a little late answering this question, but for all those others currently having an issue - this may give you a little better direction to go WITHOUT HAVING TO CUT INTO THE WALL :)

"...You got the one w/ a cam? You have to make the cam on the right side of the pipe when inserting so that when you rotate it the cam is force against the pipe wall. The other direction it will simply rotate.

"...That sounds about right -- the cam should flop out and grab when you rotate in the opposite direction from which it will go back inside the diameter of the main piece... You stick the whole thing inside the pipe, hopefully a fair ways (like the length of the tool w/ the exception of enough to turn in order to
hopefully get away from the weak area near the break), and arrange the cam so it is going against the pipe wall as you turn in the proper direction. That motion of the offset pin of the cam against the wall
causes it to tighten against the inner wall as you apply further torque..."

massplumber2008 · Jan 28, 2011, 06:04 AM

HI Gem...

Yeah, I just read this thread (from 2007) and have to agree that it doesn't make much sense, for sure.

Here, in my experience you remove a shower arm by taking a pair of pliers and inserting the handle inside the shower arm itself (shower head removed) and then put some force into the tool and loosen the shower arm.

If the arm won't budge I go for penetrating spray and a wrench and remove it that way.

If the threads break off then some suggest using an easy out tool (w/cam), as you did Gem, but most of the time even this tool won't work as the wall of the shower arm is so thin it just crushes (but worth a try) and we end up resorting to cutting the remaining threads of the shower arm using a mini hacksaw blade and an AWL or similar sharp tool and undermine the threads to remove the broken piece using needlenose pliers... can be a bit tricky, but works good with patience... see image.

Finally, sometimes the threads are so far inside the wall that the broken threads cannot be removed from the threaded elbow in the wall and the wall needs to be cut open and the threaded elbow needs to be replaced.

Thanks for posting to the thread, Gem... hopefully, this will be a little more encouraging to all the DIY people out there! :)

Mark

dburson · Jul 22, 2012, 07:18 AM

No offense to anyone on the forum. I have the same issue and just resolved it less than 5 minutes ago. I spayed some wd-40 into the arm where it is treaded to the pipe in the wall, let it sit overnight. Sprayed some more wd-40 at the treads on today and let it sit for about 30 min (while I searched on-line for some advice) then to a pair of medium vice grips and put some gradual counter-clockwise force on it and she screwed off. HOORAH!! I have been living with this thing for over 2 years! Now to get a MODERN shower head.

Hope this helps :)

D. Burson

dburson · Jul 22, 2012, 07:20 AM

Sorry about the mis-type. I meant to say "took a pair of vice grips" not "to a pair of vice grips".