How to seal shower outlet hole?

While replacing the shower head, it got me thinking if the hole on tile for shower outlet should be silicone or not?

At the moment it's not, would it be better to seal the tile hole in case the new shower arm doesn't get a good seal?

Probably less of an issue for this kind when the shower head can be moved to a point lower than the outlet.

But this kind seems can hold a fair bit of water in the arm to back flow.

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MitchellMc

Hi @fix,

Showerheads connect to the copper pipe in the wall using plumber’s tape, so there’s no risk of water leaking back through that connection. However, splashed water can sometimes creep behind the mounting fitting and through the small gap between the tiles and the pipe.

You can certainly apply a bead of silicone around the copper fitting where it meets the tiles to seal that gap. Just make sure you don’t get any silicone on the threaded section of the copper pipe, as that could interfere with attaching the shower arm.

In short, there’s no risk of water leaking from inside the showerhead into the wall, but sealing around the hole helps prevent water from splashing in from the outside. That’s why you’ll often see silicone used around lower shower fittings like mixer handles, and there’s no harm in doing the same here. Just make sure you use a wet-area silicone.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

fix

Makes sense, thank you.

fix

On the topic of plumber’s tape, how many rounds do you reckon are required in shower head application?

Online search says 3-4, sound about right?

MitchellMc

That would about do it @fix. I'd go for four rotations. Sometimes you find the showerhead tightens at the wrong position, so you either need to add or remove a rotation.

Mitchell

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