Last Updated on October 9, 2022 by Barry Gray
Taking a shower is not simply about personal hygiene. It can also be a time out or a way to rinse away the day’s stresses. Either way, your shower should be aesthetically pleasing and give you the type of shower experience that you enjoy. Ceiling showerheads and wall-mounted ones can provide different shower experiences, so which is better for your bathroom?
Ceiling shower heads give a chic, modern look to a bathroom and produce soft rain-like droplets. Most wall-mounted showers have adjustable settings, suitable for different family members. Some people install both in their showers. Whether one is superior to the other is a matter of personal taste.
If you close your eyes, you could almost believe you’re standing in a soft (but warm) summer rain. Ceiling showerheads look elegant and can give that spa-like feeling to your bathroom. Some people prefer a strong jet of water that almost stings their neck and shoulders as it massages with its force. They both offer benefits and drawbacks, but there are options for all shower lovers.
Is A Ceiling Showerhead Better Than From The Wall?
Whether you’re redecorating an old bathroom or building a new one from scratch, you want your shower to flow with the style you’re going for. It also needs to give you the water pressure and shower experience that’s right for you and your family.
Your bathroom should be designed to your satisfaction if you’re a homeowner. Plumbing and bathroom fittings are costly to change, so you should carefully consider how you kit out your bathroom and shower.
For Aesthetics
In terms of showerheads, nothing says “luxury” quite like the overhead rainfall types. They are modern-looking and elegant, creating an impression of spaciousness as the eye is drawn upwards. They are larger than the typical wall-mounted showerheads. They can be an attractive focal piece in the center of the shower.
Wall-mounted showerheads tend to be more functional-looking than ceiling showerheads. However, although you would still reach for the best-looking finishes that suit your design, the showerhead still only plays a small part in the bathroom’s appearance.
For Water Pressure
Your average ceiling showerhead is much larger than the wall-mounted type but still uses the same amount of water. Simple math explains why these showerheads have a gentle flow: water delivered across a larger surface will have less pressure than the same amount coming through a smaller surface. This is why they are called rainfall showers.
Traditionally wall-mounted showerheads are smaller and have more settings to adjust the water flow to suit individual showering preferences. The smaller the head and the fewer the nozzles, the stronger the water flows. If you prefer a strong jet of water that massages you or at least rinses the shampoo out of your hair easily, then you are more likely to enjoy a wall-mounted showerhead.
The Energy Policy Act of 1992 restricted the flow rate of showerheads made and sold in the USA. The maximum permitted flow is 2.5 gallons per minute with 80 pounds per square inch water pressure.
Showerheads sold just after this was mandated provided totally inadequate pressure. The spray was hardly strong enough to give you a warm shower in winter. Modern designers have learned to compensate by including unique pressure-regulating mechanisms and placing outlet holes in specific areas.
For Costs
When upgrading an existing bathroom, the expense of relaying plumbing to install a ceiling showerhead will usually be expensive. This may be less of an issue if you’re building a new bathroom from scratch.
For Variety
Showerheads installed on the ceiling mainly fit into the rainfall category, although there are varieties that have adjustable pressure settings. Many people feel that these still do not operate at the same pressure as the wall-mounted types.
More options are available for wall-mountable showerheads than for the ceiling-mountable type. These are some of the wall-mounted varieties:
- Fixed showerheads are attached to the wall via an arm that extends from the wall. They come with various features such as rain, massage, and water-saving. They can easily be changed by unscrewing the head and replacing it with another one.
- Hand-held showers are attached to a hose and rest in their cradles when not in your hands. They can substitute for a fixed showerhead but are also helpful for washing pets and children or cleaning the bathtub.
- Water-saving showerheads use minimal amounts of water because they are first aerated and then boosted to give the impression of dispensing more water.
- Showerheads with different spray patterns can be adjusted to massage, rain, pulse, aeration, mist, etc.
Things To Consider When Selecting A Showerhead
Choosing a ceiling showerhead may appear straightforward, but you should consider the following criteria before deciding.
- Is there enough space? If you’re considering a ceiling shower head, check whether your shower stall or tub is large enough to cope with so much “rainwater.” Because the showerhead is larger, it will wet a larger area of your bathroom.
- Wall or ceiling? Initially, all rainfall showerheads were installed on the ceiling. But because this plumbing can be expensive, wall-mounted rainfall showerheads have become more popular. They come with a wall-mountable arm that extends overhead and still gives you the rainfall-type experience.
- Size: ceiling shower heads can be between 6 and 12 inches wide. If your plumbing works off a lower water pressure, a smaller head with fewer nozzles mounted on the wall would be your best option.
- Function. Consider the type of dispersal that suits you and your family. Decide if you prefer a forceful and stimulating spray or a calm and gentle one? If you’re the only shower user, simply choose a shower head that you like. If you have a family, consider the multi-functional heads that can be adjusted to suit everyone’s preferences.
Conclusion
Do you love the feeling of soft, warm raindrops falling over you from overhead? And do you not mind that your hair and entire body get wet simultaneously? Then a ceiling showerhead might suit you. Though not as elegant as the ceiling showerhead, a wall-mounted one is much more versatile, and some have the rainfall option. In my humble opinion, versatility wins over elegance and rain.
