Today it is impossible to surprise anyone with such a device as a shower. However, not so long ago, a new product appeared: in showers and bathtubs a real tropical downpour is simulated! This device was called a “tropical shower”.
As a rule, a rain shower outlet is built directly into the corner of the bathroom ceiling or above the shower stall (by the way, there is no need to get rid of regular shower with hose).
Important! A diverter is a switch that redirects the flow of water from one pipe to another.
Materials and tools
In order to make such a device yourself, you will need:
- firstly, of course, the rain shower outlet itself (the sizes of the sides vary, the minimum is 20cm by 20cm);
- mixer, diverter;
- metal hooks for fastening pipes;
- PVC pipes, half inch (16 mm) in diameter;
- tools: hacksaw or pipe cutter, pliers, hammer, chisels, hammer drill, gas wrench;
Sequence of work
Assembly/installation of the rain shower should begin during or before renovating the walls in the shower room or bathroom. Because at the first stage it will be necessary to hollow out grooves in the wall for hidden pipe installation.
Important! Grooves are hollowed-out grooves in the walls, floor or ceiling, in which they are subsequently laid plumbing pipes or electrical cable.
- All you need to do is hollow out one groove for the pipe going to the shower outlet. This groove along the wall should start at the level of the fixed mixer, go to the ceiling and along the ceiling - from the wall to the place where the shower outlet is attached.
- A diverter must be installed above the mixer level. It will redirect the water coming from the faucet either to the head of a regular shower with a hose, or to the outlet of a rain shower. This eliminates the need to install an additional mixer.
- The vertical (wall) pipe section is connected to the ceiling pipe angle with internal thread. Before assembly, the threaded parts are treated with sealant or wrapped with sealing tape. The pipe is secured in the groove with metal hooks.
- Then, we connect the diverter to the water supply. Water is supplied to the inlet from the mixer, and to the outlet there is a pipe that goes to the socket of the rain shower, as well as flexible hose ordinary shower heads.
- We fix the shower socket on the ceiling, at the level of the future suspended ceiling. We connect the socket with a water pipe laid in the groove.
In the future, the hollowed out groove with the pipe laid in it will be covered with elements with decorative surface(For example - tiles), or covered with plaster.
At this point, the installation of “tropical rain” is completed.
Conclusion
Such a shower, in addition to creating pleasant emotions, has a lot of beneficial properties. For example:reduces stress, promotes better muscle relaxation, gently massages skin covering, normalizes peripheral blood circulation, and simply invigorates.
Just imagine: not a separate shower stream gushing from a small watering can, but a stream of water falling from the ceiling. It creates the complete illusion of being under a powerful tropical downpour or a small rain of large drops.
In such a shower, due to aeration, the flow is divided into many small drops, saturated with air bubbles, the direction of fall of which is usually strictly vertical.
We can talk for a long time about the attractiveness of a stationary ceiling shower, but it is much easier to experience the comfort and anti-stress effect of its use at least once. If the choice fell to the side tropical watering can- let's understand the intricacies of installation and installation of rough plumbing for its correct connection.
What is the essence of a rain shower
Unlike a simple shower head that emits thin, continuous streams of water, a rain shower works differently. Due to a special design, water is mixed with air and immediately thrown out. Due to aeration, the flow is divided into many small drops saturated with air bubbles, the direction of fall of which is usually strictly vertical.
Multi-mode heads and headsets should not be confused with tropical showers. Despite the similar effect, there are a number of significant differences. The first thing that catches your eye is the difference in size: the tropical watering can is much larger than the combined one, it creates a dense curtain of drops that practically do not dissipate. The width of such a rain column can reach half a meter, and sometimes more. It is also impossible not to notice that most of the “bars” for tropical showers do not have aeration, and this is a very significant factor in comfort.
Other characteristic feature- relatively low water consumption. Despite the fact that the watering can covers a really large area, the flow is represented by small drops, the density of which is reduced due to air bubbles. It turns out that almost the entire body is in contact with a dispersed suspension of water in the air, but the flow is less than that of a standard watering can with a similar dispersion area and flow density.
