The shower hose is the most frequently broken part of the shower, most often it starts to leak.

By design, the shower hose is a rubber tube placed in a metal sleeve. The metal hose may be absent, in which case the hose is a flexible plastic tube. The quality of the rubber part will determine the life of the entire hose. The service life of the rubber tube, in turn, depends on water and is 5-15 years. Rubber has the ability to harden over time, the elasticity of the material decreases and this leads to the appearance of cracks, breaks. These tubes are easy to change. It is difficult to look for a replacement rubber tube for a shower, since most often there are ready-made replacement hoses with a metal sleeve on sale. And the cost of such a hose is not very high. Replacement is also carried out if the hose has a rusted metal sleeve. The aesthetics of such a mixer is generally worse, and rust can get on the enamel of plumbing units, which is quite difficult to remove.

Before carrying out a complete replacement of the shower hose, you can try to repair it yourself, unless, of course, it is quite old.

To repair the shower, if it is broken, you will need the following tools:

• wrench;
• screwdriver;

Such a minimum will be a sufficient set, since there is no great difficulty in troubleshooting with your own hands.

The main places of leaks and malfunctions

The most common cause of a hose leak is a cracked rubber tube.

The shower hose most often leaks at the connection to the faucet. For example, at the point of attachment of the shower head. Leakage occurs due to loose fit and incomplete tightening of the union nuts. Nuts can loosen during use of the shower. To eliminate such a malfunction, you can resort to the strength of your hands, since you will not need additional tools to tighten the nuts.

If, by tightening the union nuts, you did not get rid of the leakage, in this case it is necessary to check the condition of the rubber gaskets and bushings. If necessary, install new gaskets. After checking the gaskets, they are convinced of the quality of the sections of the metal parts of the mixer and the absence of cracks. Very often, if too much effort is applied, poor-quality pipes, nuts burst, and water seeps through the cracks. Poor quality cuts can be sanded with sandpaper.

If after these actions the leak could not be eliminated and the shower hose is still leaking, we check the junctions of the sleeve and the tube, as well as the quality and serviceability of the sleeves. Very often, bushing defects lead to the fact that actually a new faucet in the bathroom is leaking. To check the bushings, unscrew the union nuts. If the bushings are defective, the entire shower hose must be replaced. If the tube flies off the fitting due to the small diameter of the hose, you can put a clamp using copper wire.

If the hose is leaking at the point where it is connected to the watering can or faucet, tighten the nuts to ensure tightness.

If water oozes not from the diffuser, but from the metal sleeve, then the tube itself is faulty. In order to check its condition, it is necessary to remove the nut and the metal hose. Possible places of its rupture, places of attachment to rigid elements. For example, at the point of attachment to the fitting. Damage can occur due to poor quality tube or low elasticity of the material. You can fix such a malfunction with your own hands, but only if the gap is as close as possible to the outlets. The rupture site is cut off with a knife and the tube is put on the fitting. In order to prevent the tube from flying off, a clamp is installed. The length of the tube has decreased, and when pulled, water can ooze out again. Therefore, over time, you need to replace the entire shower hose.

The reverse view of a hose malfunction is the lack of water pressure or water does not pass through it. Such a malfunction occurs due to bending, folding of the rubber tube inside the metal hose due to its large length. You can fix the defect very simply with your own hands, for this, by removing the union nut, pull out the rubber tube and cut off the excess section.

The pressure may also not be due to the shower head, which is most often clogged. The shower head can be cleaned. If the watering can is of an old design, then it is unscrewed from the handle. If the model is more modern, then disassembly comes down to unscrewing the divider, which is attached with a self-tapping screw.

The divider can be cleaned mechanically using a wire or paper clip, or chemically using special detergents.

How to choose, disassemble, clean and repair

A shower head is a sanitary hygienic device that transforms a continuous stream of water into a stream of numerous thin streams in the form of rain.

The images of four women washing themselves on Athenian vases indicate that as early as four centuries BC, the Greeks used a shower for hygiene procedures. Water was supplied through pipes into the room and through shower screens and poured onto people. Since then, the principle of the shower has not changed much.

Shower head selection

According to the installation method, shower heads are stationary and with a flexible shower hose. Stationary are ceiling and wall. Shower heads with flexible hose are available in two wall mounting designs. With the help of a headset (the bracket in which the shower head is installed is fixed on a fixed vertical bar and can be moved in height) and with the help of a bracket permanently fixed to the wall.

