Contents

    – Materials of a shower column

    – Which type of mixer: mechanical or thermostatic

    – 2 types of function settings

    – Flow rate and pressure

    – Installation of a shower column

    – The hydromassage shower column

    – Price of a shower column

The shower column is ideal for refurbishing your faucets with a single element. You are sure that the components will form a good whole aesthetically and technically.

On a shower column, several elements are brought together:

    – A mixing valve (mechanical or thermostatic)

    – A hand-held showerhead

    – A flexible hose

    – A head shower head

    – a shell that covers the connections

Some are a little more equipped:

    – one or more storage shelves

    – a spout for bathtub models

    – nozzles for a hydromassage shower column

Materials of a shower column

There are 5 main materials for the front of a column:

    – Most of the fronts are made of ABS plastic (molded plastic): resistant and easy to clean;

    – There are also aluminum: modern, but maintenance to avoid traces of limescale must be regular or almost daily;

    – Synthetic glass: must be guaranteed unbreakable to avoid any accident

    – Reconstituted stone with resin: very resistant;

    – Wood: teak or bamboo is an expensive material that will increase the final price but has an elegant finish.

The faucets will be in the classic materials of the elements sold separately:

    – That is, the shower hose is preferably made of metal (anti-limescale treated) or reinforced plastic.

    – The showerhead is made of ABS plastic with anti-limestone silicone pins.

    – And a mechanical or thermostatic brass mixer.

Which type of mixer: mechanical or thermostatic

There are 2 main types of mixing valves:

    – The mechanical mixer allows manual adjustment of the flow rate and temperature.

    – The thermostatic mixer is set at the programmed temperature, and blocking at 38°c allows to avoid burning.

2 types of function settings

Choose between shut-off valves and a function selector:

    – Stop valves are preferred, which control the shut-off of the various functions of the shower column. They allow several functions to be used simultaneously.

    – The function selector makes it necessary to choose between the different functions of the shower column.

Flow rate and pressure

A shower column can be connected to all hot water systems, provided that it has the proper pressure:

    – A supply with a pressure of at least 2 bars is required, ideally 3 bars.

    – For a pressure of 5 bars, we strongly recommend installing a pressure reducer.

    – For the shower column to work correctly, the water supply must be between 15 and 20 liters per minute.

    – If the pressure is not sufficient, you will not be able to operate several functions simultaneously.

Good to know: an instantaneous water heater requires an adapted shower column.

Installation of a shower column

You don’t need to do any exceptional plumbing; you only need to connect the water supply to the shower column.

The only constraint is the height of the shower column, the head shower and the hand shower must reach 10 cm above the head of the tallest person in the house.

The hydromassage shower column

Finding a shower column with no hydromassage function is becoming increasingly difficult.

Contrary to what one might think, a hydromassage shower column does not require an additional water supply or a greater flow rate than a standard shower stall.

The hydromassage shower column is composed of nozzles (water jets) arranged vertically on both sides of the column. The nozzles are adjustable and can be controlled manually or electronically.

Note: a hydromassage shower column is not recommended in an Italian shower, as the flow rate may be too high for the drainage system. 

Price of a shower column

Shower column price

Shower column	Entry-level	Mid-range	Top of the range
	$80 to $150	between $200 and $500	$1 000 and more