Bathroom shower: Fixed & Handheld, a complete guide to purchase and maintenance
As the saying goes: Wash clothes and take a bath frequently, and dry your bedding frequently to reduce the risk of disease. Bathing may seem like a daily cleaning behavior, but it is actually very beneficial to the human body. In addition to removing dirt from the body, it can also reduce the stress brought by a day’s life and work. Taking a hot shower before bed can not only eliminate a day’s fatigue, but also help you sleep.
If you want to take a hot shower, whether you are on a business trip or at home, you can’t do without the protagonist we are going to introduce today – bathroom shower.
- Fixed shower
Showers are divided into handheld showers and fixed showers. Fixed showers are generally fixed on the side or top of the user. The most common one is fixed on the top, which is what we often call a top shower.
If you like the feeling of your whole body being surrounded by water, you can adjust it to the top shower mode through the conversion switch, and you can enjoy a wide range of “rain showers”. Do students who like top showers feel guilty when using them? Will such a large water outlet area waste precious water resources?
In fact, there is no need to worry too much. According to the Chinese national standard (different countries have different standards) GB/T 23447-2009, when the shower is turned on, the internal water flow state is regulated by pressure: when the dynamic pressure of all showers is 0.1Mpa, the flow rate must be less than or equal to 0.15L/s (9 liters per minute); when the dynamic pressure is 0.3Mpa, the flow rate must be less than or equal to 0.20L/s (12 liters per minute).
Handheld showers and overhead showers are within this requirement range. Because the top spray has more water outlets, the dynamic pressure at the outlet will be small, and the flow rate will be reduced accordingly. In general, the flow rate of the overhead spray may be larger than that of the handheld, but it will not be too different. In order to meet the requirements of the standard and reduce everyone’s concerns about wasting water resources, manufacturers will spend a lot of time on design to reduce the water flow rate.
- Handheld showerhead
Compared to the single mode of overhead spray, handheld showerheads have many ways of discharging water. Different showerheads have different ways of discharging water. Here are some common ways of discharging water for handheld showerheads. You can choose according to your preferences:
- Rain showerhead, which has multiple water outlets and achieves the effect of large-area water discharge from different angles, just like the feeling of being showered in the rain. It is the most common way of discharging water from showerheads.
- Spray showerhead, which has a very small aperture and a special channel, and has a water flow like a drizzle, and the force hitting the body is very light.
- Massage showerhead, which has a relatively concentrated and strong water flow, and indirect water discharge.
- Gentle showerhead, which has a relatively slow water discharge speed and a very gentle touch, is more suitable for children or pregnant women to use when bathing.
- Bubble showerhead, which uses air injection technology. This method uses relatively less water and has a good feel.
- Various performances of bathroom showerheads
Bathroom showerheads are such a commonly used item with a relatively simple structure. Do you think that there should be no requirements for its production? Then you are totally wrong. Let me tell you something about its complexity.
Not only does it use the same water system as daily water, but it also works in a high temperature and high humidity environment, which makes its requirements more stringent. Putting aside the appearance quality, assembly performance, mechanical strength, average spray angle and spray uniformity, in addition to the flow requirements mentioned above, the national standard (different countries have different standards) GB/T 23447-2009 has many requirements, such as:
- Showers with spray mode conversion function and spherical connection swing function must complete 10,000 cycle tests when the water supply temperature is less than 30°C and a certain dynamic water pressure.
- In the sealing performance test, it must be maintained at 0.05Mpa and 0.5Mpa dynamic pressure for 5 minutes respectively, and there should be no water leakage at the connection parts of each component.
- In the temperature drop test, under a certain water inlet temperature and dynamic pressure, the temperature difference between 150mm and 750mm below the shower cannot exceed 3 degrees Celsius.
- It also experiences cold and heat fatigue resistance, overall tensile strength, safety performance, etc.
- There are also high requirements for the quality of materials and surface coatings and plating: the material should not pollute the water quality; corrosive materials are not allowed; the product is subjected to 90℃ hot water for 1 minute; the smell of water does not change; the coating and plating must be resistant to rapid cold and heat; after 24 hours of acid salt spray test; the appearance grade must reach level 9 in GB/T 6461-2002 (the affected area is less than 0.1% of the total area).
Knowing so many secrets of bathroom showers, is it particularly safe to hold it when taking a hot shower!
- Purchase Guide
In addition to appearance and function, how to choose the quality of bathroom showers?
- Look at the appearance. A good shower head has a uniform and smooth appearance without flaws. The surface connection is tight and smooth without gaps. The edges and corners are rounded and chamfered.
- Look at the material. At present, most of the shower heads on the market are mainly copper, which has good antibacterial properties. When purchasing, you can observe that the panel spray holes are uniform in size, without bumps and concave, and the panel is flat. There are also panels made of plastic. This material has many styles, is light and corrosion-resistant, and is more affordable. When purchasing, you need to check that the spray holes are arranged neatly and are not blocked.
- Look at the valve core. The water pressure and water flow are generally controlled by the valve core. The choice of the valve core will affect the service life and smoothness of the shower head. Generally, the ceramic valve core is better, which not only has good sealing and avoids dripping problems, but also is more wear-resistant. When purchasing, you can experience the smoothness by rotating the switch.
Tips:
Bathroom shower heads can be used for many years if they are properly maintained. It is generally recommended to clean the shower head regularly according to the frequency of use. You can use the silicone of the shower head outlet by hand, and some debris will be flushed out of the small hole when the water comes out. If the shower head is not used for a long time, you can use a needle to clear the shower outlet.
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