Short Description
Hand showers consists of a hand piece, a flexible hose, a wall mounted peg, wall bracket or slider rail, or tap fittings. A variety of hand held showers exist, some have an adjustable water flow. The handshower may be installed with a switchcock to allow the conventional shower hose to be used. Alternatively the shower arm is removed and replaced with any elbow to accept the hose fitting. Australian Standard AS 1428.1-2001 covers the fitting of handshowers in public buildings.
More Details
Points to consider when buying a hand held shower :
. Amount of plumbing changes to be made for installation
. Compatibility with current water system (some hand held showers require a mains pressure hot water system).
. Possibility of attaching a hand held shower to the bath taps
. Height at which to fit shower
. All plastic or plastic and metal hand piece.
. Length of hose.
. Nylon or metal hose (heat of water may make metal hose dangerous. Some people might find that the ridged metal style catches hair).
. Ease of adjustment of pressure (via shower head or taps).
. Ease of adjustment for one handed use.
. Weight of shower head.
. Ease of placing shower head on hook / into holder.
. Amount of water used.
Commonly found features :
. Rail mounting for adjustable height.
. Swivel mounting.
. Position of shower hook in fixed position on wall.
. Multi-position wall fixing.
Other available features :
. Finger tip stop control (on / off button or lever on the hand set turns off water without turning off taps).
. Hand held shower and existing shower hose can operate on one outlet (with switchcock).
. Hand shower suitable for tank water or gravity feed hot water systems
. Adjustable spray patterns with pressure ranging from fine to massage strength.
. Connectors which fit over existing bath / basin taps (rubber push on or screw tightened).
. Bath and shower combination (diverter knob is pulled and/or turned to divert water from bath to hand shower and back).
AVAILABLE SAFETY FEATURES:
. A hand held shower can be used in conjunction with a thermostatically controlled tap.
. Shower mounting rail as a grab rail with bracket to hold shower head.
Suggestions for those who sit to shower:
. Ensure that the hand held shower, and the taps are within reach from the shower seat.
. A tap connected hand shower may be useful for those who need to sit on a bath seat.
For further information, check Choice magazine, the Yellow Pages of the telephone book, or talk to a retailer.
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These are general suggestions - if you experience considerable difficulty in performing activities of daily living, consult an Occupational Therapist at a Community Health Centre or Aged Care Assessment Team, or make an appointment at the ILC.
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