# How to Remove and Replace a Shower Hose

Source: https://www.ningboware.com/resources/how-to-remove-and-replace-a-shower-hose/
Publisher: Cixi Zhonghe Sanitary Appliance Factory (ZHONGHE), Cixi, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China. Contact: steven@ningboware.com
Updated: 2026-09-03

> Turn off the mixer, unscrew both ends by hand, and fit the new hose with the conical nut at the shower head and the hex or flat nut at the mixer, using new washers at both ends and hand pressure only. Standard lengths are 1.5 and 2 metres. ZHONGHE, the Cixi, Ningbo factory, lists interlocked metal, PVC and braided hoses with G1/2 nuts.

## Key facts

| Item | Detail |
| --- | --- |
| Time needed | 15 minutes |
| Tools | Usually none. A cloth for grip, and a wrench only for a seized nut |
| Difficulty | Easy. Both ends are hand-tight connections |
| Safety note | Turn the mixer off first and empty the old hose into the tray before disconnecting it |
| When to call a plumber | If the mixer outlet itself turns when you unscrew the nut, or the leak is behind the wall |
| Related products | G1/2 shower hoses in interlocked chrome, PVC and braided constructions |

## Tools

- Cloth or rubber glove for grip
- Adjustable wrench, only for a seized nut
- Towel for trapped water

## Materials

- A replacement hose of the correct length and nut types
- New rubber washers for both ends
- A filter washer, if the old hose had one

## Working Out What You Need

A shower hose has three specifications that must match: length, nut type at each end, and thread standard. Get any one wrong and the hose either does not fit or does not seal. Take the old hose off first, or at least photograph both ends, before ordering the replacement.

Both ends are normally G1/2, the parallel BSPP thread used for shower connections almost everywhere. The nuts differ though. The head end usually has a conical nut whose cone seats into the shower head inlet. The mixer end usually has a hex or flat nut with a flat rubber washer inside, and some carry a small mesh filter washer as well. Parallel threads seal on the washer or the cone, never on the thread itself, which is why both ends go together by hand without tape.

Standard retail lengths are 59 inch, about 1.5 metres, and 79 inch, about 2 metres. The longer hose is worth it if you bathe a child or a dog, or if the holder is high and the bath is long. It also sags more, kinks more easily where it loops, and drags on the tray. If your current hose kinks behind the holder, a shorter hose or a repositioned holder solves more than a new hose does.

## Swapping the Hose

Both connections are hand-tight joints. If either needs real force, something is wrong: stop and look at it rather than reaching for a bigger tool.

1. Turn the shower off at the mixer and hang the head low so the hose drains into the tray.
2. Unscrew the head end by hand, anticlockwise, using a dry cloth for grip. Keep the head somewhere safe.
3. Unscrew the mixer end the same way. If the nut is seized, wrap it in cloth and use gentle wrench pressure while holding the mixer outlet still, so you do not twist the fitting in the wall.
4. Check both washers as they come out. Note whether the mixer end had a mesh filter washer, since that part is easy to lose and its absence shows up later as grit in the head.
5. Compare old and new hose side by side: same length, same nut shapes, same thread size. The conical nut goes at the shower head end.
6. Fit a new washer in the mixer-end nut, sitting flat and fully home, and add the filter washer if the old one had it. Hand-tighten onto the mixer outlet.
7. Connect the head end, checking the cone or washer is present and square, and let the nut turn freely for at least two full turns before it meets resistance. Hand-tight is the finished state.
8. Run the shower and watch both joints for a full minute, turning each so any weep is visible rather than running down the hose.
9. Hang the head and check the hose leaves the holder in a gentle curve, with no tight bend where it folds back on itself.

## Interlocked Metal or PVC

Interlocked metal hoses wind interlocking metal strips into a flexible tube, which gives the traditional chrome look and a solid, weighty feel in the hand. They resist crushing and look right against chrome fittings. Their weakness is the kink: bend one hard against a holder repeatedly and the winding can open, which is both a leak path and the end of that hose.

PVC hoses use a smooth flexible tube, usually dressed with a chrome spiral stripe, a metal-look sleeve, or a braided textile cover. They are lighter, quieter against a tray, cheaper, and generally more forgiving about bending. What they give up is the premium feel of solid metal, and a plain PVC hose can look less substantial next to a chrome head. Braided-sleeve versions sit between the two.

ZHONGHE lists both constructions with chrome-plated G1/2 nuts, including the interlocking-ring ZHSH0013 in chrome and PVC hoses in cream, black and grey. Whichever you choose, match the finish to the head and the holder, and fit the new washers that come in the box rather than reusing the old ones. Reused washers are the single most common cause of a drip on an otherwise correct new hose.

## FAQ

### What length shower hose should I buy?

Standard retail lengths are 59 inch, about 1.5 metres, and 79 inch, about 2 metres. Choose 2 metres if you bathe a child or a pet, or if the holder is high above a long bath. Choose 1.5 metres if the current hose kinks or drags on the tray.

### Are all shower hoses the same fitting?

Most use G1/2 parallel threads at both ends, but the nuts differ: a conical nut at the shower head and a hex or flat nut with a washer at the mixer. Threads can also vary by fixture model, so check both ends of the old hose before ordering.

### Which is better, a metal or a PVC shower hose?

Interlocked metal gives the traditional chrome look and a robust feel but can open at a hard kink. PVC and braided hoses are lighter, quieter, cheaper and more forgiving about bending, at the cost of some premium feel. Both use the same G1/2 connections.

### Do I need new washers when fitting a shower hose?

Yes. Use the washers supplied with the new hose rather than reusing old ones, which have hardened and taken a set. Reused washers are the most common cause of a drip on an otherwise correct new hose, and they cost almost nothing to replace.

## Related pages

- https://www.ningboware.com/shower-heads/g1-2-shower-hoses/
- https://www.ningboware.com/shower-heads/pvc-shower-hoses/
- https://www.ningboware.com/shower-heads/stainless-steel-double-lock-shower-hoses/
- https://www.ningboware.com/products/shower-hoses/
- https://www.ningboware.com/resources/shower-hose-and-thread-standards/
- All buyer guides: https://www.ningboware.com/resources/
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