Both mounting designs allow you to rotate the watering can around its axis and change the angle of inclination, which makes it possible to direct the water jets in the right direction. The design of the shower head attachment allows you to quickly remove it from the bracket for manual use. This may be necessary, for example, when washing a child or a person with reduced mobility, washing a bathtub and tiled walls near the bathtub or the walls of the shower cabin.

There are designs when the shower head is not mounted on the wall, but simply lies on the mixer in a special plug. It is inconvenient to use such a watering can when taking water procedures, since one hand is busy.

Stationary wall and ceiling shower heads are non-removable, the water supply pipe is usually hidden in the wall, and the water mixer is installed on the wall, in a convenient place for turning on the supply and adjusting the water pressure. Wall-mounted watering cans usually provide for adjusting the angle of the direction of the water jets. In the ceiling, this possibility is only in very expensive models. The advantage of ceiling watering cans is the imitation of real rain, due to the large area of ​​outflow of water jets. Ceiling shower heads are usually made of chrome-plated brass, require more water pressure in the plumbing and are very expensive.

Wall-mounted fixed shower heads, as in the photographs, are also usually made of chrome-plated brass, but they are much cheaper than ceiling-mounted ones. In stationary ones, it is also possible to control the direction of the water jet.

If there is a need to wash a child, people with disabilities or animals, then it is better to refrain from installing a ceiling or wall watering can, or in addition to install a watering can with a flexible hose. The photo shows a wall-mounted shower head and an additional one with a flexible hose. The water supply to the watering cans is controlled from one lever tap of the mixer. Using the button, you can switch the water supply in turn to any of them.

The choice of a shower head with a bracket on the bar is justified only if there are people with a large height range in the family, although the flow of falling jets from any water divider of the watering can does not expand much to the bottom, and people of short stature should not experience discomfort when taking a shower. Unless it will be difficult for them, if necessary, to reach the watering can to pick it up. Some people just love the look of the bar-mounted shower head design. But this pleasure costs several times more than a shower head with a simple bracket. It should also be noted that if the fixing handles are made of plastic, then they wear out over time.

When choosing a shower head, you need to pay attention to the water divider. There are two types of dividers in shower heads: in the form of a flat plate made of metal or plastic with holes, and in the form of a curved surface in which not just holes are made, but a rubber nozzle, which is a short tube, is separately installed for each jet.

Thanks to the nozzles, the shape of the water jet column flowing from the watering can is formed in such a way that the jets do not unite when the water pressure is low. Due to the elasticity of the rubber, the holes in the divider, unlike flat dividers, will not be clogged with limescale. Only large particles of dirt can clog the holes.

Modern shower heads are usually made of plastic. This reduces the cost, the watering can is light and does not damage the enamel coating in case of falling into the bath. Thanks to the metalized coating of the body, the watering can has a beautiful appearance.

In view of the foregoing, a budget option for purchasing a shower head is a plastic watering can with a rubber divider, a flexible shower hose mounted in a bracket on the wall.

How to disassemble and clean a shower head

Although modern watering cans with rubber nozzles are spared from clogging the holes with limescale, large particles of dirt, getting into the rubber holes, get stuck and have to be removed manually. When the water supply is resumed after a shutdown, due to water hammer, rust flakes peel off from the walls of the conduit, and if at least a coarse water filter is not installed on the water pipe at the entrance to the apartment, then dirt particles clog the divider holes.

To clean the holes, you must first disassemble the watering can. In older shower heads, the divider simply unscrewed from the handle. In modern ones, the divider is attached with a self-tapping screw, which is closed with a decorative cap. Therefore, the disassembly of the shower head begins with the removal of the plug.

To do this, a sharp object, such as a knife or an awl, is enough to pry the plug over the edge. Sometimes a recess is provided for this on the edge of the plug, and the plug will easily come out of the installation site.

Next, use a screwdriver to unscrew the screw and remove the diffuser from the body of the watering can. Now you can start cleaning the holes. Clogged holes are clearly visible in the light. As a tool for cleaning the divider holes, you can use a thin metal wire, a straightened paper clip is good for cleaning.

