Unscrew stuck shower head with circular section

Question

<rant> Why are shower heads made with a circular outer section that's nigh impossible to unscrew once they get stuck with years' worth of deposits,

PS: pardon my frustration and inadequate vocabulary; coming from Belgium, I'm somewhat disappointed with construction and fixture quality in California.

instead of having a few flat faces so regular adjustable wrenches can be used?

</rant>

Anyway, what are alternatives to Vise Grip pliers or pipe wrenches for unscrewing the regular stuck round shower head pipe from the shower arm? I've tried pliers and adjustable wrenches, but obviously they slip (the ridges are a joke and the picture shows how weak the metal is). WD-40 didn't help.

Answer 1

WD40 may not be the best solvent for the job. A solvent that's made mainly to loosen screws, like Liquid Wrench or B'Laster, may work better, but they also might not work too well against the residues that build up on plumbing.

Soaking the head in a cleaner made to dissolve calcium, lime, and rust, like CLR, or vinegar, with this trick (saw it on Lifehacker)

may loosen things that the others don't. You fill a bag with cleaner and tape it onto the showerhead to let it soak.

You can grab the pipe with whatever wrench is handy, but the right wrench will grab more securely. A pipe wrench

will grab it for sure, but it will bite into the metal and leave a visible mark.

A strap wrench

will grab without marring, but the surface needs to be dry and clean - any wd40 residue would need to be cleaned off.

There are some cheap rubber strap wrenches available

Both types, strap wrenches and pipe wrenches only work in one direction - you'll figure out which way, just be aware of that.

Answer 2

Wrap the head in a rag, and then apply the vise-grip or channel locks as tight as you can get them. Make sure you've got a good bit of material between the pipe and the pliers; if you're using an old T-shirt you'll want to fold it a couple of times. The rag will compress when the pliers squeeze and will give it more surface area to grab than using just the pliers, and will also prevent the pliers from slipping off due to the softer metal of the pipe giving way to the hardened tool.