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rayjay

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I am at my wits end. I do not seem to have any luck with showerheads lately. I had one of those waterfall ones with a separate hand held shower, and the hose broke on it. It was a Shower Tech purchased in Cosco for $50.00. I then bought a Pollenex (a cheap one at the outlet) for $15.00, it hit against the tub and the connector broke, and the water shot at the ceiling. Trying to chase a runaway shower hose shooting water???? With no clothes on no less??? Oh my.

Well.. If anyone can let me know which ones that they recommend and like, it would be greatly appreaciated. I do like a forcefull showerin a waterfall effect if that is possible. LOL

Thanks, Ray
 
I've been using a Speakman Anystream 6-nozzle showerhead for the past 3 years, with an infinitely adjustable spray. If you're looking for something fancy, go for the $200+ 12" diamater rainfall-type, but if you're looking for just a good, reasonably-priced showerhead that has a long life, go with the Speakman. I'm talking about the heavy chrome models as well...stay away from the plastic versions!!!

Here's the Anystream that I have.

--Austin

http://www.plumbersurplus.com/images/prod/1/01259.jpg
 
I've been using a Waterpik hand held shower head for over 5 years now. I bought it at Kmart for about $20 or $30. I guess I would recommend Waterpik.
 
speakman rocks

I agree with Austin, I have a six nozzle "speakman" and I LOVE IT, I removed the plastic, little water saver thing inside so I get really good pressure ............. yes, I use more than its rated 2.5gpm but I don't care, I love a high pressure shower and in my opinion the "speakman" rocks and I have tried four or five different ones in the last few months ........... best of luck
 
Shower head hacking

There was a news article somewhere about modding the shower heads. I have a mind to hack mine when parents aren't home. How dare they control how much water I use. And this 1.5gallon toilet thing. That's a load of crap.

Besides, our big whirlpool tub is more wasteful. I can drain the hot water tank by filling the tub all the way. So that uses much more water than the shower head anyway. I can only see using a 2.5gpm head if you have a small tank (like I had in the trailer). It would run out FAST while filling the tub. Fortunately our shower head has this waterfall setting that is adequate, but I want mind blowing sensual pressure just like the old shower heads used to do.
 
I went through a series of Waterpick shower heads... they'd all develop the same problem - balky at switching from plain spray to power massage spray (gotta have the power massage to penetrate my thick head of hair). Typically the Waterpiks would last a couple of years, and then I'd have to toss them.

Anyway, I second Pete on the Interbath. I picked up a chromed model at Orchard Supply five years ago... it works like a champ - better force to the power massage than any Waterpik I've tried, and it never seems to wear out.

By the way, they are made in Australia... I guess those Aussies know a thing or two of coaxing a good massage out of a trickle of water.
 
After going through many different brands....

we use a Delta model. Available at Home Depot for $32.95. It's a hand held model, and I pulled out the flow restrictor (just a little rubber washer at the intake) and it'll blow you into the back wall of the shower! We liked the first one so much, we went back and bought two more for the other bathrooms. So far we have had these almost 4 years, we use them for ourselves, to wash dogs and the have been dropped, stepped on and bounced off the bath and still work and look as good as new.
We use one of those Pur shower charcoal filters in line with the Delta shower head. My work environment is extremely dry and I have problems with dry skin anyway (thank god for Alpha-Keri) and this filters out the chlorine out of the water. It helps a whole lot.
I positively can't stand showers where the pressure is about as strong as a mild drizzle. I like to get in and out of the shower very quickly and good water pressure helps accomplish this. Besides, I have to rinse soap off very well and with low water pressure this is more difficult.
 
I'll vote for the metal Speakman "anystream" model-yes I removed the flow restrictor in it-Hate those "watering can" showers!I have had mine for about 5 years.Replaced the one in the house with the Speakman-got it from Lowes.They sold the plastic models or the metal ones.
 
shower head

We have a hand held showerhead we got from the Sharper Image called Oygenetics. I will have to say that if you want a shower that feels great and feels like you were at a spa then this head is for you. Pics to come.
 
I don't know the brand name of the little shower head I use, but I really like it. Having had all the 7-setting/massage/deluxe models, I bought a little cheap thing. It's all metal and very small, but it puts out a really nice spray. It has a little sliding thing that shuts the water down to a drip for soaping up.

Not that I want to get intimate here, but I like to wet down, then soap up without water running. I end my shower experience with a nice long rinse-off.

It's a water-restrictive unit, but the shower spray is quite strong, compared to some other restrictive models. It was only about $10 if I remember correctly.

I know this isn't popular here, but I actually enjoy saving water. I bought a Gerber pressure-flush elongated bowl toilet last summer and it's awesome (well, as awesome as those things can be, anyway). My nephew's little boy flushed a Matchbox car and it took it without a problem.

I like knowing that between my FL washer, the shower head and the 1.5 gallon toilet I'm saving hundreds of gallons of water a month. Having said that, I'll never be someone who gets a gray-water reuse tank or anything like that. Most of the water-saving devices I use a) don't decrease performance and b) don't create additional work for me.
 
I also love a nice hot shower, for a good half hour.

But I'm with Frigilux here about conservation, plus the graywater tanks & manual fiddling with the plumbing.

