How tight does shower arm have to be?

The arm should not be tightened more than a total of six revolutions. Pro Tip: Sometimes you can tighten the shower arm without the use of a wrench if you can get the right amount of leverage. Otherwise, a professional grade strap wrench is the best type to use so you don’t scratch the shower arm.

What size thread is a shower arm?

1/2″
Standard shower arms (the pipe that comes out of the wall) have a 1/2″ male pipe thread, and standard shower heads have a 1/2″ female pipe thread.

What does a shower arm screw into?

Shower arms typically have a slight bend near their middle, and they almost always have threads on both ends. One end threads into a fitting called a drop-ear elbow inside the wall; the other end receives the showerhead, which simply turns onto the exposed end of the arm.

Do all shower arms unscrew?

You don’t have to unscrew and remove the showerhead first — that’s up to you. If the shower arm won’t budge or it isn’t bent in a way that gives you a mechanical advantage, wrap a rubber glove around the pipe or put it on to get a better grip. The vast majority of the time, the arm will come off.

What is the typical length of a shower arm?

12-inch
The American Standard 12-inch wall mount right angle shower arm fits virtually all showerheads and is available in multiple finishes.

How are shower arms measured?

What to Measure: The size of the shower arm—that’s the pipe coming out of the wall. Measure its diameter as well as how far it sticks out. And note whether the threads are on the outside or inside of the pipe (that’s “male” and “female” in plumbing-speak).

Are shower arms universal?

Almost any shower head manufactured in the United States will fit on the shower arm installed in your bathroom.

What is a standard shower arm length?

A standard shower arm is about a foot long and has a 45-degree angle bend in the middle. This brings the pipe straight out of the wall and then angles down so the shower head is given a more direct downward path you can adjust. This type of shower arm is the most common and works well.

What to do if your shower arm pipe breaks off?

If the shower arm pipe broke off before the threaded area, you can use the pliers to turn and remove the piece out of the female pipe fitting that is in the wall. Normally, when deteriorating breaks like this happen, the shower arm pipe will break within the threads of the wall pipe.

How do you install a shower arm on a rough in?

In order to install a shower arm, the rough-in plumbing must include a 1/2-inch bronze elbow to accept it. Securely attach the elbow to the framing directly behind the hole in the wall through which the shower arm extends so that it doesn’t move. 1

How do you attach a shower head to drywall?

Run your fingers around the threads to clear off any loose drywall dust or debris, then apply pipe dope to the threads using the brush supplied with the dope. Wrap plumbing tape around both ends of the shower arm. Wind the tape clockwise with respect to the arm so that it doesn’t unwind while you’re screwing in the arm or installing the showerhead.