Subtleties of arranging a shower stall
But let's focus on installation nuances. You should plan the installation of a rain shower in advance, simultaneously ensuring the necessary shape and size of the shower compartment. The big pitfall here lies in the fact that there is a connecting pipe of quite a long length between the mixer and the shower. Because of this, setting the temperature, even with a thermostat, occurs with a significant delay, accordingly, you almost always have to step aside from too hot or cold “rain”.
In its simplest version, a tropical watering can be part of an external installation - a stand with a mixer, which has an internal channel for supplying water to the watering can. However, this installation method requires even more space inside the shower stall, because the installation already requires additional space from the wall. Alternative way installation involves laying a connecting channel hidden under the finishing; accordingly, it is necessary to provide in advance grooves or corresponding gap values when finishing the shower with false walls.
It should be noted that there is no point in using flush mounting unless the connection fittings end up being completely hidden behind decorative overlays clean plumbing. Therefore, it is important to ensure the correct protrusion of the pipes for attaching the mixer and the shower head itself. It is ideal if the shower installation kit is purchased in advance: this way the required nominal clearance of the pipes, the diameter of the threaded connections and other conditions necessary for correct installation will be reliably known.
Laying communications
Connecting a tropical watering can when hidden installation performed through a recessed mixer, for example, Hansgrohe iBox or any of its analogues. It requires the construction of a niche or false wall cavity with a depth of about 35–50 mm. This type of faucet is ideal for installation in a bathroom: in addition to the main outlet for a tropical shower head, it has an additional outlet to which you can connect a regular shower head or bathtub spout. The need for additional drainage is understandable, because it is impossible to wash a certain part of the body or clean the shower without an additional watering can.
The water supply to the mixer is usually carried out from below and from one of the sides. For hidden installation the most preferable option plumbing system will polypropylene pipes on press fittings as the most durable. The hot and cold supply pipes go to the mixer niche from below, then one of the pipes is turned to side connection. On the other, free side of the mixer, another tube is laid, connecting the additional outlet to wall mounted connection pipe for connecting a shower hose.
In option open mounting The tropical rain headset has a standard connection with the center distance of the pipes being 150 mm. This installation is connected like a regular faucet and at the same time has additional mounting points to the wall. Very often, an open-mounted connecting rod (gander) is specially hidden in the wall instead of a rough-type connecting tube. This is explained high rigidity installation and the ability to carry out installation without additional system fastenings and numerous threaded connections. The mixer and watering can are connected with a regular water pipe if the latter is installed on a threaded outlet fixed to the ceiling.
Installation of a hidden mixer
The so-called “ibox” has a cross connection diagram. The internal mechanism can be turned in any way to change the purpose of the pipes. As a rule, water supply is carried out from below and from one of the sides, from reverse side the outlet of the additional spout is connected, and the tropical watering can itself is connected on top.
The mixer body is a cylindrical glass, which is attached to the wall with four adjusting pins. To make it easier to reach the final surface of the wall finishing, high-quality plumbing fixtures have outside body there is a flip ring that serves as a back stop for covering the false wall. Ultimately, a layer of sheathing and trim is sandwiched tightly between this ring and the faceplate. If the mixer is walled up in main wall, the ring is removed.
The mixer is connected to threaded fittings, which are packaged with anaerobic sealant. The diameter of the connections is usually 1/2", accordingly, there is no obvious need to use a pipeline with a wider nominal bore. After connecting, the mixer is finally adjusted with studs to bring the front side into the finishing plane, then the wall is walled up or covered. In the latter case, the remaining gap between the body and The casing is densely filled with sanitary silicone, then a waterproofing collar is placed on the sealant around the protruding sides.
The installation is completed after tiling the shower. The parts of the internal mechanism are covered by an overlay panel, which many manufacturers have up to a dozen variations appearance and ergonomics of controls. Protection of the insides of the mixer from water ingress is provided by one or more contours of gland seals or gaskets along the contour of the panel. The panel itself is secured by tightening the decorative sleeves of the handles or using hidden clips.
