Do I need to go outside and turn off the condo's water supply before changing the shower head and cord?

No... just make sure you're wearing roller skates and a very sharp knife

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Do you mean the hand shower head? Then just turn off tap and screw away. Suggest you use white plumbers tape when you attach the new head and don’t be shy to wrap the threads a few times.
If you meant water heater too the power and water OFF as there may or may not be separate water cut offs near the heater.


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If you just want to change the head and flexy tube no need to turn off the power or the water.

 

Unscrew the tube from the heater and screw the new one on.

 

Make sure the rubber washer is in place, do NOT use tape on the threads, the washer provides the seal.

On 9/14/2018 at 12:03 PM, grobec said:

Suggest you use white plumbers tape when you attach the new head and don’t be shy to wrap the threads a few times.

The shower lines are not conical but flat inside with a rubber gasket inside. Teflon tape on the threads does nothing but makes it harder to screw it tight.

 

Naturally, local somchais will put five rolls of tape on the threads, then take the crappiest wrench known to man and make sure the nut gets rounded. And it'll leak because the gasket isn't squeezed properly.

 

To original question, just turn off the water tap as usual and get a 21/23 open ended spanner and change the thing.

3 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

The shower lines are not conical but flat inside with a rubber gasket inside. Teflon tape on the threads does nothing but makes it harder to screw it tight.

 

Naturally, local somchais will put five rolls of tape on the threads, then take the crappiest wrench known to man and make sure the nut gets rounded. And it'll leak because the gasket isn't squeezed properly.

 

To original question, just turn off the water tap as usual and get a 21/23 open ended spanner and change the thing.

 

2 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

 

That looks like a conical thread. They achieve seal between the threads, the shower lines ar of different type, they seal with the rubber gasket inside the nut. I've seen conicals here, they are used in some tap types and have the matching brass side inside a blue pvc pipe. That's where you use the teflon tape.

 

These types are used in shower lines:

 

Never use tape where a rubber washer is used....Tape is for water supply fittings...

@DrTuner     is correct teflon tape will not seal the joint.

 

5 minutes ago, johng said:

@DrTuner     is correct teflon tape will not seal the joint.

 

Tape is for threads, hose stuff has a rubber washer...

when changing water line do not attempt to change light bulb at same time

As there is also a control for input water there would not be any need to turn main water off even to replace that hose.

 

I note shower is attached to right side of unit - all of my water heaters have output (shower) on the left side so hope it is attached right.  I do not have any unit that looks like that so probably the way it is made.  Also normally there would be a filter to remove sedimite on the feed hose line (on every unit I have owned).  

 

As said keep that teflon tape for when it is needed - taps and such -  never on hose type connection.  

If the photo in the OP is the unit, do yourself a favor and change the line between the tap and the heater as well. Looks fairly old and ugly and they're only a few hundred baht. 

My bad. Sorry, if type with the appropriate rubber washer then no tape required.



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