The Shower Doctor Surgery: How to replace a shower brac

When it comes to shower maintenance, one of the more common jobs you are likely to have to carry out is the replacement of your shower head holder.

This is especially the case if you have a plastic bracket, as the material can harden and therefore become brittle over the years, making it prone to cracking and splitting. However, it isn't one of those jobs you should put off - as if the bracket is unable to hold your shower head, it can result in quite an uncomfortable shower experience!

We stock a wide range of these for all of the leading manufacturers, and if you can't find the slider bracket for your particular model then we also offer universal shower head holders. Check our slider bracket selection here.

Before you order, make sure you know the diameter of your rail that the bracket will sit upon. This is normally 18, 19, 22 or 25 mm, but with such a small margin for error, make sure you take your measurements very carefully - we have a helpful YouTube video guide showing how to best approach measuring your rail. It can be quite hard to judge this depending on the design of your shower setup, so take your time to double-check your notes.

Different types of shower rails
Shower rails come in multiple shapes as well as diameters. Make sure your replacement bracket matches.

 

So once you've had your new bracket delivered, how do you go about fitting it yourself?

First, remove either the top or bottom bracket that attaches the rail to the wall. It doesn't matter which one, although you may find that the screws in one are looser than the other. Ultimately, just go for the bracket that makes your life easier.

To access the fixing screw, you'll have to remove the cover. The method of taking this off will depend entirely on your model, although they are all reasonably similar and can be either twisted or pulled off, or prised off using a small screwdriver or your fingernails. Not every design makes it obvious as to how you can get to the screws and sometimes you may have to be a bit forceful - just make sure you're not applying pressure in the wrong area as this could cause it to snap.

Shower rail brackets from different manufacturers.
Fixing screw cover placement on a rail bracket can vary from obvious to tricky. You may need to use a screwdriver and a bit of force to pull yours off.

 

Unscrew the holding bracket - making sure not to lose the screws down your plughole - and then proceed to slide off the shower head holding bracket. To do this, you need to remove the shower head and hose itself first.

When it comes to putting the new bracket on, it's important to check you've got it the right way up before attaching it to the rail. This can be done by trying to insert the hose through the holder's hole. If you can do this, then you know you've got it right! If you don't do this now it can cause a bit of a headache if you've got it wrong after you've secured the rail back to the wall, as the only way to correct it will be to effectively unscrew everything and start again.

Once your happy everything is as it should be, slide the bracket back on and reattach the wall bracket, re-inserting the screw into the existing hole in the wall and tightening it up. Refit the cap (sometimes there is a lock on the cap that will click into place) and move the shower head holder up to the desired height, before re-fitting the hose and head.

Job complete! If you'd like to see this being done, take a look at our full video below. If you need some advice on anything shower related, make sure to get in touch with our customer service team.

Full video:

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