Comparison shower Systems

— Shower set. Kits including a mandatory shower set of accessories: hand shower (watering can, hose and, most often, fastening system in the form of hydromassage panels.

— Top shower. Kit consisting exclusively of the upper shower - a large watering can mounted over the head of the bather. Bathing under such a shower is not only more pleasant for many, but also allows you to free your hands, while flexible hose has to be held in hand. And although for manual hoists are also available fasteners that allow you to install them on the wall above the head, but a specialized upper shower is better for this - a large watering can be more effective.

— Shower system. Somewhat expanded version of shower set: the equipment of shower system includes not only a hand-held watering box with a hose, but also an upper shower or a bar-pipe for the installation of a separately purchased watering can of the upper shower. There are also , shower systems with vent, the design o...f which includes an appropriate drain.

— Hydromassage panel. The device is in the form of a wall panel with hydromassage nozzles. The mixer is integrated into the same panel, another practically mandatory element of the equipment is the upper shower (cf. «Complete»). Hydromassage is not only pleasant in itself - it contributes to the normalization of metabolism and can have a soothing or tonic effect, depending on the settings. However, it should be borne in mind that for the normal operation of hydromassage panels usually require a fairly high pressure in the water supply - at least 4-5 atm.

— Hand shower. Separately sold nozzle for flexible shower hose. This item can be useful in the case that the existing watering can be broken, or its characteristics do not suit you (recall, shower watering can differ in the features of the jet, have different settings, and so on. N.).

— Hygienic shower head. Separately sold nozzle for hygienic shower. The shower itself is used to wash parts of the body - for example, the groin area after a visit to the toilet. This type of watering can be distinguished from conventional manual (see above) by two features: a small diameter and a shut-off valve, thanks to which water comes from the watering can only by pressing a special button or lever. This allows you to carefully process the desired areas of the body and accurately dose water.

— Hygienic set. Kits, including both a hygienic watering can (see above) and a hose, as well as a fixing for a watering can be provided for, but these are mandatory). Hygienic kits, in fact, is analogous to the showers described above and fundamentally differ only in the type of watering.

The length of hose for the shower head be supplied with a shower system of one type or another (see above). In most modern models, this parameter is about 140 - 160 cm - it is enough that even a tall man could easily rinse completely, from the top. In addition, some hoses can stretch 20-30% of their original length. So in practice, it is worth paying attention to the length of the hose except in special cases - for example, if the system is bought for a very spacious bathroom and you need a shower with an increased «radius of action».

— Double lever. Classic version with two separate swivel taps, one of which is responsible for hot water, the second - for cold. The advantages of twin-valve mixers are simplicity, reliability and accuracy of temperature setting. On the other hand, they are less easy to adjust than single-piece.

— Single lever (joystick). One lever capable of moving in two planes is responsible for all adjustments in such mixers. When moving in one plane (usually right-left) the temperature is adjusted in the other (up-down or from itself - on itself) - pressure. In addition, such a mixer allows you to «remember» a certain variant of temperature - it is enough to close the water without moving the lever in another plane. But tuning accuracy in such models may be lower than in two-valve.

— Thermostatic. Mixers equipped with a thermostat - a mechanism for maintaining a constant temperature of water at the outlet. This is the most advanced and convenient option, but expensive. It is enough for the user to choose the desired temperature (in degrees) and pressure, and the thermostat will automatically adjust the proportion of hot and cold water. There are models both classic with swivel regulators and thermostatic with button (read more about the button below).

— Buttoning on. Type of mixers con...trolled by pressing a button. This way a certain amount of water is supplied, which helps to save money.

— Single-valve. A variety found in hygiene kits (cf. «Type»). In fact, such a device is not a mixer, but simply a tap designed only to open and close the water. The idea behind this design is that only cold water is often used for hygienic showers, for which one valve is sufficient.

— Hand shower. In this case, both manual and hygienic watering can be assumed (cf. «Type»), and in some sets - both at once. However, regardless of the type, the watering can be a key element for most shower systems: it is not only used to supply water, but also plays the role of a handle and provides ease of handling.

