Type
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Shower set. Kits including a mandatory shower set of accessories:
hand shower (watering can, hose and, most often, fastening system in the form of
hydromassage panels.
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Top shower. Kit consisting exclusively of the upper shower - a large watering can mounted over the head of the bather. Bathing under such a shower is not only more pleasant for many, but also allows you to free your hands, while
flexible hose has to be held in hand. And although for manual hoists are also available fasteners that allow you to install them on the wall above the head, but a specialized upper shower is better for this - a large watering can be more effective.
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Shower system. Somewhat expanded version of shower set: the equipment of shower system includes not only a hand-held watering box with a hose, but also an upper shower or a bar-pipe for the installation of a separately purchased watering can of the upper shower. There are also
, shower systems with vent, the design o
...f which includes an appropriate drain.
— Hydromassage panel. The device is in the form of a wall panel with hydromassage nozzles. The mixer is integrated into the same panel, another practically mandatory element of the equipment is the upper shower (cf. «Complete»). Hydromassage is not only pleasant in itself - it contributes to the normalization of metabolism and can have a soothing or tonic effect, depending on the settings. However, it should be borne in mind that for the normal operation of hydromassage panels usually require a fairly high pressure in the water supply - at least 4-5 atm.
— Hand shower. Separately sold nozzle for flexible shower hose. This item can be useful in the case that the existing watering can be broken, or its characteristics do not suit you (recall, shower watering can differ in the features of the jet, have different settings, and so on. N.).
— Hygienic shower head. Separately sold nozzle for hygienic shower. The shower itself is used to wash parts of the body - for example, the groin area after a visit to the toilet. This type of watering can be distinguished from conventional manual (see above) by two features: a small diameter and a shut-off valve, thanks to which water comes from the watering can only by pressing a special button or lever. This allows you to carefully process the desired areas of the body and accurately dose water.
— Hygienic set. Kits, including both a hygienic watering can (see above) and a hose, as well as a fixing for a watering can be provided for, but these are mandatory). Hygienic kits, in fact, is analogous to the showers described above and fundamentally differ only in the type of watering.Water flow
Water consumption during operation of the upper shower (cf. «Equipment»). Indicates the amount of water passing through the watering can with the tap fully open and the water pressure 3 bar (standard household water pressure).
The higher the bandwidth of the watering can be - the more powerful and intense the shower becomes. On the other hand, high water consumption is undesirable if you want to save water - for example, if you have meters installed or if water is supplied from a boiler with a small volume. In addition, it is worth remembering that the watering can have different settings and features of water supply. So, by selecting the lake with the right parameters, you can get a nice and effective top shower even when
low water flow. Actually, a low value in this case is considered to be up to 10 l /min; the average is 10 - 20 l/min, and in the most productive watering can be up to 30 l/min and even more.
Size
The size of the manual or hygienic shower head can be found (cf. «Complete»), which is equipped with a shower system. In fact, it implies the size of the working area - the area on which the nozzles for water supply are located. If this area is round or square, its size is indicated by diameter or width, for other shapes - by length.
Big size allows to cover more space at once; on the other hand, more compact models are more efficient, and cheaper, all other things being equal. And hygienic watering cans, taking into account the specifics of their use, by definition are made
small.
Jet settings
The number of
jet settings provided in the complete manual or hygienic watering can (see "Complete set"). However, hygienic leukemias are usually made
single-mode - this is quite enough considering the application. But in conventional manual waterjets can be several, which allows you to change the characteristics of the jet at the request of the user - for example, instead of the usual thin jets, turn on a hard jet from a single large nozzle or a solid «soft» Flow from water filled with air bubbles. The specific set of settings can be different, it is worth to refine separately. However, in any case, the more options - the wider the choice of the user and the more complicated and more expensive the watering box itself.
Water consumption
The throughput capacity of a manual shower watering agent, in other words, the amount of water it gives out per minute when the faucets are fully open. Since the capacity is not only related to the design of the watering box, but also to the pressure in the water supply, it is customary to specify an average value - at a standard pressure of 3 bar.
