Buying Guide
Rainfall Shower Head FAQs
Rainfall shower heads feature a larger face with more spray nozzles but less water pressure than standard shower heads offering a lusher, more “rainfall” like shower experience. We get a lot of questions from customers wondering if switching to a rainfall shower head requires renovation. See what our experts have to say:
Q: Will a rainfall shower head work in a regular 45-degree shower arm?
Yes and no. It will spray water and may even be a nice upgrade from your current shower head, but a rainfall shower head is designed to be an overhead shower head with its face horizontal to the ground so that the spray falls straight down, like rain. A rainfall shower head that isn't angled properly will have a noticeably weaker spray.
Q: What kind of shower arm does a rainfall shower head need?
The Four Types of Standard Shower Arms
There are two types of shower arms that optimize the performance of rainfall shower heads. The first is a ceiling arm which is a straight arm installed right in the ceiling. The second is a wall mount shower arm with a 90-degree bend. Depending on your shower's needs there are different variations and sizes for ceiling mount and wall mount shower arms. (Shopping tip: If you need a wall mount shower arm, be sure that it extends far enough from the wall for your particular shower head.)
Q: Is it easy to replace and install a new shower arm?
Yes. Just be sure that the size of your new shower arm is the same as your existing one (standard size is 1/2” NPT thread) so that you can use the existing elbow installed behind the shower wall.
Q: I'd like to install a rainfall shower head but don't have enough height where my existing wall mount shower arm is installed. Are there any solutions?
Yes, look for an S-shaped shower arm or other shape designed to add height specifically for rainfall shower heads.
