Had a similar mess once—thought I’d save time with one of those “fix-all” tapes, but it just made the leak migrate further up the pipe. Ended up with water spraying out of the wall like a busted fire hydrant. Sometimes the old ways really are best. Did you check if there’s any old teflon tape gunked up in the threads? That’s tripped me up before, especially if someone went heavy-handed on it.
I get the frustration with those tapes, but honestly, I’ve had mixed results with the “old ways” too. Sometimes pipe dope works better than teflon tape, especially if the threads are a bit worn or corroded. Too much tape can definitely cause more harm than good, but I’ve also seen leaks from not enough. It’s a balancing act... and sometimes it just comes down to replacing a section entirely if it’s too far gone.
Had a similar thing happen last winter—shower head spraying like a busted sprinkler, water shooting everywhere but down. I hear you about the balancing act with tape and dope.
One trick I found: after removing the head, I cleaned the threads with an old toothbrush and a bit of vinegar to get rid of gunk and corrosion. Then just a couple wraps of tape—no more than two turns, really pressing it into the grooves. If the threads are chewed up, sometimes pipe dope fills gaps better, but honestly, if it still leaks or sprays weird, the fitting might just be too far gone. Sometimes you gotta bite the bullet and swap out the arm or head. It’s not always the tape’s fault...“Too much tape can definitely cause more harm than good, but I’ve also seen leaks from not enough.”