The higher this parameter - the more intense the impact on the body can have a shower. At the same time, high water consumption can become a problem when there are water meters or when there are limited supplies - for example, if hot water is supplied by a boiler. Also note that
, low throughput can be compensated by certain jet settings.
Hose length
The length of hose for the shower head be supplied with a shower system of one type or another (see above). In most modern models, this parameter is about 140 - 160 cm - it is enough that even a tall man could easily rinse completely, from the top. In addition, some hoses can stretch 20-30% of their original length. So in practice, it is worth paying attention to the length of the hose except in special cases - for example, if the system is bought for a very spacious bathroom and you need a shower with an increased «radius of action».
Tap type
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Double lever. Classic version with two separate swivel taps, one of which is responsible for hot water, the second - for cold. The advantages of twin-valve mixers are simplicity, reliability and accuracy of temperature setting. On the other hand, they are less easy to adjust than single-piece.
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Single lever (joystick). One lever capable of moving in two planes is responsible for all adjustments in such mixers. When moving in one plane (usually right-left) the temperature is adjusted in the other (up-down or from itself - on itself) - pressure. In addition, such a mixer allows you to «remember» a certain variant of temperature - it is enough to close the water without moving the lever in another plane. But tuning accuracy in such models may be lower than in two-valve.
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Thermostatic. Mixers equipped with a thermostat - a mechanism for maintaining a constant temperature of water at the outlet. This is the most advanced and convenient option, but expensive. It is enough for the user to choose the desired temperature (in degrees) and pressure, and the thermostat will automatically adjust the proportion of hot and cold water. There are models both classic with swivel regulators and
thermostatic with button (read more about the button below).
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Buttoning on. Type of mixers con
...trolled by pressing a button. This way a certain amount of water is supplied, which helps to save money.
— Single-valve. A variety found in hygiene kits (cf. «Type»). In fact, such a device is not a mixer, but simply a tap designed only to open and close the water. The idea behind this design is that only cold water is often used for hygienic showers, for which one valve is sufficient.Divertor
The diverter is a device by which the flow of water can be switched between individual components of the system - for example, the spill (if it is present) and the shower box, or between the watering can and the upper shower. The design of such a device and the way it is controlled can be different; in modern shower systems, you can find, inter alia, such options:
— Levery. Diverters are in the form of a swivel lever; most often this lever is driven directly by a valve that switches the water flow, but in advanced models there is also an electronic working principle. In any case, lever switches are most popular in modern shower systems: they are very convenient and intuitive to operate, and mechanical diverters of this type are also very simple and inexpensive.
— Push-button. Diverters of this type have the form of a button; but its specific design depends on the features of a particular system. In relatively simple mechanical models (such a majority) the button is also made mechanical, and to switch to the shower watering can be pulled up. And switching to the other side - from the watering box to the drain or the top shower - can often be carried out not only manually, but also automatically, when the water is turned off. Due to this function, the next time the tap opens, the water begins to flow not through the shower hose, which may be in the wrong place, but through the spout or the upper shower, which usually does not cause problems. In some models..., the autoswitch can also be locked at the user’s request (usually by turning the button at the top).
In turn, in advanced electronic devices, such a diverter is made in the form of an electric button, which closes the contacts that control the valve.
— Bend. Rather rare and specific variant: the role of a lever controlling the flow of water, performed directly draining, to the base of which a shower hose is connected. This control usually works as follows: as long as the spout is perpendicular to the mixer housing (that is, directed towards the bath or pan) the water flows through it; and to switch to the shower, the pour is rotated under the mixer. Such devices look interesting, and in use convenient. On the other hand, they are quite complex and expensive, and the flow itself, for a number of reasons, is usually made quite short. Therefore, this option is not available.
— Rotate the drain + push button. The combination in one system of two divers described above. As a rule, the flush turns are responsible for switching the water between the flush and the «shower part», and the button switches between the shower hose and the upper shower. Due to its complexity and cost, this combination is extremely rare.