Descaling a shower head
General advice
- If water is not coming out of all the holes in your shower head, it is probably because limescale is building up. Try rubbing the surface to remove any limescale on the outside. If this doesn’t solve the problem, you may need to descale the inside. See What to do below.
- To keep your shower working properly, you need to prevent the build-up of scale. All our tenants live in hard-water areas so you should clean out and descale your shower heads regularly.
- Do not use strong or rough cleaning products as these can damage the plastic fittings.
You need
- Descaling agent (available from most hardware stores) or white vinegar.
- Screwdriver.
- Small brush (nailbrush).
What to do
- Unscrew the head of the shower from the hose. This may be quite stiff. Make sure you do not lose the rubber washer which sits in the hose fitting.
- If it is possible, unscrew the rose attachment from the shower head. There may be a retaining screw in the centre of the rose.
- Soak the parts in the descaling agent or white vinegar overnight. When soaking is complete, rinse them thoroughly.
- Reassemble the parts, checking that the rubber washer for the hose is in place. This seals the joint and prevents it leaking.