Installation and connection of the watering can
The final part of the installation is the installation of the watering can itself. Installation on a rod extending from the wall is considered the least problematic. It is enough just to insert a sealing gasket into the threaded connection and screw on the watering can itself. After tightening threaded connection The watering can is positioned for its correct orientation (especially important for square watering cans) and horizontal position. Both problems are solved by an adapter with a ball joint.
Mounting a watering can to a ceiling threaded outlet is somewhat more difficult due to limited space. This problem can be partly solved by using a decorative insert that acts as an extension cord. Its installation is not always possible; in some cases, the ceiling height is a limitation, although an extension even 20–30 mm long will significantly facilitate installation.
Operating parameters of the water supply system
Rain shower Not suitable for every plumbing system. First and the most important criterion is the operating pressure of the system: for proper operation both the upper and lower limit thresholds are limited. U different models soul specific values may vary slightly, but average is approximately 3 to 4.5 atmospheres.
Solve the problem of overpressure possible using water reducers. For apartments with supply hot water You will need two of them - each per riser for the mixer to work correctly. Lack of pressure is more difficult to eliminate, while with low pressure aeration may not occur at all. You can build up pressure using a low-noise water pump with a soft start system or an individual water supply controller.
In addition to the noise from the operation of the pump itself, pressure shocks during start and stop can be a significant hindrance, so you will have to take care correct setting a pressure switch and supplementing the system with a hydraulic accumulator of the appropriate volume - 5–7 times the displacement of the entire water supply system. The installation will also help get rid of water hammer check valves at the entrance and exit pumping unit. published
A rain shower is a system that simulates tropical raindrops in the bathroom. Falling water not only looks beautiful, but also promotes maximum relaxation of the body, reduces stress and has a therapeutic effect. Ready solutions have enough high cost, so this article will look at how to create a rain shower with your own hands.
Accessories for work
The rain shower system is quite easy to assemble and requires a minimum number of parts. When purchasing components, pay attention to the diameter of the pipes and their connections - they should all be the same size. If some components differ in diameter, you should stock up on adapters in advance.
To create the shower presented in the article, you will need the following components:
- Plastic pipes, as well as their connections and corners.
Plastic pipes and connectors - Water socket.
- Nipple.
- A diverter that switches the direction of water flow.
- Rain shower head. Purchased from local sellers or, to save money, ordered from a Chinese online store (for example, Aliexpress). Minimum size– 8 inches (20x20 cm). The larger the watering can, the better it will be possible to convey the atmosphere of rain covering the entire space.
Rain shower head 
Rain shower head, back view
The length of plastic pipes, the number of adapters, connections and corners are calculated separately in each specific situation.
It is recommended to start creating this system during the next renovation in the bathroom due to the fact that the supply pipes will be more aesthetically hidden in the wall. In general, the installation process is performed in the following sequence:
- Pipe routing. It is necessary to groove the walls in those places where it is planned to install the mixer and ceiling shower. Then lay the pipes and connect them to the water supply system.
Wall cutting and pipe laying - Installing a water outlet on the ceiling. To the place where the watering can is installed, it is carried out plastic pipe, in the case of a suspended ceiling, it should not protrude beyond its limits, since this design allows only the element spraying water to be left on the surface.
Water outlet on the ceiling - Connecting the mixer and diverter. In this rain shower system, water is supplied through a flexible hose to a diverter, which in turn directs the flow of water to one of the shower heads.
Connected diverter 
General form systems in connected state - Installation of a ceiling watering can. The connection procedure is carried out using a nipple.
- Further the holes in the tiles are filled with silicone and closed with chrome bowls.
This completes the creation of a tropical shower with your own hands.