After cleaning, the divider should be rinsed well with water. If there is limescale, then it can be easily removed from the rubber by wiping with a rag. The shower head is assembled in reverse order. When assembling, do not forget to install the rubber gasket between the body of the watering can and the divider.

The shower head is easily disassembled, which is in operation for a relatively short time. But if you need to clean a watering can that has served for many years, then you may encounter a seemingly insurmountable problem - with a rusted head of a self-tapping screw to such an extent that there is nothing to catch on with a screwdriver blade.

When trying to unscrew the rusty screw, its head crumbled into powder. I had to use the proven technology for unscrewing plastic screws with rusted or non-standard slots in the heads.

First, a hole with a diameter of 1.5 mm - 2 mm is drilled in the center of the head of the self-tapping screw using a mini hand drill to a depth of a couple of millimeters. At the end of drilling, slightly swinging the drill in opposite directions, the hole is shaped into an ellipse.

Then, using a 40 W electric soldering iron, the screw is heated for 2-5 minutes until the plastic around the screw softens. In the photo, the self-tapping screw is heated using a Moment pulse soldering iron.

The soldering iron is removed and immediately a screwdriver blade is inserted into the drilled hole. A suitable screwdriver must be prepared in advance. Even a watch screwdriver with a sufficient blade width will do. The remains of a rusted self-tapping screw can be easily unscrewed without damaging the body of the watering can.

The shower head has been dismantled and the diffuser can be cleaned. After removing the dirt and rinsing the shower head, it is assembled in reverse order.

To fasten the water diffuser to the body of the shower head, you must use a new self-tapping screw of the same size as the self-tapping screw that was removed.

I came across another type of shower head, the design of which differed from the designs discussed above.

Upon inspection, it seemed that in order to disassemble the shower head, it was necessary to remove the plug installed in the center of the water divider, but an attempt to remove it did not give results. Upon closer examination, it turned out that this is not a plug, but just a decorative groove.

An attempt to unscrew the divider counterclockwise from the body of the shower head was successful.

How to repair a flexible shower head hose

To supply water from the faucet to the shower head, a flexible hose is used, which is usually included, like a shower head with a bracket for wall mounting, in the faucet kit. Faucets are equipped with flexible hoses ranging in length from 1.25 m to 2 m. Therefore, when buying a faucet or a replacement flexible shower hose, you need to decide in advance how long the flexible hose is needed.

Today, flexible hoses are the most common, which are a rubber or plastic tube protected from mechanical stress by a flexible brass corrugated sheath. Movable union nuts are provided at the ends of the flexible hose for connection to the faucet and shower head. A narrow nut with a ribbed surface is designed to be attached to the faucet, a nut with an elongated base is screwed onto the shower head.

There are flexible shower hoses made of plastic, reinforced with metal wire in the form of a spiral. But from personal experience of operation, I can say that due to the low resistance to twisting, such hoses quickly lose their cylinder shape, which is why they begin to pass water poorly. Probably, flexible plastic hoses will last a long time if you never remove the shower head from the bracket and make sure that the hose does not twist.

Plastic flexible shower hoses and flexible hoses with a corrugated metal protective sheath are interchangeable. Therefore, in the event of a plastic failure, it can be replaced without any alterations with a flexible one with a metal protective sheath.

Currently, leading plumbing manufacturers produce hoses with sealed bearings that allow the flexible hose to rotate around its axis without twisting. But the price of such a shower set is far from the budget.

How to fix a leak in a flexible shower hose

Like any plumbing fixture, a flexible shower hose starts to leak over time. Usually, leaks are observed at the junction of it with a shower head or faucet. First, the water oozes and drips, and then it begins to spurt.

A leak in a flexible hose usually occurs at the junction with a shower head or faucet.

The reason, as a rule, is the loss of elasticity of the rubber gasket. Over time, the rubber from which the gasket is made becomes hard and cannot provide a snug fit over the entire contact surface. To begin with, you can try to tighten the union nut by turning it clockwise. Sometimes it helps. If water continues to flow after this, the gasket must be replaced.

If the replacement of the gasket did not lead to a positive result, and water continues to leak, then there may be a crack in the union nut, or water leakage occurs at the point of attachment of the tube located in the metal sleeve.

The tightness of the connection is ensured by a tight fit of the water supply pipe on a plastic or brass nipple with a shoulder, which is inserted with an interference fit into the hole of a larger plastic pipe.

