Rainfall shower head-please help!!

[Dickybow321]

We've just moved into a new house and it has a big walk in shower with just a fixed rainfall head. I hate it!! I don't know why you would put one of those in there without the secondary shower head to wash feet, etc. I dont want to dunk my head underwater every day. I'm standing there with my head poking out at an awkward angle, trying not to get my hair wet. And it's a pain in the backside to clean the shower without a handheld. It's making me angry as I type this

Does anybody know if it is possible to add a secondary handheld shower head without taking up tiles? The bathroom is beautiful but I just am not enjoying my showers anymore. I could cry!

Could you replace existing bath taps with something like this? I am assuming that the rainfall head has its own taps, rather than being operated by a lever on the bath taps.

Could you use the access point/ shower taps for the rainfall shower as the access for a new wall mounted 2 part shower? It's almost impossible to change shower fittings without breaking tiles in my experience.

Hi Urbane, no its a separate shower so no taps anywhere.

Cinnabunbun to make matters worse there is a digital control on the wall for controlling the shower, so no shower taps either.

It's almost impossible to change shower fittings without breaking tiles in my experience. Oh god, do you think? This is really upsetting.

I can see why they'd be annoying if you didn't want to wash your hair. We recently had a new shower fitted and did go for a rainfall shower with attachment. I think you'd have to take the tiles up unfortunately.

huggy it's REALLY annoying. You need to be able to direct the hose to certain parts of your body. I can't believe this. Looks like they spent a fortune on the bathroom but made it style over function. I couldn't justify breaking tiles. So upsetting

It depends how it's fastened on. Can you post a picture?

Perhaps you could swap it for something like this, where the ordinary shower comes off the rain head?

Ooops !

That looks good, longtime!

I'm with you OP. We recently redid a shower, and were recommended an overhead. No way josé! I need that separate handset for cleaning the shower as well as me!

averylongtime that pic of yours has given me a little bit of hope back! I'm not at home so this isn't a pic of mine but I've found this on the internet.

Sorry, Dicky, completely missed the phrase “walk in shower” there!

I've spent the afternoon researching this. Urgh, I know this is a first world problem but it is really upsetting me.

This post from another forum sums it up for me:

"I don't own one but I've used them at a relative's house in the order of 100-150 times over the last decade. They look slick but really suck. I would never, ever buy one for my own home. If I bought a house that had one, I would probably pay to remove it, or at least install an additional wall mounted showerhead and a valve to switch between the two.

Pros: aesthetics

Cons: everything that is not aesthetics"*

I need to get a plumber down to see if there is anything that can be done without smashing the wall to pieces.

No spare tiles in the garage/shed/cellar?

I have a few spare tiles from our bathroom, kitchen floor and roof, the latter two have both come in useful in the past to replace breakages.

Use a shower cap?

I have a fixed overhead shower with a separate hand held. The plumbing came as one unit with one set of hot/cold pipes and two outlets to fit two shower heads. I imagine your plumbing unit only has one outlet, you would need to take the tiles off and get a two outlet jobbie like mine. Or lose the fixed shower completely and replace with just a hand held?

That's an idea Edison. I'll have to have a look, thanks.

I have a fixed overhead shower with a separate hand held. The plumbing came as one unit with one set of hot/cold pipes and two outlets to fit two shower heads. I imagine your plumbing unit only has one outlet, you would need to take the tiles off and get a two outlet jobbie like mine. Or lose the fixed shower completely and replace with just a hand held?

I think you are right.

No useful advice but I can entirely see where you are coming from. Even if I want to wash my hair (which I don't want to do every time I shower) I don't want to do it while being pelted with water from above - presumably you would have to step out to put shampoo on and step back in to rinse it? I intend to have a nice wall mounted one which will raise high enough to put my head under when I want to wash my hair and go low enough to miss my head when I don't. This is making my artistic plumber sad, but me (and my pocket) very happy.

I don't know how your shower is built, but I expect there is a spigot coming out of the wall through the tiles, onto which an elbow is fixed with a screw-on or push-fit connection.

You will now be in a suitable frame of mind never again to have showers that are buried in the wall with the pipes tiled over. Surface mounted mixers and chrome pipes are a million times easier to deal with or repair.

Try to identify the make and model of your shower. The manufacturers will know how it is assembled and may have an alternative kit that can be put on.

I should think that an alternative outlet could be connected to the spigot. Ask around for an experienced an diligent local plumber, for personal recommendations. A wrinkly one will be fine.

Don't rely on websites which are paid to list adverts recommendations.

You will now be in a suitable frame of mind never again to have showers that are buried in the wall with the pipes tiled over. Surface mounted mixers and chrome pipes are a million times easier to deal with or repair.

You are so right! 😭That's the thing, if it goes wrong anywhere I have no idea what to do. As I said, the control is just a digital keypad

That is good advice about trying to find out the manufacturer. I will do that. Thank you.

Mrsfezziwig what does your artistic plumber want you to have?

Did you, Espresso? Interesting! What type of hose and handheld shower head? Also, how did you unscrew the head? How did you know what to do?

Mines flat to the ceiling

Ours has both - and it's set at a level that 6 foot 7 DH can get under - I like it, but did want a handheld option for washing the kids' hair etc.