Are you thinking about ditching the handyman and installing a brand new shower head on your own? DIY-ing bathroom installations are not that difficult but they can get a little tricky.
With shower heads, for instance, there are several things you need to take into consideration.
If your shower head isn’t centered, the water could drench your entire bathroom floor space. And if you mount the shower head more towards a window or the wall, you would barely be underneath the water, making it a very unsatisfactory shower.
Be it a mounted fixture or a spa-like rainfall shower head, bathroom fittings of this kind need to be fitted with precision and a fair amount of calculation. So here’s what you need to know about different aspects of shower heads and how they can be installed to give you the best shower experience.
How Far Should The Shower Head Be From The Wall?
Ideally, when you’re standing beneath the shower head, you want to have enough space between yourself and the wall upon which the shower head is mounted. This will give you enough room to move about without bumping against other fittings.
Typically, a wall-mounted or fixed shower head should be about 3 to 4 inches from the wall.
The measurement here is usually determined by two factors:
1. The distance between the bathroom floor and the shower head
2. The width and diameter of the shower head
If you angle the shower arm at 100 or 120 degrees, you’d have enough space to move around your bathing enclosure without bumping against the wall.
With rainfall shower heads, you have two options. You could either mount these fixtures to the wall and use an extended shower arm to create distance or you could fix the shower head against the ceiling itself.
When mounted on the ceiling, rain shower heads deliver on their promise of giving you that “rainfall” effect. Typically, the heads in this case would be at least 6–12 inches wide, and you’d need a shower arm that’s 3–6 inches away from the wall.
Rain shower heads are broad, so make sure you angle them at a perfect 90-degree angle so you get a balanced stream of water on your body.
How High Should The Shower Head Be From The Floor?
If you’re the tallest person in your family, you should have a gap of at least 3 inches between your head and the shower head. This will make sure the water pressure doesn’t prick your skin and that the water falls on your body naturally and smoothly.
If you have a standard 30×30 showering area, you should mount a regular wall-mounted showerhead at a distance of 72 to 80 inches from the floor. More often, 72 inches is a good enough distance. But if a 7 feet tall person is using your bathroom, the shower head could be as high as 80 inches or more from the floor.
As rainfall shower heads are mostly ceiling mounted, you can install the shower head at a height of 84 or 86 inches from the floor to truly embrace the rainfall effect. You’d even find shower heads placed at a height of about 96 inches in some hotels, depending on how high the ceiling is.
Should The Shower Head Be Centered With Drain?
When you’re showering, it’s completely normal to expect some pooling near your feet because of the continuous downpour.
If you center the shower head with the drain, you might end up blocking the drain with your feet while you’re under the shower.
It’s better to place the drain in the corner of the showering enclosure. This will allow the water from every direction to flow down into the drain.
If you have a bench in your shower enclosure, you can also place the drain beneath the bench to cover up the drain.
As for the bathroom floor tiles, you might want to take advice from a good plumber or handyman to figure out the best ways to tile the area around the drain to ensure that the water doesn’t form puddles.
Does The Shower Head And Valve Need To Be At The Same Size?
No, the shower head and the shower valve don’t have to be at the same size.
In many ways, a valve is almost like a tap. It controls the water pressure and water flow into the shower head.
This fitting looks very different from a shower head and is usually installed on the other side of the shower head. So, in most cases, the valve will be smaller than the shower head.
How Do I Place My Shower Head Correctly?
The best way to place your shower head correctly is to rely on accurate measurements.
Use a measuring tape to mark the distance between the floor and the spot where you’d like to fix your shower head. The ideal placement for your shower head depends on the size of your shower enclosure, the type of shower head you wish to install, and the average height of every person who would be using the shower on a regular basis.
You also want to make sure your shower head is compatible with the existing fittings in your shower enclosure. If you have a wall-mounted shower head, it would be pointless to replace it with a ceiling-mounted one, unless you want to replace the whole setup with different fittings.
Can You Move A Shower Head?
Yes, you can! There are adjustable and movable shower heads available that allow you to change the direction of the water spray as per your liking.
While your shower head installation remains in place, just the head that carries the spray can be twisted and adjusted to make sure you get the best use of your shower.
You also have detachable hand-held shower heads that can be moved at your convenience. Adjustable and detachable shower heads also come with changeable spray settings that alter the water spray pressure to suit your showering needs.
5 Tips To Avoid Uncentered Shower Head Install
When installing and centering your shower head, here are 5 things you should keep in mind:
1. Always match the shower head accessories with the shower head itself. Incompatible components would create problems to the fitting and spoil your showering experience.
2. Check the valve before fitting the shower head to make sure the water pressure is exactly what you need.
3. Make sure the shower head isn’t placed too low. If the shower head is placed too low, it can affect the water pressure. Besides, you don’t want someone to bump their head into it.
4. Use Teflon tape to coat the mouth of the shower head to make sure it fits perfectly. This will prevent water leakage and keep the shower head centered and sturdy.
5. Take proper measurements and make exact markings to ensure you’re placing the shower head accurately.
The Takeaway
Installing and centering a shower head is all about precision and accuracy. While the job does demand a certain level of skill, it can also be fun and a learning experience.
When the hard work pays off, you’ll have a perfectly placed shower head to make your daily showers the main highlight of your day. Now that you have the most frequently asked questions about shower heads answered here, installing shower heads by yourself will seem like a breeze.
