Taps and Shower attachment for bath - four hole solution?

[YesThisIsMe]

Taps and shower attachment are the very last thing on the list to get for bathroom refurb. We love our bath and want to get it right.

Bathroom has a separate shower cubicle so we won't be showering in the bath.

Previously had taps with thermostatic valve but since the DC are no longer toddlers that's unnecessarily complex and we'll go for separate taps or a mixer. We also want a handheld shower with a diverter for cleaning the bath, washing hair while in the bath etc. but the hose of the old one used to drape in the bath and get yucky and was generally the bane of my life.

The ones which rest on top of the taps like an old fashioned telephone are one solution but they only come in a retro Edwardian style which would not suit the rest of the bathroom at all.

The obvious solution seems to be the four hole set ups where the shower hose pulls up out of a hole in the bath. Looks very neat and modern but is it a good idea? Are they a nightmare to fix if anything breaks? Does the hose get yucky?

Is there a clever and simple alternative way to keep the shower hose out of the bathwater which someone can point me to on Pinterest or wherever?

Please help because this apparently simple problem is driving me mad.

Bumping for the morning.

We have the shower hose pulls up out of a hole in the bath sort. No issues. It can be a bit stiff to pull out/put back sometimes, so perhaps not ideal if it was getting used several times a day but we only use it a few times a week.

Thanks minipie that's reassuring. What brand do you have?
Anyone else?

I think ours is Crosswater.

It has an extra tube running from the shower hole to the bath drain, so if any water goes down the shower hole by accident, it is caught and drains away rather than dripping onto the floor under the bath and causing rot or leaks.

That dripping was always the main problem with these deck mounted showers, so definitely look for one that has the extra tube (think it might be called “follow me”).

It’s also worth making sure your bath panel is removable in case you need to get at the underneath to fix something (this is sensible for the taps anyway). We did a tiled side panel for the bath but the whole panel is removable if we just cut the silicon around the edge.

you can have the shower handset mounted on a wall fitting or rail, and lift it off to rinse the bath or squirt your hair.

Hallo PigletJohn, nice to see you and your voice of knowledge.

The fitters suggested either the four hole solution or that they can fit it in a tidier way that the old one to keep the hose out of the bath. I wasn't convinced by the latter suggestion but actually there are so few four hole solutions at a reasonable price from suppliers I trust that I might go for plan B.

Ours is wall mounted, lower and further into the corner than you would have for a shower over the bath, but in easy reach and does stop the hose draping. You could maybe also get away with a slightly shorter length of hose if you are not intending to use it stood up?