Type
—
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.
—
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.
—
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.Shower type
In addition to the classical top shower (by type of rain) there is still
cascade shower, which is very similar to a waterfall. These modes can be either individually or together.
Size
The size of the overhead shower head supplied in the set (see "Complete set"). For round watering cans, this paragraph indicates the size, for other shapes - the length (the largest of the two main sizes).
The larger the overhead shower - the more space it covers, the easier it is to "fit entirely" under the jets and the higher the throughput can be (see "Water consumption overhead shower"). On the other hand, the cost of a watering can directly depends on the dimensions. As for specific figures, the size
up to 20 cm is relatively small, although such watering cans are very popular due to their availability and low consumption. Models
21 - 25 cm can be classified as medium,
26 - 30 cm - relatively large, and the largest watering cans for the overhead shower have dimensions
of more than 30 cm.
Jet settings
The number of settings provided in the hand shower for top shower (see "Complete set").
If you have
several settings, change the jet features and, accordingly, adjust the shower to the user’s wishes. For example, one watering can provide «rain» (ordinary drops of medium size), «waterfall» (stream in the form of water wall) and «stream» (continuous jet under high pressure); there are other modes, their specific set for each model is worth specifying separately. In any case, the more settings - the wider the choice of the user, but the more expensive and more difficult the watering can be on the background of models with
one mode upper shower.
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.
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».
Hydromassage management
Type of hydromassage control system installed in the hydromassage panel (cf. «Type»).
— Mechanical. Control based on mechanical controls - rotary valves, levers, etc. The operating principle of such systems is very similar to conventional mixers: the regulator is directly connected to a valve, flap or other device that changes the amount of water entering the nozzles. Advantages of mechanics are low cost, simplicity and reliability, disadvantages - relatively low accuracy of adjustment and impossibility of application of some additional functions.
— Electronic. Management through electronic schemes. The key difference from mechanical is that the user does not affect the valves and flaps directly - he gives commands to electronics, which also changes the amount of incoming water, the mode of operation of the nozzles and other direct parameters. This control format allows the use of various additional functions such as timers, special programs, etc.; but even without them, electronic control is usually more accurate and convenient mechanical. On the other hand, these hydromassage systems are expensive and quite difficult to install - because the control circuits require their own power, and the high humidity in the bathroom puts high demands on the safety of the connection.