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Serviceable Hand Held shower Head

Grallert
Grallert Member Posts: 989
edited September 4 in Plumbing

As our school year opens today with the arrival of nearly 170 boarding students We go through dozens of hand held shower heads among a ton of other things. The plumbing is old and never gets a break. Is there a serviceable shower head out there? I find that debris gets through the strainers and blocks the small orifices' in the head. This seems like something that could be addressed. I hate buying boxes of these things only to through them away every six months. The rub is even the "good" heads get broken some how.

So I get decent looking inexpensive ones knowing their future.

The house keepers really like the hand helds because they can spray down the shower stalls and I like to keep the house keepers happy.

Thanks for your in put

Miss Hall's School service mechanic, greenhouse manager, teacher, dog walker and designated driver

Comments

  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 14,246

    Grohe/Hansgrohe makes some lines where you can buy the parts al le carte.

  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 7,016

    Whole house water filter. I could use one myself.

    Grallertnate379
  • Grallert
    Grallert Member Posts: 989

    That's on the list but pretty far down. We have approximately 45 showers and as many sinks and toilets. Big house.

    Miss Hall's School service mechanic, greenhouse manager, teacher, dog walker and designated driver

  • Larry Weingarten
    Larry Weingarten Member Posts: 3,960

    Hi, Is it grit or hardness buildup? If the latter, maybe soaking the showerheads in vinegar and rinsing out might give them more life? I've done that in my hard water area with good results.

    Yours, Larry

    GGross
  • Grallert
    Grallert Member Posts: 989

    It's grit. All the original domestic is brass. I can't tell what the grit is though it's not sand or at least I don't think it's sand. Doesn't look like it. It could be coming from the city or from the miles of piping.

    Miss Hall's School service mechanic, greenhouse manager, teacher, dog walker and designated driver

  • Karl Reynolds
    Karl Reynolds Member Posts: 78

    Maybe a spin down filter by a company named Rusco or others would help.

    Grallert
  • Grallert
    Grallert Member Posts: 989

    That's not a bad idea. For at least some of the dozens of showers we have.

    Miss Hall's School service mechanic, greenhouse manager, teacher, dog walker and designated driver

  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 14,246

    Might be able to put a strainer in the shower arm somewhere depending on what kind of space you have.

  • Intplm.
    Intplm. Member Posts: 2,730
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1864064#Comment_1864064

    It should be at the top of your list. This is the problem. It's the water, not the shower heads. Have the water tested and correct the problem at the source.

  • cm6230
    cm6230 Member Posts: 16

    they do make filters to go right on the shower arm. For example I know Home Depot has one. The brand is sprite I believe. You can try to take the o ring out of the flow restrictor or the plastic screen.

  • Grallert
    Grallert Member Posts: 989
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1864463#Comment_1864463

    Easier said than done

    Miss Hall's School service mechanic, greenhouse manager, teacher, dog walker and designated driver

  • Intplm.
    Intplm. Member Posts: 2,730
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1865286#Comment_1865286

    I'm sorry to hear that. It really shouldn't be. Afterall. You are working very hard on this issue, and you shouldn't have to go to such great lengths.

    If it is debris in the water, a simple particle filter should help. You can install it at the water main or at the point of use. I can hazard a guess that you are going through quite the expense the way you are doing it now. So much so that you could have paid for a filter system.

    Install something like this.

    OIP.jpg
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 14,246

    a big strainer would probably catch what is clogging the shower heads. the service may be a couple inches.

  • Grallert
    Grallert Member Posts: 989

    37 bathrooms on four floors each with two toilets at least two basins and at least two showers and a commercial kitchen open 350 days. Brick building turned 100 last year and 90% of the pipe is threaded brass with no access for point of use. I could install filtration at each of the riser stacks to the floors above. But the cost. I understand it's doable and I understand the cheap shower heads are wasteful. But at this point the cost of installing a whole house filter is prohibitive.

    Miss Hall's School service mechanic, greenhouse manager, teacher, dog walker and designated driver

  • Grallert
    Grallert Member Posts: 989
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1865342#Comment_1865342

    Our service is 3"

    Miss Hall's School service mechanic, greenhouse manager, teacher, dog walker and designated driver

  • Larry Weingarten
    Larry Weingarten Member Posts: 3,960

    Hi, Have you been able to collect any of this debris that's causing problems? If this stuff settles, I'm wondering if a settling tank, or chamber where flow is slowed a lot, might give it a chance to precipitate out? No doubt there would be trouble and expense, but think of it as a brainstorming exercise. Also, is this stuff magnetic? That would give another approach… 🤔

    Yours, Larry

  • Grallert
    Grallert Member Posts: 989

    I really do appreciate everyone's input here. I'll check for magnetism and collect some of the debris.

    Miss Hall's School service mechanic, greenhouse manager, teacher, dog walker and designated driver

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