Shower heads, in their most basic form, are nothing more than nozzles attached to the end of a water pipe that help break the man water flow into smaller streams. This helps to broaden the coverage area of the water output, as well as create a more suitable water pressure for bathing purposes. The design is simple and straightforward, ideal for anyone seeking the use of a shower head for its simplest purpose. Consumer demand, over the years, has led manufacturers to alter the design of the basic shower head in order to provide a greater level of convenience, as well as features and options. These variations helped lead to the creation of hand held shower heads.
What Is A Handheld Shower Head?
Handheld shower heads work on the same basic principle that a standard water head does. They are designed to connect to the water source and alter the method of output the flow takes on. Instead of being connected in a fixed manner onto the plumbing pipe, however, they are attached to the water source via a long, flexible hose or tube. There is a bracket just above where the hose is connected that is designed to hold the hand held shower head in place when a stationary position is desired. The shower head can be removed form the bracket, as needed, in order to allow for a greater coverage area. This is the basic design of the hand held shower head, although there are several variations of the design on the market as well.
What Types Of Handheld Shower Heads Are There?
While the basic hand held shower head serves a variety of uses, consumer needs continued to lead to further modifications to add to the convenience offered by the product.
One of the first changes came in the form of variable pressure. There was a lever or switch installed on the shower head that allowed the user to move between high pressure and low pressure water streams. High pressure was typically preferred for heavier showering needs, while low pressure provided a more relaxing feel, also perfect for bathing infants or small children.
Not satisfied with simply two setting choices, multi setting shower heads quickly emerged onto the market. While lower end models typically contain three basic settings, higher end designs can contain as many as ten or more various water output settings. The three basic settings are often low pressure, high pressure, and massage. In essence, this adds only one additional feature to the existing variable pressure head. The massage setting was often defined by its pulsating water action, alternating between low and high pressure outputs at a set rhythm to produce a more relaxing sensation to ease sore or tired muscles. Higher end devices were equipped with a much larger variety of setting choices, however, they were typically just variations off the basic three output types.
When it comes to shower head accessories, some hand held devices were marketed that came equipped with various add on head components. Devices such as scrub brushes could be snapped or screwed onto the hand held portion of the shower head, allowing the bather to use the unit for scrubbing purposes, as well as simply bathing. Other types included exfoliating pads, skin buffers, and other beauty related components, typically marketed towards female consumers.
Why Are Handheld Shower Heads Popular?
The popularity of hand held showers is driven by several uses provided by the units. They not only offer a wider range of coverage options, they allow the user to project the water output exactly where they need it. With standard, fixed shower heads, bathers were required to contort their bodies in order to have the water reach the areas they needed it to. They also helped to assist individuals with mobility issues, allowing the shower head to be extended to the lower levels of the shower area when support chairs or bathing wheel chairs were in use.
For practical purposes, hand held units also serve a number of non-traditional uses. These can include things such as bathing the family pet. It is much easier, after all, to bring the water spray down to your pet than it is to bring your pet to the water. Hand held devices also come in handy for cleaning purposes. Their mobility and extended reach make it easy to rinse cleaners off the tile surfaces, as well as be able to reach the rear sections of the bathtub. Spot cleaning is also a breeze, allowing the user the ability to concentrate the water flow on specific areas that may need a touch up cleaning on occasion.
Related posts:
Trackbacks /
Pingbacks