Have an inexpensive low-flow showerhead I got at Ace a year ago, with the little button to almost shut off the flow. I'm one of those who prefers to do the "wash" cycle with minimal water flow just because it's counterproductive to rinse the soap away while trying to wash. Fortunately the shutoff on this showerhead doesn't shut off all the way: it allows enough flow to keep me warm & wet while soaping & scrubbing. Then I press the button and get a more than acceptably vigorous spray for the rinse cycle and the "just stand there and enjoy being all nice & clean under hot water" cycle.

The only problem I have with these types of showerheads is that the spray pattern diffuses enough that by the time it reaches about waist-level it's not quite concentrated enough to rinse quickly from there down to my feet. But I've figured out some tricks to minimize that problem, such as collecting some water in a cup under the nozzle to dump over my feet to rinse them.

As for toilets, I had a low-flow installed about 7 years ago and it's been surprisingly good. As in, "can't believe it's only 1.5 gallons!" I can get it to flush "#1" cleanly with a half gallon of water poured in quickly from a bucket, which is great propaganda to use on people who don't believe in flushing "every time" (eww!). And it takes quite a bit of doing (ha) to get it to clog, which doesn't happen often.

What I really want in a bathroom is a sink with real counter-space, but that will take moving to a new place. Apartment-sized bathrooms often compromise on this point because a stand-alone sink saves space, and it's a royal pain to have one's toiletry items slipping into the sink every time they get a chance. Or as I say, "When I get rich I'm going to have a sink with a counter, dammit!":-) That, and a good exhaust fan installed directly over the shower stall rather than the improvised stuff I presently use to prevent the room getting steamed-up.
 
Water Saving Toilets

Eugene, I also have the Gerber Pressurized toilet. It is a bit noisy, but what a GREAT flush. I have to warn people that come to my house for the first time, because it could startle them. This toilet was rated # 1 by consumer reports. I am going to change the toilet in my small bathroom with this one also. One person came out of the bathroom saying: I thought the toilet was alive. LOL ROFL. Now about that long intimate shower? Why not? LOL
 
Designgeek: I have a sink with a vanity in both bathrooms. I would like the vanity to be the same height as a counter top in the kitchen. This is new thing in bathrooms I understand. i also do not have an exhaust fan, but I am going to get all of this done, when I re-do my bathroom.

Ray
 
A Special Thank You

I would like to thank all of my wonderfull friends on ApplianceVille for all of your information and research on showerheads. Boy, you are fantastic and a share an abundance of knowledge. Now, I will re-read all of them and head out to the stores, internet...oh whatever.

Thanks again,

Ray

PS. You can keep the posts coming if you like.
 
Sharper Image Shower Head

MIke What a nice looking shower head. Does it have different settings? I like it because it is hand held. Also good for washing and rinsing down the shower walls. Did you order it through the catalogue?

Like I said before, there are so many nice ones to choose from.

All of you on Appliaceville did a really great job

Now........to choose one?????

Thanks again Mike.

Ray
 
Those damn Gerber toilets

I hate how the handle SNAPS BACK at you when you flush. I have a normal toilet at my house and if I'm doing #2, I hold the handle down until I'm sure it's really down, even on the courtesy flushes. But having done (ahem) #2 on a Gerber toilet, the evil snapping-back handle toilet does flush --it well.
 
Shower-in anyone?

Hey everyone. Let's all have a shower-in. Like a wash-in but we get to use different types of showerheads (unrestricted, of course). Toggle? Care to host one?
 
When I stayed in Sealy, TX at the Holiday Inn, they had a neat showerhead that had one of the nicest "rain" modes I've ever had. It was a light shower but not too light.

Well, off to the shower, with my screwdriver. Time to get that full power shower that I deserve.
 
Shower in

Hey Jason. Sounds good to me. We could all bring our (showerheads) LOL and try them out. LOL.

Jason, I never thought of checking the rain fall one out for a water restrictor. What do I look for. My house water pressure is very high, but when I take a showere with the Shower Tech head, (the one I purchased in COSCO with the hand held attached, it just feels like a soft water fall. Do i have to take the head off of the pipe? Am i looking for a washer or somthing. If you can show me what to look for, it would be appreciated.

Thanks, Ray
 
Finally, a refreshing shower!

The one I have is a hand held on the end of a hose. I took the head off first and looked inside. There was a metal screen, a rubber washer and the plastic Beaurocrat (see link below). Getting the screen was tricky. I used a small parts grabber from a computer tool kit (little yellow thing with a plunger that has a small 3-fingered claw thingy) to put the screen. Used a small standard screwdriver to pull the washer, the round metal holder and the plastic restrictor (mine was white with a small hole in it). After that, the shower head was wide open all the way to the other end. I took the hose off of the pipe just to be sure. It was a straight through with no restrictions at all. So I replaced the metal screen (to keep junk from getting in the head), the washer (important! it will leak if you don't) and screwed the head to the hose. That's pretty much it.

I just took a shower with it unrestricted and it made a big difference. Our water pressure ain't great but I could tell that my hair rinsed faster and I could feel PRESSURE now instead of just water falling on me. My shower has a poor excuse for a "rain" setting but even that worked a little better. The water on that setting is aerated and tickles like crazy. But that's a good thing sometimes >:)

So yeah, take the head off and look for a plastic or rubber part with a small hole in it. Or there might be a ball. TAKE IT OUT! Once it's out, replace the outer washer and put it back and tight. That should make it work.
 

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