How To Fix A Leaking Shower-head

Do you all remember the last time J attempted a plumbing project? Haha, it wasn't exactly pretty;) 

Luckily this time went a little better! We had a super leaky shower-head, and J really wanted to see if he could tackle it himself. Between him remembering how the repair man fixed it last time, and him going on Youtube finding some helpful videos..HE DID IT!! And he did it without drenching himself or the bathroom! Success!

When a shower head is leaking it is not the actual shower head but the pressure balance cartridge that regulates the water.  So J set out to replace it.  First turned off the water to the house and drained the pipes by running the faucet and shower.  This is the step he forgot last time :)

Next, he removed the shower handle (tiny screw underneath) and circular base that hides the pressure balance. Lets ignore the hideous ring of crap from where it was:

 Next he removed the four screws that holds the balance in place.

 He unscrewed it and popped it out:

 Next it was off to ACE to get the correct part.  Each shower is different and takes the specific brand, so he made sure he knew which brand we had (Price Pfister) prior to heading to the store. If you are not sure, you can always just bring your part to the store and they will tell you what you need.  The part itself was around $45, not cheap but definitely cheaper than calling a plumber or using our home warranty, which has a $75 deductible.

 J attached the small nozzle extender (technical term ;))

Then inserted the pressure cartridge in the shower and secured and tightened it in place using the screws he removed earlier.

 Last steps were to re-install the base plate and handle:

 And then turn the water back on.  When he turned the water back on he made sure to have the sink faucet in the on position to let any air out.

This time his plumbing project went far better than last time. Yet, I prefer the fun we had when he was screaming from the shower while being pummeled by a water stream :) I think Braylen would have found it humorous as well!

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