— Top shower (tropical). The top shower has the appearance of a fixed or inactive watering can of a large diameter, so that the water flows on the bathing above (hence the name). The classic installation option is a rigid pipe-bracket (it can be either ceiling bracket, or wall bracket), but there are other options such as embedding directly into the ceiling; The attachments may or may not be included in the package. Note that this device can be completed not only sets such as «upper shower», but also shower systems and hydromassage panels (see more. «Type»).

— Tap. The device to regulate the pressure and temperature of the water (in common parlance often called a «tap» or «taps», although taps are only one of the elements of the mixer). Shower system with such a device can be useful if there is no mixer in the bathroom or it requires replacement. It should be borne in mind that the complete faucets are most often designed only for the supply of water to the watering pads...and do not have a spill (although there are exceptions).

— Stand/rod. Construction in the form of a vertical pipe attached to the wall of the bathroom or shower/box. Such a pipe can be installed as a watering box for the upper shower, as well as a fixing for a hand-held watering can be provided in some sets both options. Also, the rack can be useful for placing additional accessories - for example, shelves or mirrors.

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— Shower hose. Classic flexible shower hose that is attached to a hand or hygiene watering can. The hoses may be of different lengths, but most often this difference is not critical. See details above.

— Shower head mount. Attachment for manual or hygienic watering. Such a device significantly simplifies storage during non-working hours. It should be noted that the attachments for manual covers can be installed at high altitude, which allows the attachment placed in such a device to be used as an improvised upper shower. The installation method can also vary: some fastenings are fixed to the wall, others are mounted on the post/bar (see above) and can move up and down. But fastenings for hygienic hoists are quite standard, they only assume a fixed installation on the wall.

— Shelf. Its own shelf for the accommodation of sauna accessories: shower gels, shampoos, sponges, etc. Its size is usually quite small, but it allows you to keep everything you need for swimming, which is called, at hand. As a rule, the shelf is attached to the rack (see above). The exception are hydromassage panels (see «Type»), but only because the role of the rack is played directly by the panel.

— Soap dish. Special place for storing hard soap. Usually has the form of a small concave shelf with holes or a lattice basket, so that the soap does not fall out and does not «stinger» in the accumulated water. Soap boxes are only found in shower systems with racks/bars (see above).

— Bracket. The bracket in this case is called the part for fixing an item to the wall or ceiling. In shower sets, brackets are mainly used to attach the upper shower or hydromassage panels (cf. «Type»). They can be installed on the wall or on the ceiling.

The main material used in the design of the shower system.

— Brass. Copper based alloy with zinc additive. Due to a number of features is quite common in shower systems, used in models of almost all price categories. Not all brass varieties are resistant to corrosion, but the situation is easily remedied by the use of appropriate coatings (see below). The Russian Federation has made a significant contribution to this process.

— Aluminium. Aluminium-based alloys are lightweight, and they are durable, durable and corrosion resistant. On the other hand, the cost of this material is quite high, so it is used mainly in premium models.

— Stainless steel. Very strong, reliable and resistant material, not susceptible to corrosion even when the protective coating is damaged (up to the fact that some products of «stainless steel» have no special coating). On the other hand, steel costs significantly more than coated brass, and the described resistance is not a decisive advantage. Therefore, this material is typical mainly for premium products (and even in them it is often combined with ABS plastic parts).

— ABS plastic. A kind of plastic with good strength and impact properties. In addition, this material is absolutely insensitive to moisture and quite durable (though, in the absence of ultraviolet - but i...t is not uncommon in modern bathrooms, where windows are either absent or have small sizes). True plastic, although it weighs less, and costs less than most alloys - still loses them in reliability. Therefore, as the main material for shower systems it is almost not used.

— Acrylic. Polymer material, in fact - a high-quality variety of plastic, familiar to many by modern baths. In many features similar to the ABS plastic described above - in particular, absolutely not afraid of water and weighs relatively little. At the same time, acrylic is much stronger, which allows you to use it even as the main material of hydromassage panels (see. «Type»). On the other hand, this material is significantly more expensive than plastic, weighs more, and still inferior in strength to most metals. Therefore, it was not particularly common in the shower systems.

