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

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, http://www.askmehelpdesk.com/plumbin...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

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?