Can you wrench a shower arm past a dry fit position to align it?
When installing a shower arm with tape and pipe dope, forcing the fitting past a partial dry-fit position risks thread damage or leaks. People worry about how many degrees they can safely turn the threads once finger tight to get the arm to point straight down.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Switching to a standard 90-degree elbow so the shower arm drops straight down from the ceiling.
- 2Turning the shower arm 180 degrees so it angles downward
- 3Hiring a plumber or handyman to do the work
- 4Asking the landlord to fix it if renting
- 5Using a 1/2 brass coupling with tape and dope
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Having a problem that I’ve never had before with a detachable shower head (pic 1).”source ↗
“Once I add tape and dope, can I wrench this around to hit 6 o'clock safely, or is forcing a 45-degree fitting like that a bad idea?”source ↗
“Basically what I want to know if there enough wiggle room once it’s finger tight can you go an additional 180 or even 360° with the threads before thread damage.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 9How to fix an off-center toilet drain during a remodel
- 14How to fix a stripped or jammed shower handle
- 2Can you put a 4-inch faucet on an 8-inch sink?
- 2How to keep a tub spout drop ear from wiggling
- 4How to connect a sink drain to existing glued PVC pipes
- 2How to install a vanity over floor pipes in a tight space