Good tip about the cloth wrap—metal wrenches on plastic fittings can be a recipe for disaster. Ever tried one of those rubber strap wrenches instead? They're pretty gentle on plastic and give decent grip without scratching. And yeah, washers are sneaky little things... had one that looked fine at first glance but was actually cracked just enough to cause chaos. Glad you got yours sorted without too much drama. Water spraying everywhere indoors is never a good time, haha.
Great suggestion about the rubber strap wrench—I recently picked one up myself after a near-disaster with a plastic fitting. Metal wrenches can be deceptively harsh, even when you're trying to be careful. Learned that lesson the hard way when I cracked a fitting on my kitchen faucet... not a fun afternoon.
And washers really are sneaky little troublemakers. I had one that looked perfectly fine until I held it up to the light and saw a tiny hairline crack. Took me forever to figure out why water kept dripping no matter how tight everything was. Glad your issue got sorted without flooding your bathroom or anything drastic—water spraying everywhere indoors is definitely not the homeowner initiation ceremony anyone wants, haha.
"Metal wrenches can be deceptively harsh, even when you're trying to be careful."
Yeah, learned that one myself recently. Thought I was being gentle enough with a metal wrench on my showerhead, but ended up scratching the finish pretty badly. Rookie mistake, I guess...
Anyway, about your shower spraying everywhere—have you checked the showerhead itself for mineral buildup? Mine started spraying in random directions too, and it turned out to be calcium deposits clogging some of the holes. Soaking it overnight in vinegar did wonders. Might save you from having to replace anything or mess around with washers again.
"Soaking it overnight in vinegar did wonders."
Vinegar's great for mineral deposits, but honestly, sometimes those showerheads just have a mind of their own. I soaked mine twice and still ended up with random jets hitting me in the face. Eventually gave up and replaced it entirely—best 20 bucks I've spent lately. Also, wrapping a cloth around the wrench next time might spare your finish...lesson learned the hard way here too.
Totally agree vinegar can work wonders, but sometimes the showerhead's just past saving. If you're feeling adventurous, here's a quick plumber-approved tip: after soaking, grab an old toothbrush and gently scrub around each nozzle—sometimes stubborn buildup needs a little extra persuasion. If that doesn't do it, replacing the showerhead really isn't too tricky. Just remember: lefty loosey, righty tighty...and yeah, cloth around the wrench is your friend if you like your fixtures scratch-free. Learned that one myself after a few "oops" moments.
