<p>As I’ve posted previously, we are getting started on renovating the master bath in the condo we recently purchased.</p>
<p>I need a showerhead that basically blasts me out of the shower.</p>
<p>What do I need to know? What are your recommendations/what to avoid? Any suggestions for brands or models to buy or avoid?</p>
<p>I’ve renovated two full bathrooms. I like Rohl faucets and shower hardware. I ordered from qualitybath.com, and got great prices and great service. This is the showerhead I ordered for the second bathroom I did:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.qualitybath.com/rohl-michael-berman-bath-8-jet-adjustable-showerhead-product-13257.htm”>http://www.qualitybath.com/rohl-michael-berman-bath-8-jet-adjustable-showerhead-product-13257.htm</a></p>
<p>It’s very strong and powerful. I also ordered this:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.qualitybath.com/rohl-5-shower-arm-product-6800.htm”>http://www.qualitybath.com/rohl-5-shower-arm-product-6800.htm</a></p>
<p>I guess it’s the piece that comes out from the wall? I paid $166.40 for the showerhead and $17.28 for the other piece.</p>
<p>For the first bathroom I did, I ordered a rain shower, because everyone said they were wonderful. We all hate it, and no one wants to use that shower. I also used polished nickel in the first bathroom, chrome in the second. I learned!</p>
<p>We put in a Koehler hand-held on a bar so that it’s adjustable both in height and intensity. In reality we leave it in blast mode most of the time. Got it at a plumbing supply store (or get model #s and buy online) the stuff at the big box stores with the same brand name are usually not as well made. I can’t find the model name, sorry. Remodeling has been sent into the “don’t want to remember” part of my brain.</p>
<p>We also have a handheld. It’s nice to be able to take it down for little kids, or rinsing the tub out!</p>
<p>We also put in a Kohler hand-held on a slide bar, for me, along with another Kohler shower head for dh and a
Grohe Jumbo rainhead. (Well, not us - the contractor’s plumber, who said there’s a big difference between plumbing supply company products and big box store products no matter what brand.) </p>
<p>Here’s the hand-held, which has great power: <a href=“http://www.us.kohler.com/us/Symbol-2.5-gpm-multifunction-4-way-handshower/productDetail/Handshowers/424434.htm?brandId=431429&categoryId=431416”>http://www.us.kohler.com/us/Symbol-2.5-gpm-multifunction-4-way-handshower/productDetail/Handshowers/424434.htm?brandId=431429&categoryId=431416</a></p>
<p>Do any of the 'rainshower" showerheads have a good amount of power? </p>
<p>Someone told me, that for shower power, I should actually seek out a showerhead with the fewest holes.</p>
<p>Boysx3, when I was researching rain shower heads, I didn’t find any comments about powerful (heavy downpour vs. soft rainfall) models. I can vary the intensity somewhat because we did separate controls for pressure and temperature and enlarged the supply lines from 1/2" to 3/4". On full flow, the force is sufficient to rinse out shampoo but not nearly as quickly as the hand-held. I chose the Grohe Jumbo because it’s 16" while many other rain shower heads are 8" - 12". The size you prefer may depend on the size of your shower. A friend recently installed a 12" and her husband was afraid it might be too large for their 48" shower (she likes it, he’s still not convinced.)</p>
<p>The best thing I did when renovating the bathrooms is to install thermostatic controls for the showers. </p>
<p>We have a Gould’s boost pump (installed in the utility room) and I think it would supply a blast of water from just about any showerhead. It is great when we have a full house and all three showers in use at one time. Apart from that I usually keep it turned off. (As a former California resident I am happy as long the flow is enough to rinse my hair in a reasonable amount of time.)</p>
<p>I was also told that hardware that appears the same at the big box stores is not necessarily the same as what you get through professionals. This was after I’d already bought a faucet in such a store. It’s still fine after five years though in a prep sink where it doesn’t get daily use.</p>
<p>I got this: there’s a website called [url=<a href=“http://highpressureshowerheads.com%5Dhighpressureshowerheads%5B/url”>http://highpressureshowerheads.com]highpressureshowerheads[/url</a>]. I’ve bought from them. Genuinely high pressure shower heads.</p>
<p>If you’re remodeling the plumbing consider the controls as well. You can always replace a shower head but it is harder to do the inner works. We chose Delta with separate temperature and flow controls (anti scald features came with of course). Most showerheads should have a flow limiting device- could even be plumbing codes these days… Some get more force with entrained air. Agree wholeheartedly on rain showerheads- tried one at a hotel. Usually an angled spray hits your body, I don’t see how one can rinse off easily with just that. To know better which features you should think about go to several main brand manufacturers’ websites and read the list of features that come with different lines. This is what you need for the just inside the wall valves at the control knob. Then you can discard the shower head that comes with for whatever pleases you, bypassing recommended water saving doohickies where the showerhead meets the pipe connection.</p>
<p>See if you can find an old brass Speakman showerhead used on EBay. You want one without a flow restrictor. Of course, the catch is that you’ll end up draining your hot water heater in about three minutes, but it’ll be a wonderful three minutes. </p>
<p>Lergnom, did you get the first one – the one that’s square? I noticed that the showerheads all have pressure ratings – did you find the one(s) that you purchased to be consistent with their ratings? I’m intrigued by the square shower head! (I don’t like rain shower heads either and our current one, which was pricey, isn’t as strong as I’d like.) </p>
<p>Anyone know if it’s easy to swap them out or is it very involved? I’m looking at ours now and it looks like there a piece at the end of the piece extending out of the wall that would unscrew but I’m wondering if the piece would be universal or if it’s unlikely to accommodate a different brand. Definitely not up for going through the tile to replace the piece that comes out of the wall.</p>
<p>For a rain shower we used the Grohe Jumbo. Also have a hand-held and a regular shower head. The rain shower is too much for me, but my H loves it. We also have body sprays in the shower too. I’m pretty sure all of the fixtures are from Grohe.</p>
<p>We bought the hand held shower head. We wanted something that could be adjusted easily to different heights. Works great. </p>
<p>I really wish there was a place you could go to actually try out shower heads. I’m pretty sure I’d hate a rain shower, but I’ve never actually tried one. I’m leaning towards getting a hand held in our new Master Bath which will only have a shower. Not sure if it should be the only shower or an extra so you could use it as a body spray in theory.</p>
<p>^^what mathmom just said!</p>
<p>How I wish we could try out various shower heads …the descriptions make all the shower heads out there sound wonderful.</p>
<p>Wonder if you could call local hotels and ask them what they have and have a staycation at one you’re thinking of purchasing. Just a thought. :). Maybe ask family, friends and neighbors about their showers and ask to try one of theirs if they rave about it. </p>
<p>We vetoed rain showers.The guy who did our estimate recommended 4" showerheads vs. larger ones if you want to have higher water pressure. We’re going to do that and have a handheld running via a diverter. Also would get thermostatic controls. Contractor recommended Danze and they seem to get good reviews. Avoid stuff with plastic inner parts.</p>
<p>I just heard the same thing about shower heads.Supposedly the fewer holes, the better the pressure.</p>