It happens that a crack forms in the flexible plastic tube at the junction with the nipple. For repair, you need to cut off the damaged part and reassemble. If it is difficult to put a flexible plastic tube on the nipple, it can be heated a little (you can use a hair dryer or a lighter flame).

It should be noted that if the water supply tube was greatly shortened, then when the flexible hose is stretched, it can break off the nipple. In this case, you will have to replace the tube or extend it with an adapter.

There are other ways of attaching the tube to the nipple, for example, the tube is pulled over the fitting of the nipple and fixed with a clamp. But the technology for eliminating leaks in a flexible hose for all designs remains the same.

Repair of brass corrugated sheath of flexible hose

Another type of breakage of a flexible shower hose is the disengagement of adjacent turns of a brass corrugated sheath. Such a breakdown occurs due to excessive twisting of the shell, which occurs imperceptibly to a person. While taking a shower with a shower head in hand, a person shifts the shower head from one hand to another, and thus twists the flexible hose in one direction, without even knowing it. If, during twisting, the diameter of the shell increases, then adjacent turns may disengage.

The photo shows a flexible shower hose, the brass sheath of which I developed specifically to demonstrate its device. In section, the brass ribbon of the shell represents the letter S with right angles. The edges of the tape engage and are securely held in place by the springy properties of the brass, while at the same time giving the sheath flexibility.

In order to repair the developed sheath of the flexible hose, you need to grasp it with both hands next to the developed area. Next, it is necessary to turn the upper part of the shell clockwise, simultaneously bringing the upper turn of the tape into engagement with the lower turn. It is not necessary to turn the tape much and make sure that the expansion of the diameter of the flexible hose occurs only at the point of its breakdown.

I repeatedly had to repair the sheath of the flexible shower hose, and after repair, with careful operation, it served for a long time. The main thing here is accuracy and not to apply too much effort so as not to cause permanent deformation of the tape in the direction of increasing the diameter. But if such a case occurs, then you need to carefully turn the tape counterclockwise to restore its broken geometry, and repeat the repair operation.

Sometimes it is not possible to repair a flexible hose without releasing its sheath. To release it, it is necessary to move the union nut, move the thin-walled metal tube and unscrew the shell from the fitting.

It happens that the end of the shell is soldered with solder. Then, in order to release the end of the shell, you will have to warm up the place of soldering with a soldering iron.

As you can see, the shower head is simple, and its repair, with minimal skills in working with the tool, is within the power of every home master.

From time to time, the connection of the watering can and the faucet in the bathroom loses its original tightness, and leaks appear. So the moment has come when you need to purchase a shower hose 3 meters. Despite the fact that connecting the watering can and the mixer can be purchased at any plumbing store, the choice of this accessory deserves a special approach.

The fact is that the connection of a watering can and a mixer is the weakest link in equipping the entire bathroom. During operation, the shower hose moves from side to side, twists and unwinds dozens of times. It is no wonder that the resource of a low-quality product can be only a month.

Important: How long the hose will be chosen depends on how long you will use the shower without the need to repair plumbing with your own hands.

Design features

The most common shower hose connection is a flexible plastic or rubber tube enclosed in a metal sheath.

In order for the tube in the metal sleeve to be able to bend from side to side, the sheath is a spiral made of steel tape. The tape on special machines is deformed in a special way and assembled into a special sleeve, which bends well and at the same time protects the rubber tube from possible damage.

End fittings are installed on both sides of the connector, which, on the one hand, are screwed onto the mixer, and on the other hand, onto the watering can.

A less common modification, the price of which is less high, is an all-rubber hose without external reinforcement. To ensure the required strength, nylon or metal threads are located in the thickness of the rubber tube. Like the previous modification, this type of hose is equipped with end fittings.

Regardless of the design features, after a certain time of constant operation, the connectors become unsuitable for subsequent use. As a result, the shower hose needs to be repaired. But, before you repair anything, consider the main causes of leaks.

Causes of leaks

Before disassembling the mixer and disconnecting the flexible hose, we will determine the causes of the leak.

Among the main reasons we note the following:

• incorrect installation of the hose;
• natural wear of the tube due to long-term operation;
• natural wear of the gasket or union nut of the end fittings;
• initially poor quality.

