Had a similar headache a few months back.
That was the culprit for me too—looked totally normal until I pulled it off and rolled it on the counter. Tiny bend, but enough to make sealing impossible.“I had one that looked fine but was actually bent just enough to mess up the connection.”
I’ve mostly used metal heads, but even those can get weird leaks if there’s old mineral buildup inside. Ever try soaking the whole thing in vinegar? Sometimes it’s not the seal, just gunk redirecting the spray. Water pressure here is pretty high, so even a small flaw turns into a full-on sprinkler situation.
Yeah, I’ve run into that too—sometimes it’s not even the head, but the threads on the pipe get a little wonky or have old tape gunked up in there. Vinegar’s great, but I’ve had to use a toothbrush to really get the crud out. High pressure just makes every little flaw a disaster, doesn’t it?
You nailed it—high pressure just finds every weakness, doesn’t it? Had one last month where the tiniest bit of old teflon tape stuck in the threads made the spray shoot sideways. Ended up taking the whole thing off and running a pick through the threads. Ever tried using plumber’s grease on the threads after cleaning? Sometimes that helps keep things sealed, especially if you’re dealing with older fittings.
Funny enough, plumber’s grease never did much for me—maybe I’m just unlucky, but it always seemed to make things a bit too slippery and I’d end up overtightening. I swear by a careful wrap of fresh teflon tape, just not too much. Learned that the hard way after cracking an old brass fitting once... those repairs add up.
I totally get what you mean about plumber’s grease—tried it once and ended up with a slippery mess, plus I was paranoid about overtightening too. Teflon tape’s been my go-to as well, but I learned the hard way that more isn’t always better. Wrapped a shower arm like a mummy and it leaked worse than before... turns out, just a couple of neat wraps do the trick.
If your shower’s spraying everywhere, have you checked the washer or the threads where the head connects? Sometimes old tape or gunk builds up and messes with the seal. I took mine apart last month and found a chunk of old tape jammed in there—once I cleaned it out and used fresh tape (just enough to cover the threads), it sealed up perfectly. Might be worth a shot before replacing anything expensive. Those little fixes can save a lot of hassle down the line.
