quick need shower head help
Hi all,
I have this shower system installed in my new home:
The invoice from the plumbing supplier says this:
"this is an exposed diverter with head and handheld all in one please look at specs before plumbing."
I pointed this out to my GC.
The shower system above is installed so that the rain head is too low (in my opinion). The rain head is at 6'6" (per my GC, but I say 6'4"). My husband is 6' tall.
I'm arguing with my GC now on this because they've drilled this through my full-mud shower now so it can't be moved. There is a height extension piece available for 6" additional. I thought I was being really nice by offering they use this instead of pulling off all of the tile and re-doing the whole setup. I think they should pay for this height extension and he says I have to pay for it because I want the shower head in an unusually tall position.
I need to get out there and measure it exactly tonight but I'm really bothered by the fact that my husband will be so close to the shower head. The point of a rain shower is to have the water fall over you in a luxurious way so it does not make sense to have it so close to the head.
I imagined it would be like this:
Instead, the reality is it looks like this where if I move the hand shower up the bar high enough to use it as a regular shower head (which was my intention!) with the rain shower as an option, the rain shower head gets in the way and the water sprays everywhere.
For the record, the diverter is here and since this is a retrofit kit shouldn't that be at 74-78" where a shower head would have been in the wall prior to a retrofit?
cross-posting in bathrooms / plumbing...
Comments (13)
Rachel (Zone 7A + wind)
8 years agoRelated Discussions
Visiting from 'kitchens' but now need quick shower faucet help
Comments (6)I am of record as a fan of Grohe(thats different from Hansgrohe). I have praised their quality and dependability. We have the Grohe Rainshower Hand Shower #27085000 and are very pleased. It ios sold as a separate piece to be connected to your choice of stationary or hand held, ours is on a hand held mounting. I would like to say that we all should try to refrain from being commercial on the Garden Web forums. I would caution you before you purchase investigate the online vendor mentioned in the first response in the URL link. I have no dealings with them but have read enough negative to know to avoid them. Caveat Emptor....See MoreNeed help finding shower head
Comments (3)I don't know any thing about the Moens but can I suggest the Hansgrohe! I have the Hansgrohe Raindance E150 and it makes me feel like I am drowning. I don't have long hair but my niece does and has no problems using this showerhead. I had an Ondine before this and there is no comparison. There are several Raindance models and I don't know the main difference between them but I know that the air injection is important. It is considered a low flow shower head but does not behave like one. You can use these showerheads with any control system it does not have to be hansgrohe although everyone one I speak to recommends the hansgrohe as an excellent mix of quality and price. Good luck!...See MoreNeed help with placement of shower heads/valves
Comments (5)Expanding on what @roarah says, I would use a temp and volume control at each fixture if two people are going to use it at the same time due to preference in temps. In my one control shower with a valve that can switch from rain shower, water fall, and hand held spray, the temp does need controlling, as the hand shower is closer to the body and the water doesn't lose as much heat, as does the rain shower, as it travels through the air losing heat before it touches the skin. The rain shower head will be a nice head to use near the door, if you need to place one there. The regular shower heads would need more shielding with glass, from getting onto the floor. I have a 3' wide shower that is 5' long, with the glass on the long side. My doors both open in and out, at about 29" wide each. The 5' long wall is measured in the rough-in stage. It actually is 58" once tiled. My rain shower head is at one end and my hand held is next to it on the wall in a porter (small holder). It is not a problem reaching in to turn the fixture on. I primarily use my rain shower, and if I need a blast of water to rinse my hair, I use the waterfall feature. I hardly ever use the hand held except to rinse the shower floor. BTW I wipe the entire shower down with a large microfiber towel following each daily shower. I never have to clean my shower :) Its been in for 3.5 years and I only clean the pan every 3-4 months with a spray cleaner. My shower is spotless, no discolored caulking or grout. I have a stool that is portable in my shower. I would have had to put the built in at one end if I wanted to go that route. I like having the movable stool, I can move it under the rain head and just sit there relaxing, when I feel sore, sick, or just tired. I don't have a tub in the room, so this is the next best thing. I bought an inexpensive gray topped stool with aluminum adjustable legs, and I love it. It matches my gray shower pan. It is rather clinical with a modern look. It is light weight and easy to move. I thought about getting a teak stool, but couldn't settle on one that wasn't too expensive. I think my room is nice looking with my shower, fixtures, and shower seat. I have a lighted exhaust fan in the shower too. Have you looked at pics on Houzz showing what you want to do?...See MoreNeed Help with designing a rain shower head and hand held sprayer
Comments (5)My contract with my GC provides that I supply the fixtures and obviously the rough stuff as well since it has to work with the fixtures. However, at some point someone who understands technical plumbing issues should be doing the purchasing or telling you exactly what to purchase. When I was selecting my shower fixtures, my designer obviously helped me with the look of the fixtures but she also explained the difference in shower valve temperature regulations - thermostatic versus pressure balance and then I decided which kind I wanted. The shower fixtures you select would then determine what rough you needed and she was responsible for ordering those. In other words I selected the style and how I wanted the end use experience to be like but she was responsible for making sure that everything necessary was provided to the GC so his plumbers could install what I wanted. So although I was providing the fixtures to the GC, someone with technical expertise was guiding me in the purchase....See More
farmdrmer
8 years agoOaktown
8 years agojennifw
8 years agoRachel (Zone 7A + wind)
8 years agomushcreek
8 years agodekeoboe
8 years agoOaktown
8 years agoRachel (Zone 7A + wind)
8 years agobry911
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agodekeoboe
8 years agoUser
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoGrohe has designed this unit as a "retrofit" model that would normally be mounted to an existing 1/2" shower head supply that is commonly located 6-6 to 6-8 above the finish floor putting a standard shower head face at about 6-3 +/- 1" AFF so shorter people can adjust the head which often annoys taller people. Is that the case here? If so, what is the actual height of the pipe AFF?
For this shower head Grohe doesn't appear to agree that the point of a rain shower is to have the water fall over you; it offers different spray patterns with manual controls on the head.
I'm curious to know why you selected a retrofit unit for a new house and why a 6" extension would not be an acceptable solution if your husband wants a higher shower head and you are either tall enough to adjust it or don't care about adjusting it. The 6" Grohe extension appears to be a perfect solution for only $60 at Amazon and free installation.
In any case, the adjustable handheld shower wand is clearly not intended to be used as a full height shower head so if you want to use it for that you should put it on a separate taller mounting rod adjacent to the shower unit.
bry911