Elimination of leakage in case of incorrect installation

If the installation was initially performed incorrectly and the fittings were not tightened or the gasket was not installed, the leakage appears in the very first days of the shower operation.

In this case, the troubleshooting instructions are simple:

• We remove the watering can and disconnect.
• Check for gaskets. In some cases, the gasket must be turned over so that it fits more tightly into its seat.
• Next, we twist the fittings to their original position and check for leaks. If there are none, troubleshooting can be considered completed.

Repair in case of wear of the inner tube

On average, a modern inexpensive shower with a hose works for 2-3 seasons before the first leaks appear. After that, you can see how water leaks from under the metal braid.

Such damage is typical for cheap products that are part of budget shower sets. The essence of wear is that in the cold season the water temperature in the plumbing system is no more than + 5 ° C.

The rubber tube hardens at this temperature. As a result, when we move the watering can from side to side, for example, when we wash a bathtub or a tray, microcracks appear on the surface of the tube.

In the course of subsequent operation, microcracks expand, and there comes a moment when water begins to ooze from them and a leak appears from under the protective shell.

The repair instructions in this case are as follows:

• Dismantle the hose.
• From the end where the leak was noticed, we shift the union nut so that a gasket and a metal or plastic sleeve appear.

• Next, move the outer shell and pull out the tube.

• If there is a crack at the fitting itself, we pry the sleeve with the gasket with a knife or screwdriver.

• The damaged section of the tube is cut off so that the cut edges are even.
• With some effort, we insert the sleeve and gasket into the cut tube.

• After that, we install the hose in its original place and check for leaks. If there are none, the repair is over.
• If the leak is not at the fitting itself, but, for example, in the middle of the hose, you will have to replace the inner tube. To do this, on both sides we disconnect the bushings with the gasket and completely remove the old tube.

Further, on the market we purchase a similar rubber product of the appropriate diameter and length. We push a new tube into a metal braid, insert bushings with gaskets from both ends and attach it to the watering can and to the mixer.

At the final stage, we check for leaks. If there are none, the repair can be considered completed.

Complete replacement

So, we figured out how to fix the shower hose, it remains to find out how to completely replace it.

Important: In some cases, it makes no sense to restore budget hoses, since many cracks form throughout the cheap tube during operation. If such a product is restored, it is likely that after a while you will find newly appeared leaks.

Not sure how to change the hose in the shower?

The technology is simple:

• unscrew the connector at the mixer;
• remove the watering can from the other end;
• we go to a plumbing store, where we purchase a product of a similar size in a higher price category;
• returning from the store, we assemble the entire system in the reverse order;
• after assembly, check for leaks.

Conclusion

Now that we know how to repair a shower hose, it is possible to carry out planned plumbing repairs on our own without the involvement of qualified professionals.

Are there any questions that need clarification? More useful information can be found by watching the video in this article.

Add site to bookmarks

• Kinds
• Choice
• Mounting
• Finishing
• Repair
• Installation
• Device
• Cleaning

Shower pipe repair

Repairs in an apartment usually affect all rooms. The bathroom is no exception, the work in it ends with the installation of plumbing in the shower. Often there are doubts when choosing these simple accessories. Since plumbing includes a faucet, faucet, watering can and shower hose. Frequent breakdowns make you call a specialist, but in some cases you can repair parts of the shower with your own hands. How to repair a shower?

Figure 1. After a breakdown, it is necessary to cut off the defective part of the hose.

Repair of a flexible pipe from the shower

At the moment, the quality of plumbing parts leaves much to be desired.

Cheap parts made in China are on sale. They often break down and need to be replaced. A similar shower hose has a low price. If you take it apart, you can see low-quality rubber that cracks and leaks after a few months of use. Surely, the manufacturer of a disposable hose earns by quickly replacing the manufactured product. But there is a problem with calling third-party specialists.

There is a way out of this situation. This is the purchase of good plumbing and the opportunity to fix the shower hose yourself. Repair is no tricky business. Let's see what's broken. In the case of a visible hole, everything is clear.

Need to disassemble first:

Figure 2. The notch on the flexible hose needs to be folded back.

1. Unscrew the shower head.
2. We take out the flexible part (rubber, silicone tube, flexible) and look for the part that needs to be repaired.
3. After finding the breakage, cut off this part (Fig. 1).
4. The fitting, removed from the broken part, we dress and fix it.
5. After that, we put on a shower head.

