i'd love to know this myself. when i saw an add for the ceiling spout i thought that's got to be the worst idea anyone's every come up with. i can't imagine it wouldn't cause excessive splashing. i would love to be wrong though. it IS very cool!

if you can build it so that it falls onto a sloped surface, it just might work fine.

kohler seems to me to be a company interested in selling to nouveau riche millionaires, and to social climbers. Image is so important to them. That's what makes a pride-based sale. Buy your social status, buy Kohler.

Candice Olson used this in an episode 3 years ago and it sure looked good. If I can find a link to that episode, I will post back.

The guts of the system are set up so that the water comes out in a way call laminar flow The layers of water are closely parallel and it is the opposite of turbulent flow. It is supposed to flow from the spout as a clear column. Compare this to a standard bath filler, the water is not coming out in a round tube like form, its splashy

Some vanity faucets, particularly good ones for vessel sinks have a near laminar flow as well.

I also agree with aants about the Kohler, although they have products to compete with the luxury market, they are hardly a "luxury brand" They make plumbing supplies across the board.

Oh, forgot to mention that Kohler has a luxury brand in house now through their acquisition of Kallista and Ann Sacks.

i also agree with antss assessment of kohler. i do think they are trying to climb the social ladder however, simply by overcharging. seriously have you seen some of their pricing? you don't ALWAYS get what you pay for but for the most part a product should be built like a luxury item if it wants to BE a luxury item, no? i don't think kohler could possibly be invited to the same parties as perrin & rowe (and certainly not lefroy brooks) unless they crashed.

also funny how the most hoity toity of brands has very little advertising. they depend mostly on word of mouth by hoities to other toities.

Thanks for the responses - they were not anywhere as negative as I had anticipated. Generally with the more unusual products, one expects to hear they are more trouble then they are worth. Then again, everyone has a different idea of the value of aesthetics. There are those of us (many of whom are in these forums) who will willingly wipe up a bathroom floor for the thrill of watching a column of water fill the tub. What I want to avoid, however, are genuine annoyances such as hours of required labor or major flooding (I hate it when that happens!>
Re: status level of Kohler - it has products at all price points, most are beautifully designed and receive high ratings for performance.,Aaltho I haven't yet bought any of their products, I am always impressed with the company's innovation, advanced technology such as the laminar faucets, and use of unusual materials. When you consider these attributes across their huge range of products, it is unfair to claim unjustified prices I don't think there is anyone who pays manufacturer's sugg. price.anyway For style snobs such as myself, tho, there us none of the exclusivity that adds to the cachet of the boutique lines. And then there is the fact that Kohler lacks the European appeal - German engineering, Italian style.
I'm joking, of course, but I would be pretty embarrassed to admit all of the reasons behind some of my choices. . And last but certainly not least, is there anyone who does not smile at the very clever trompe l'oeiul magazine ads?
Back to the ceiling filler; unless I hear anything really different, it will remain on my shopping list. With me, tho, that is no guarantee that it will be the final selection.
Thanks for the advice, njhg

I'd like to add that it feels great standing under laminar flow spouts as the tub fills - and they don't splash much as the water flows down your body. I've used laminar-flow shower heads that yield a similar effect with easier/cheaper installation.

i don't have one, but would recommend doing a forum search. i remember someone posting about the water losing heat since it is falling from so far & exposed to air all the way down... plus i think they said it's hard to top-off your hot water if you are in the tub & it cools off a bit too much.

if the water falls into a whirlpool or airtub, most units will have a heater ...at least the bain ultra i'm looking at does. please buy this and let me come over to give it a whirl!

if the water falls into a whirlpool or airtub, most units will have a heater ...at least the bain ultra i'm looking at does. please buy this and let me come over to give it a whirl!

lee676, now you have intrigued me with your statement " I've used laminar-flow shower heads that yield a similar effect with easier/cheaper installation. " Please provide details! Like brand name of shower head, how much easier to install them (and how much cheaper too) and as for the details in your pictures ... is it the shower head or tub filler that you are using? Thanks in advance!

