my shower's gone rogue and sprays everywhere but down

Sometimes you need to dry everything off and look at it in good light—the cracks can be nearly invisible until water pressure finds them.

That’s spot on. I’ve found a flashlight helps too—shine it along the collar and those hairline cracks pop right out. One thing I’d add: if you’re swapping out the washer, make sure the new one actually fits snugly. Some of those generic packs are just a hair too thin and don’t seal right, which can cause weird sprays even if everything else looks fine. Out of curiosity, has anyone tried using Teflon tape on the threads for extra insurance, or does that just make things worse with plastic fittings?