In order to put the tube on the fitting, you need to stretch the shower hose (put a pencil or stick of a larger diameter into it), when the nipple enters, fix it. It will be enough to heat with hot water from the tap or pour over with boiling water. The rubber will shrink and the mount will be strong.

This is how easy it is to repair a flexible shower pipe. But there are also nuances. In the event that you examined the part and did not find a breakdown in the form of a hole, but is still flowing, you should completely disassemble the shower. Such a shower repair will take more time and effort. The problem may be a bad inner tube, because poor quality rubber can crumble or burst in many places. In this case, it is better to replace the shower tube.

If you need a quick repair of the shower pipe for a short period of use, then it is possible to repair the hose with a soldered fitting (disposable). In this case:

1. We take the watering can.
2. We take out a flexible hose and cut off the broken part of the tube (everything, as in the previous case).
3. Next, make a small incision and bend the incised part. Then we wrap it with adhesive tape for plumbing work or glue it with plastic wrap (Fig. 2).
4. We dress and fasten the watering can for the shower and you're done.

This method is not a quality repair of your shower, but it is suitable for an emergency. The hose will still need to be changed.

Bath installation.

What should I do if I don't know how to install bathtubs? Options 2 - ask how, or come up with your own. I chose the second one. And I didn’t just like this option, but very much!

GO!

A frame is required for an acrylic or iron bath. I have thin-walled iron. I wanted plastic, and concrete, but did not have time. As I thought about this frame, it became so sick! Sales designs are somehow lousy and material-intensive. I limited myself to one pipe 20x40 under the edge and two levers.

Ceiling made of plastic panels

At the end of the repair, money was generally tight)))) I calculated that a rack "superchrome" on the ceiling of my bathroom would cost about 4000 re, but just from plastic panels 1.5 thousand. There is a noticeable difference, adnaka)) And the ceiling is not a warm floor - you can replace it later. I mean, I don't really like these panels at all. So, in fact, the question is: I’m going to make a frame from PPN and PP, just like for the GKL. Only water for panels: WHAT AND WITH WHAT STEP???

• 26 responses

Now we in the cities are doomed to counters of everything and everything. The freaking "craftsmen" immediately rushed to teach everyone to twist the water ones. And then a "typical scheme" for installing a water meter was born, including a valve that prevents manipulations with the device. Because of these valves, problems with the boilers began to creep in and groans and panicked cries rushed through the forums - "Akhtung! The pressure in the heating pad is growing! What should I do?" Without this valve, there would be no problems. And manufacturers and traders began to cash in on the so-called "security groups." But that's another topic...

• 37 responses

Hello brothers in repair! For a long time I didn’t write anything here, and in general I rarely began to come in, everything somehow lacked time: now drinking, now partying, and now a new “attack” has attacked me. But knowing that you, in spite of everything, stubbornly do not forget me, I decided not to be a piglet, and to tell you about my new hobby. I'll start from afar: almost all my conscious life I worked as an electronic engineer, moreover, an engineer-developer of electronic and electrical devices of the widest class and purpose, and at the same time purely in the defense industry. It is clear that the scope of my amateur radio interests was limited only by my laziness, there were simply no restrictions in radio components for me, I had EVERYTHING! Well, following the trends of the then amateur radio fashion, I mainly focus on radios and amplifiers, essno, on transistors and microcircuits. I haven’t been working in this area for a long time, and I threw everything into a landfill for a long time, but in my soul all this time a dream was glimmering - to make a tube power amplifier, and not simple, but such that everyone gasped. And I must say, at work, for most of my time, I dealt with electric vacuum devices, radio tubes, if in a simple way, so this topic was well known to me. And then there is this fashion for a "warm tube sound", for which people literally go crazy. In short, a year ago I decided to make my dream come true. I immediately decided: the mainstream, conventional tube amplifiers with an output transformer, are not interesting to me, this is not a royal business! Why not invent a TRANSFORMERless tube amplifier for me. Well, I had a good idea of ​​the difficulties along the way, and I had some of my own thoughts on this matter, but still I decided to consult with the radio amateurs. I found a suitable group on Facebook, started publishing in it myself, and somehow asked a question