Like many other appliance categories on the market, high pressure shower heads are a hot item that come in all sizes, shapes, and feature-sets. While having options is great, the first time buyer may be overwhelmed all the choice. Like many of the other guides on this site, my aim with this article is to run you through the most important features you can find in a shower head. Not only that, but as a little bonus I’m going to show you a simple process for cleaning the shower head if it gets clogged.
Parts and Key Features
Before going into the most desirable features, you should know about the three main parts of the shower head. This knowledge will aid you when you are out shopping for shower sets and you need to ask a salesperson about particular features.
Broadly speaking, the three main parts of a shower head are:
- Head
- Arm
- Flange
Now this is a simplified view of how a shower head is assembled, but most consumers don’t need to go any deeper than this in their terminology. Just a little bit of information like this can potentially save you from wasting money on a product that is inappropriate for your shower.
Here’s a helpful image that will assist in identifying the three main parts (first image shows the neck and flange, second image shows the head):
OK, enough about the parts. What should you be looking for in a high pressure shower head? Here’s the list:
- Soft rubber nozzles on the head make for easier cleanup in a hard water environment (more on cleaning in a moment)
- A swivel neck which provides a wide range of angles for the shower head will give you ultimate flexibility. This can be especially useful for disabled people who rely on hand-grips or other hardware in the shower.
- It probably goes without saying given the name of the article, but water pressure is a make-or-break feature for shower heads. What’s the point of buying a shower head if it’s just going to dribble? If you are like me, you like your shower head to be a water cannon. Although many products will claim to be “high pressure,” only reviews from real users are reliable. Amazon.com should have you covered on this.
- A variety of pulse and stream settings is also a plus. Perhaps the biggest issue with some of the cheaper shower heads I’ve used is the “scattering” effect that comes from some of the stream settings. Sometimes you just can’t get the right distance between the individual streams no matter how much you try to adjust the head. The result is feeling cold in the shower even though the water is technically hot. Again, make sure to read up on user reviews (if you have any thoughts on a particular shower head, please feel free to contact me through the form on this site and I’ll feature it here). If you really want a lot of water coverage, I also recommend that you look into a dual shower head as another option.
- Additionally, aesthetic concerns such as shape also come into play. For instance, you might discover that a square shower head combined with a high pressure system would be best for your bathroom.
Bonus: The Cleaning Process
So you’ve had your shower head for a few months now, enjoying the high water pressure, perfect stream settings, etc. Then it all goes wrong one day as the previously high pressure head reduces to an impotent dribble. If you’ve run into this situation, it’s probably because of hard water. The reason hard water clogs up shower heads is because it leaves tiny mineral deposits that build up over time. Not everyone is going to have this issue, especially if they have whole house filters to remove some of the mineral content before getting to the shower head, but it’s mostly dependent on your local water supply.
If you have hard water, don’t fret. Here’s a simple process that will get your shower head back up and running at full power in no time:
- Fill a bag with a few inches of white vinegar (other vinegars will work, but white is the best).
- Detach the shower head from the neck with a wrench, being careful not to scratch up any chrome parts.
- Place the head (nozzles down) into the bag, and seal it, leaving it to soak in the vinegar over night.
- In the morning, take the shower head out of the bag and rinse it off. It should run like new!
If this process doesn’t get the job done, just repeat it as many times as necessary. Hard water can be a little tricky at times, but it should be almost completely removed after the first attempt at cleaning.
Want more water dispenser information? Head to the front page of the site for more!
If you’re interested in other appliance repair articles, check out my post on toilet repair.
