What Adapter For
Your answer

Garden hose to shower head adapter

To put a shower head on the end of a garden hose, or straight on an outdoor faucet, use a 3/4" FHT x 1/2" MIP brass adapter. It screws onto the hose or the faucet, and the shower head screws onto the adapter.

Male hose thread, as on a spigot spout, a washing machine valve or the far end of a hose

Female pipe thread (FIP) that takes a 1/2" pipe thread, 0.84" across

What fits

3/4" FHT x 1/2" MIP adapter

On the package: 3/4 in. FHT x 1/2 in. MIP

female hose thread x male pipe thread, brass

Available on Amazon

3/4" FHT x 1/2" MIP brass adapter

As an Amazon Associate, What Adapter For earns from qualifying purchases.

  • One end takes your outdoor faucet or hose male end, and the other screws into the fitting.
  • Turn the spigot off first.
  • On the adapter’s pipe thread, use tape only if your shower head’s instructions call for it. Don’t tape the hose end. It seals with its rubber washer.

Hose thread is about 1-1/16" across and 1/2" pipe thread is 0.840", so one can’t screw onto the other.

More: Hose thread vs pipe thread

The shower head’s thread

In the US and Canada, a shower arm has 1/2" pipe thread on the outside. Kohler’s K-7397 arm is 1/2"-14 NPT at both ends, and Moen and Delta label their heads’ connection 1/2" IPS or standard 1/2" pipe. The head screws onto the arm, so its inlet takes a 1/2" male pipe thread.

Shower head makers disagree on tape. Moen’s instructions wrap the shower arm with thread seal tape, Delta’s sheet for one of its heads says tape can cause product failure, and Waterpik tapes metal connections only. The adapter’s male thread takes the arm’s place.

In the UK, Australia and New Zealand, shower heads use 1/2" BSP instead. See shower head thread size.

Common questions

What if the hose end has threads inside?

3/4" MHT x 1/2" MIP adapter. One end takes your hose, and the other screws into the fitting.

How do I connect a garden hose to a shower arm?

3/4" MHT x 1/2" FIP adapter. One end takes your hose, and the other screws onto the pipe.

Keep going

Shower head thread sizeGarden hose to 1/2" pipeHose thread vs pipe threadGarden hose fitting sizeConnect two garden hosesGarden hose to 3/4" pipeGarden hose to drip irrigation

For a different part on either end, open the adapter finder with this pair picked.

Where we get our information from

The sizes on this page come from published standards and the makers’ own documents. Checked against published data from Swagelok, National Bureau of Standards, Dixon Valve, Anderson Metals and Boshart Industries (plus 8 more).

See all 14 sources
  • National Bureau of Standards, Handbook H28 (1957) Part II: Table VII.2 (American Standard taper pipe threads, NPT) and Tables X.1–X.3 (hose coupling threads, NH)
  • Dixon Valve, Technical Information: Identifying Threads and Thread Dimensions (2009 catalog)
  • Swagelok, Thread and End Connection Identification Guide (MS-13-77)
  • Anderson Metals and BrassCraft brass hose adapter listings (FHT x MIP, MHT x FIP and related)
  • Swagelok, Thread Sealants catalog (MS-14-01): PTFE tape, how to apply
  • Boshart Industries, “How to Apply PTFE Thread Seal Tape”
  • Kohler, shower arm and showerhead spec sheets, US/CA (K-7397, K-45411, K-14519): 1/2"-14 NPT
  • Moen, showerhead and handshower spec and instruction sheets (218W0, 26100, 8349, INS2033A): 1/2" IPS, 1/2" NPSM, thread seal tape
  • Delta, shower arm RP6023, showerhead spec DSP-B-52638 and installation sheet 68603: 1/2" IPS, washer, no tape
  • Bristan, fixed shower head and shower arm fitting instructions: 1/2" BSP, hand tight, sealing washer
  • Mira Showers, Mira Select installation guide, shower hose fitting help and 1540.274/1540.275 hose sheet: 1/2" BSP, washer, hand tight
  • Enware, shower rose installation instructions: 1/2" BSP (15 mm), G1/2
  • Methven, Aio Aurajet overhead shower technical guide: 1/2" BSP female
  • Waterpik, hand held shower head instruction manuals: pipe tape on metal connections only

General guidance from manufacturer and standards data. Parts vary by brand, so check the size printed on the package against what you measured. For gas lines or anything inside a wall, use a licensed plumber.