Shower Heads and Arms

Q. "Do you sell any showerheads that completely shut off water flow?"
A. No, and we are not aware of any showerheads that have the ability to completely stop water flow. With your shower valve still open and the showerhead completely closed, it is possible for hot water to force itself into the cold water line. Once the showerhead is opened again, only hot water flows for a moment, creating a risk of scalding. Showerheads are normally manufactured to dribble a small amount and prevent this from occurring.

Q. "Do all of your heads deliver 2.5gpm?"
A. Yes, at 80psi all do (unless it specifically states otherwise). If your house has less pressure than 80psi (while the head is operating) then you might get less volume than 2.5gpm.

Q. "Why can't I buy a showerhead that puts out more water?"
A. It is now a federal law that all showerheads sold in the United States must be low-flow.

Q. "How can I prevent my children from getting scalded in the shower?"
A. We sell numerous scald-guard protection products. See our scald-guard page.

Q. "My showerhead is off-center when it is tightened. How can I center it without leaks?"
A. Back it off until it is centered; then count the number of turns it takes to remove it. Reapply lots of PTFE thread sealing tape (clockwise), then thread the showerhead onto the arm the same number of turns that it took to remove it.

Q. "Do you sell a shower head with an easily removable flow reducer?"
A. Due to Federal energy savings laws we may not sell a shower head where the water restrictor is "easily removable.

Q. "My shower arm is broken off in the wall. What can I do?"
A. This is a common problem with brass shower arms. Brass shower arms do not have a very thick wall as compared to normal galvanized or brass or stainless steel nipples because water flows through them without being under constant pressure. Brass or plastic shower arms can easily break in the wall due to stress from weight, movement, length of the arm, etc. It's usually fairly easy to take the broken nipple out if you have the right tool. Most spiral type easy outs and cam type pipe extractors will not remove the thin walled shower arms. The 1/2" ips Internal Nipple Wrench works best for this application. Be careful to not damage the female threads on the 90 degree elbow inside the wall. If you have a leak in this area, you probably wouldn't be aware of it until the leak has done damage. Look with a flashlight to make sure the threads are still good on the fitting inside the wall, and be sure to use lots of PTFE thread sealing tape on your new shower arm.

Q. "Do you sell an extension for my 1/2" shower arm?"
A. As shown above we sell longer than standard shower arms. We also sell 1/2" chrome nipples and chrome couplings. To go to our chrome page just click here.

Q. "I have low water pressure, can I adapt these showerheads?"
A. ALL of the showerheads on this page will reduce your pressure somewhat due to friction loss, and legal (federal law) flow restrictors. If your water supply pressure is marginal then these great showerheads are not for you. If you have standard 45-50 or more psi then these heads will deliver (unless specifically stated otherwise) near the legal maximum of 2.5 gallons per minute. Some people find that 2.5 gpm is not enough for what they are "used to." If you are looking for shower heads that deliver more than the legal maximum limit then please don't order any of our showerheads as we only sell products that are legal for the United States. We are mentioning this 2.5gpm question a number of times here because not getting enough water volume out of showerheads is probably the most asked question that we get. There are many people that demand more water and we simply do not wish to violate any laws by offering showerheads that can deliver more than 2.5 gpm. Please do not expect that you can increase the volume on our showerheads. If you need more than 2.5 gpm for your shower head, please do not order ours. 95% of our customers are happy with 2.5 gpm but if you need more volume or you have low water pressure then please do not expect to get 2.5 gpm from our showerheads.

Q. "Does the showerhead I ordered swivel, or do I need an additional part for it to do so?"
A. It is rare for a showerhead not to have a swivel feature unless its position adjustment is in the shower arm or it is a "flat" model that is meant to be installed parallel to the floor. With the exception of those mentioned, some industrial models and most handshowers, standard-style showerheads generally come with a built-in swivel feature.