Air jet tubs and rainhead showers????

11 years ago

We're doing an emergency bathroom remodel due to a leaking toilet while we were on vacation. Seeing as this was not planned, we don't have too much money for upgrades as insurance will pay to replace.

Our budget will be $10 000 for upgrades.

So far we will keep out Toto toilet and the shower pan. Everything else that was on the floor has to go.

So far we are contemplating an air jet tub, either the BainUltra Amma or the Neptune Revelation. We had a soaker tub which we used daily. We'd like a tub big enough for two. Are air jets worth the extra money? Anyone have one of the tubs with micro bubbles? Do you like that better than air, do you have both, which do you prefer. I am germophobic so bath must be easy to keep clean so that puts whirlpool and channel air systems out of the question.

In the shower we were considering just a hand held shower on a rod and three jets. Friends have said that we should have a shower head and have recommended a rainhead. Looks like these are too gentle to rinse my thick long hair. Wondering if it's worth the $1000 outlay now to offset possible resale value. We do plan to be in the house at least 6 more years.

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Comments (4)

mydreamhome
11 years ago
Mom has Bain Ultra Meridian with air jets. She and Dad love it. It gives a nice therapeutic massage. It also has a dual dry cycle to help ensure there is no water in the air holes after the water has drained from the tub. The Amma is similar to their Meridian except it has those "integrated seats" in it. I really like the look of the Amma myself.

On the other hand, I prefer a gentler air bubble bathing experience. We have the Kohler Purist with the effervescence feature (micro bubbles). It's exactly like what I imagined sitting in a tub full of champagne would feel like--soft, relaxing, caressing bubbles. Definitely more my speed.

What does your shower layout look like? We have a regular showerhead, a handheld with multiple settings on a slide bar and a ceiling mount rainhead. We occasionally use the rainhead. With the way we placed the handheld and the main showerhead, we can achieve a very similar experience to the jets. Jets can be very costly, require plenty of water pressure (no running the dishwasher, washing machine or any other baths) while running those jets, and once installed many people use them for the first couple months and then stop. I would really do some serious thinking on the jets--unless you're in a super upscale neighborhood where the houses are all relatively new and have all the latest gadgets, no buyer will expect the jets. However, I do think buyers will expect a shower head and not just a handheld.

Hope this helps!
loves2cook4six
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks mydreamhome. We are going to go tomorrow to the Kohler store and look at the Purist.

Our shower is not large but definitely not small either. it's about 4' wide and 3' deep. Part of the width is 12" of the tub deck which creates a seat in the shower. I only shower to get clean and wash my hair otherwise I'm a tub girl through and through. DH on the other hand loved the jets he used on a recent hotel stay. The shower is not big enough for two people to use. DH thinks we would be fine with just the hand held shower spray mounted high enough and the jets.

We live in a nice neighborhood. In our town it is in the top 25% of "niceness" but we are close to a big city and if you take in the neighboring towns we are probably very middle of the road. Some of my friends and neighbors who have remodeled bathrooms have done jets, steam and rainhead showers etc and others haven't. Some have even taken out tubs all together. As I told dh, I wouldn't even consider buying a house without a soaker tub at the very least in the MB but I've heard others who wouldn't mind.

I guess we're still trying to figure out if we need an additional fixed shower head or not.
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Ginny, I have recently invested in an Aquatic Airjet Serenity 2, but it is not yet installed. The most that I can personally tell you is that my contractor guys sat it out on the patio to test it for leaks, and we all stood around smiling watching the 'effervescent bubbles' fizz. It passed the leak test and "it works!" test with flying colors. I took pictures ... it was a milestone in my remodel... something worked! Just kidding. :) I will tell you what the friend who recommended Aquatic to me said however. She loves it. Said the bubbles sensation from an Airjet are amazing, very relaxing. I have heard that the blower on an Aquatic is fairly quiet; that the water bubbling makes a greater sound than the blower. Also the '600 Watt Air Heating System' that comes with the product insures that you feel only WARM air entering the tub. Someone who has another product posted that the air entering her tub was cold and she would have preferred not feeling that sensation. However, important to me was not having to be concerned about bacteria from water circulating through the tubes that sometimes occurs with a hydro jetted tub. Although there are cleansing tablets that you can use to clean a jetted tub, I did not want to have to remember to do that. Airjets only use a blower to blow air into the tub, causing the "champagne bubbles" and then after use, a blower comes on to 'dry out' the system. In your case, you would like a hydro-massage, as well. I have heard only good reports about Aquatic, which is why I puchased, and the Infinity Series offers both. I don't think the cleansing issue is a big deal for conscientious people, I just don't want to be conscientious anymore. :) In another month, I hope to be able to give you a personal recommendation. In the meantime, Ted at the link below (Olde Tyme Hardware) is very knowlegeable about Aquatic and other brands. He has very good pricing, as well. Best of Luck.
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Hi Raehelen , as you might want to know , I am not done with my MB Reno yet . The so called GC and his workers managed to do wrong or damage what was done right in everything in the bathroom . I don't want to start this conversation on this thread . I just want to let you know that I placed my tub filler on the tub deck itself so I won't drill in my marble . I placed it on the side along the wall . This makes using the handheld shower easier from both sides . I will post a picture for you tomorrow . I am not an expert , but I think that all the tub faucets are called tub fillers . I can't tell you anything about using the air tub since I didn't use it yet because my .... GC did not connect my controller to the motor and they closed in front of the tub with a solid wood panel . ( this is one thing of the things done wrong )
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If you have hard water, you may wind up getting calcium and lime buildup. However, it's easy to clean with CLR and a toothpick. If they start to act funky or spray weird or not spray at all, then put some CLR in the bottom with some hot water. Let it sit for about 10 minutes, then drain the tub, then turn the water and jets back on and they should work well again. The ones that don't just poke with a toothpick or a stick pin and the calcium will come right out. You can do the same thing with shower heads.
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Look up Oceania Legende it is part of their elegance series. I know someone who has this and it is an awesome product as this air system does NOT allow any water to remain inside once it drains (yuk) like some of the others do AND stays about twenty percent hotter. It is also very quiet. I have researched this as I had to order mine a week ago. It is a beautiful tub!
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treasuretheday
11 years ago
I'd put in a regular showerhead also. In my experience, a handheld showerhead just doesn't seem to maximize available water pressure unless it is turned on to one of the massage settings. Fixed showerheads are pretty inexpensive in the scheme of things. As I think back on my 10 years of selling homes in my community, buyers do anticipate a fixed showerhead in a shower that is separate from the tub. Body sprays, on the otherhand, would for most people be a bonus that they may or may not see themselves using.
deedles
11 years ago
We're putting in a fixed shower head and a handheld sprayer, would that work for you?

Love airtubs. First had a Sanijet, now have a Vitabath and next one is a Kohler Archer airtub. Haven't gotten to sit in that one yet but I'm looking forward to it. I think they're worth the money but that's just me. Some people really like to just soak in peace and quiet.

Air jet tubs and rainhead showers????

Comments (4)

mydreamhome

loves2cook4six
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Air jet tubs and rainhead showers????

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mydreamhome

loves2cook4sixOriginal Author

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deedles

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loves2cook4six
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