I've never understood the attraction other than as a conversation piece. And that would wear off pretty fast. With the extra plumbing costs/hassle, I could maybe buy one of those killer Perrin & Rowe tub fillers instead.

I lust for this one if anybody is wondering what to get me for my birthday....
{{gwi:1434313}}

Toad - there was a thread about this but the person was simply speculating. I believe the person was also overthinking a non exsistant problem.

Sure, a water stream cools off more falling from 8' than it does from 2' in a normal tub. Without precise measurements and complex calculations there's no good way to put a definitive # on the actual loss. One would also have to account for the extra cooling that a regular tub filler introduces simply by "adding" air to the water stream at the start to get a fair comparison. The Kohler water stream will also get cooler on the outer portion falling from 8' but it will also act as an insulator for the innermost water of the column. All of this pretty much makes the arguement moot because the water is still going to be hot enough when it reaches the tub in both cases.

You are simply going to set or adjust the water temp. to suit your prefs. for bathing based on what you feel coming out of the orifice whether it's a shower head, bodyspray, reg. tub filler. or a laminar fill spout. The ceiling mount makes it no harder to fill a tub to warm it up during a bath than a regular one, empty some water out , turn on more hot water, turn off.

I went to the plumbing store my contractor uses and the plumber said that he has installed these for a few free-standing tubs since they are WAY cheaper than the deck-mounted faucets. Many of the deck-mounted faucets are close to $1,200 retail. This one comes in at around $700-$800, which is fairly close to some of the other multi-headed/spraying handheld faucets that are by Hansgrohe and others.

It certainly has a "cool" factor to it....

@ashleysf

I recall it being one of the Grohe Relexa series, but it was a few years ago and it seems they've discontinued that particular model (it was the same size as the still-current Top 4 showerhead, but with a different nozzle hole pattern, with a large laminar flow opening in the center surrounded by more conventional small holes, with a selector switch). They still sell some handheld/bar-mounted showerheads that have the same basic feature, such as this one (28871):

There are probably other manufacturers that still have conventional showerheads with a laminar flow option - go to their websites and do a search on "laminar".

...or this one, which includes the complete hardware set

We have this by Kohler. Sure it's laminar flow, but not initially when you turn it on and if there are any changes in water pressure forget it. I have tried several times, replaced the cartridge, and I still have water all over the walls and floors. I will never listen to my contractors again! I have to wipe everywhere!

Jylu

Your problem isn't with the laminar flow fixture ! Your problem is with your choice of valve and or with your plumbing system's design.

Those fillers work just fine with a valve capable of a large flow rate and a supply line capable of supporting that flow. A 1/2 " line and a 4 gallon a minute valve isn't going to cut it. Further if your having pressure drops that affect the valve to a noticeable degree, you have a system design flaw, not a tub filler issue.

i have one installed recently, recommended by my designer. No one, meaning my general contractor nor plumber checked to make sure we had adequate water flow or tested it before enclosing the walls. It spashed water out of the high soaking tub and all over walls and floor. Kohler is no help. They suggested the smaller lower flow cartridge and sold me one for $90. (for a cheap piece of plastic). They pushed for a Kohler recommended plumber that was familair with the Laminar flow faucet. 20 minutes and $380 later, it still doesnt work properly. My only solution now is to rip it out and find something else. The wall repair and installation of something new will be another $1500. Thank you Kohler! You might think of publishing a warning before purchase.

xedos - what valve do you recommend? We are building and will put this in a bathroom. Kohler has 2 valves listed for this filler. A 1/2 Inch High-Flow Valve System (K-300-K) or a Devonshire 3/4 Inch High-Flow Valve System ( K-301-K). It would be great to get this right from the start. Thanks for you advice.

we installed one during our recent remodel in the wall after using one in an air bnb that worked perfectly. ours doesn't work well at all, the water doesn't make it into the bath but just dribbles onto the wall. I'm trying to figure out if we need a different valve, like the ones mentioned in this thread. as anyone successfully updated the valve and had it work like it should?

thanks

How to stop the dripping from the ceiling tub filler after the value is shut