— Glass. Quite unusual for shower systems material used in some hydromassage panels. Made of glass is usually the case of such a panel, other accessories (upper shower, watering can, etc. made of metal.). Such enclosures have an unusual and stylish appearance, they fit well into bathrooms with advanced modern design. This glass is completely insensitive to moisture. The main drawback of this material is considered fragility, but such a view is not entirely justified: glass in shower systems has a large thickness, and it may refer to a high-strength hardened grade. As a result, you can only crack such a product with a very strong blow; it is difficult, even if you initially set such a goal. At the same time, glass cases have no noticeable practical advantages over metal, and are much more expensive. Therefore, this variant is very rare, mainly in design models created in anticipation of unusual design.

— Silumin. A variety of aluminium alloys with a high silicon content. Silumin is characterized by high corrosion resistance, good durability, but is quite fragile and does not tolerate strong impacts, which is why it is used very rarely, mainly in low-cost models.

Note that in addition to the main material, there are usually other - for example, a brass watering can have an insert of ABS plastic. In addition, the properties of the shell are determined not only by the material itself, but also by the type of its coating (see below). In addition, the design of the casing is determined by the material.

Type of coating used in the shower system. Note that quite a lot of models are available in several coating options - mainly to allow the user to choose the most attractive in appearance option.

— Chrome. Typical mirror coating applied to various metal surfaces for corrosion protection. At low cost, chromium is resistant not only to moisture and other similar effects, but also to mechanical damage - scratches, cracks, etc. From its disadvantages it is worth noting some obscuring with time (in particular, due to the appearance of prints)However, this is a purely aesthetic, not a functional moment, and it is quite correctable (although it requires some effort).

— Chrome with gold. Chrome coating, usually classic shiny (see above), supplemented with separate gilded elements. This design gives the headset a rich and attractive appearance. On the other hand, the use of gold is expensive, so this option is found mainly among premium models.

— Matt chrome. The type of chrome coating described above has a matte (not ceramic) surface. With the same basic properties as classical chrome, the matte coating is much less prone to the appearance of prints and loss of «presentation»; in addition, it can be useful for rooms with original interior design. On the other hand, matte chrome is more difficult to produce, and therefore costs more and is less common....

— Gold. Coating of alloy imitating the appearance of gold. As a rule, it is not a 100% match in appearance, but the golden surface looks quite attractive and can be useful for bathrooms with an original design. In this case, the used alloys are generally quite resistant to corrosion and are quite durable, and are much cheaper than gold.

— Brass. The brass coating gives the product a characteristic golden shade, which looks original and fits well into the interior of the «retro» style, and the varieties of brass used in such cases have all the properties necessary for shower systems - in particular, strength and resistance to moisture. The drawbacks of this option include high prices and the appearance of prints over time that are difficult to remove.

— Nickel. The main properties of the nickel coating are similar to classical mirror chromium, but for a number of technical reasons are relatively rare.

— Bronze. Bronze gives the product a characteristic appearance «under the old». At the same time, it does not have other notable advantages over more traditional chrome coatings, and it is much more expensive, because of which it is used exclusively in «designer» models of shower systems (and even in them it is extremely rare).

— Stainless steel. Stainless steel has excellent anti-corrosion properties, but is not suitable for use as a coating material. Therefore, in this case, as a rule, we mean products of «stainless steel» (cf. «Material»), without any coatings - that is, the surface consists of the same material as the rest of the body. For a number of reasons (notably because of the high cost of steel), this option was not very common.

There are many national stereotypes: many users find certain countries more attractive than others. However, nowadays these stereotypes are practically unfounded. Firstly, in the country of origin of the brand, often only the headquarters of the manufacturer is located, and the production may be located in another state. Secondly, the origin of a certain country is not yet a guarantee of quality: it all depends on how carefully a particular manufacturer controls its products. Therefore, to assess the quality, it is worth focusing not on “nationality”, but first of all on the reputation of a particular brand and the price category of the product. Among the countries represented are the following: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Denmark, India, Spain, Italy, China, Lithuania, Poland, USA, Turkey, Finland, France, Czech Republic, Sweden.