How to Install a Wall Mounted Shower Arm

Having a rusty and not fully functional shower head definitely is annoying. No one likes to spend an hour inside a shower cabin just to take a shower because their shower head is not operating well.

And, replacing a shower head is not always a solution for this kind of problem. In some cases, you will need to install a wall mounted shower arm inside your bathroom. This type of shower head is quite convenient for quick baths and they usually run under a lot of pressure.

But, the best part about that is exactly the installation process. With a little bit of effort and the right kind of tools, you’ll easily finish this task and have a nice wall mounted shower inside your bathtub or cabin.

Without further ado, let’s begin.

Prepare for the Shower Arm Installation First

Like in every other job, preparing for this one also requires you to muster a few tools. Also, there are a couple of things that you need to do as well. But, let’s see a bit closely exactly what we need to do.

1. Get Your Equipment 

The most important thing to have while installing a wall mounted shower arm is the proper set of equipment. Now, you can muster a lot of tools for this job, but, the essentials are:

• Plumber’s tape
• Adjustable Wrench
• Towels
• Paper Towels

As you can see, these items are quite easy to find since they are present in almost every household. So, with that being said, it’s time to move to the next step.

2. Turn the Faucet Off

Turning off the faucet is actually quite important if you plan on installing a mounted shower arm. It’s obvious that you don’t want the water to run through the pipes while you are connecting a new shower arm, but, it definitely needs to be mentioned.

3. Prepare the area around you

Now, for this step, you will need to prepare the area for work. This means that you need to place towels in certain places where you think you need them.

Also, keep in mind to always have one dry towel by your hand, so, don’t use all the towels. Anyhow, this step is usually done ‘’by heart’’ since there are a different type of bathrooms.

4. Remove Previously Installed Shower Arm 

In case you have previously installed shower arm that’s not functioning properly, you need to remove it from the pipeline. This way, you can attach a new 6 inches long steel pipe shower arm on the water supply pipe.

On the other hand, if you want to install the shower arm for the first time, then we suggest you follow these next steps thoroughly and with patience.

How to Install a Wall Mounted Shower Arm

Now, in order to mount a shower arm properly, you need to follow these few steps and see how it’s done. In that light, let’s begin.

Step 1 – Locate the ‘’Female’’ Fitting

In order to locate the female fitting, you first must find a tub valve. Now, the tub valve is usually located behind the wall in just above the bathtub faucet. So, if you located the valve, you will then see that there’s a vertical water supply line that goes through the wall.

Next, you will want to find a proper spot for your shower arm to be installed. Once you find the perfect spot, you need to cut the drywall and find the vertical water supply line. There, you will see a female fitting.

But, once you start cutting the drywall with a saw, make sure not to cut or damage the pipes. Also, be sure to cut a big portion of the wall since you will need as much space as you possibly can get to install a new shower arm.

Step 2 – Use Plumbing Tape to Secure the Shower Arm

Once you made a hole in the wall, and once you located the female fitting, it’s time to use a bit of plumbing tape.

Simply put, wrap the plumbing tape on the shower arm on both ends. This way, you will make sure that the newly installed shower arm is properly attached to the main water supply line.

Also, this is quite helpful when it comes to the next step where you need to insert the shower arm into the hole on the wall.

Step 3 – Insert Shower Arm through the Hole

As we already said, this step is a bit tricky, and, that’s only because you need to properly insert and later attach the shower arm on the vertical pipe with a female fitting. So, you need to start with the inserting of the shower arm in the hole.

Next, you need to find the fitting and start mounting the shower arm onto the fitting. Once you do that, it will be easy to tighten it up. Use your muscles for this part, and, tighten the shower arm as much as you can by hand.

After that, you can use a wrench to tighten it a bit more. But, make sure to use a rug and wrap it around the shower arm attachment part first, this way you will not scratch it or damage it.

Step 4 – Mount a proper Shower Head on the Arm

After everything you’ve done, you're only left to find a decent shower head and mount it on the arm. You can choose from a variety of models and find the right one.

• Best Handheld Shower Head for Low Water Pressure
• Best Magnetic Shower Head
• Best Rain Shower Head with Handheld
• Best Water Saving Shower Heads

The mounting part is easy, you just need to attach the shower head on the shower arm and tighten it up by hand.

Also, make sure to do this step properly, since there might be leaks if you don’t tighten everything up.

Step 5 – Run water and check for leaks 

The final thing to do here is to run water through the shower arm and a shower head to see if there are any leaks.

If you see water coming out of the places where two parts are connecting, then you need to tighten it more.

But, make sure not to use too much force since you can damage the plumbing that way.

Conclusion: Installing a Wall Mounted Shower Arm

There you go! Installing and mounting of the shower arm isn’t that hard after all. With a little help from this guide and a proper set of tools, you will be able to do this without any complications.

Make sure to follow every step in a given order and to be careful when you handle these tools. That way, you will easily install a mounted shower arm. If you need some assistance, click the banner below.