Do-it-yourself rain shower - the final result 
Side view It is advisable to select a flexible hose running from the mixer to the diverter of such a length that it does not sag. As a result, when taking a shower, it is possible to switch to a removable watering can or a tropical one, depending on the current need. If the space is not equipped with a tray, then it is installed in the floor
The phrase “tropical shower” appeared relatively recently, and for many people it is a mystery and is associated with a lot of questions, the answers to which we will try to find in this article. Together with the site, we will look in detail at this device for the bathroom and see what a tropical shower is, what it is and how it works, why it is needed and how to make it yourself?
Tropical shower photo
Rain shower: this is not a luxury, but a unique hydromassage device
Have you ever wondered why children, and sometimes adults, love to run in the rain, especially when it’s warm summer weather? The answer to this question is simple - water purified from all kinds of contaminants gives a person a lot of energy, and drops of water falling on the body relax all his muscles. This is exactly the effect that is incorporated into the operation of a device called a “tropical rain” shower - this is its complete imitation.
If we are talking about such a device, then in most cases it means a huge watering can installed on the ceiling. The jets emanating from it fall not only on a certain area of the body, but also completely pour over its entire surface. You understand that it is unlikely that you can achieve such an effect with a portable watering can and hose. Besides, similar devices are equipped with a special switch that allows you to adjust the intensity of the “rain” - by setting the lever to one position or another, you can adjust both torrential downpour and rain in the form of large drops of water.
Tropical shower with lighting photo
Shower systems with rain showers: four types and their differences
Oddly enough, but a rain shower can have different variants manufacturing - some of them are adapted specifically for, and others for baths. Even systems designed for the same plumbing fixture may differ in design. On average, the following types of tropical shower systems can be distinguished.
By studying all these systems and comparing their capabilities and pricing policy, you can only come to one conclusion - if you want to have a real and high-quality tropical rain shower at home, then make it yourself!
Do-it-yourself rain shower: DIY technology
Among all the plumbing products, it is difficult to find one that can be made easier than a tropical rain shower. Everything here is quite simple and clear, and the main thing is that you don’t need large quantity all kinds of components and mechanisms. In fact, you only need three things - a mixer, a large watering can and water pipes. This system is best combined with a shower mixer hidden installation, which will control the water supply not only to the shower, but also to the bath itself. Naturally, due to some features of this shower, it is better to give preference to a hidden mixer.
How to install pipes for a rain shower system, watch the video.
So, assembly and installation homemade shower tropical rain begins at the stage of wall repair - for it you will need to install a system of grooves. The center of this system is intended for installing the mixer. Four grooves need to be drawn to this recess - two of them are for water supply pipes to the mixer, the third is for a pipe supplying water from the mixer to the bathtub, and the fourth groove is equipped with a pipe that will supply water directly to the shower head itself.
DIY tropical shower photo
Having dealt with the grooves, we move on to laying - here everything depends on the type of pipeline you have chosen. Naturally, taking into account the hidden method of laying pipes, it is better to give preference to such reliable systems as copper or polypropylene. From the mixer, the pipe supplying water to the shower is laid up all the way, then a little along the ceiling, to the place where the watering can will be installed, and then a little down to go down to the level with the future. Without the latter, you won’t be able to hide the pipes.
In principle, at this stage of work, this is all - then it continues in full. To complete the work related to solving the question of how to make a rain shower with your own hands, all that remains is to install the watering can and the mixer control lever. Everything here is extremely simple - the watering can is screwed into the outlet water pipe in the ceiling using tow or FUM tape. After installing the watering can, you can fully use the rain shower.
How to make a rain shower
In conclusion, I will add only one thing - a homemade tropical shower using the method described above can be installed not only in the shower stall, but also above the bathtub. The only thing that will need to be provided is that will prevent splashing of water during the reception process water procedures.
A shower with the exotic name “tropical rain” has a healing effect and is actively used in sanatoriums and holiday homes. A special watering can provides a shower of water, the drops of which massage the body, causing a feeling of relaxation and calm.
Plumbing equipment « tropical rain"belongs to the group of overhead showers. Thanks to the variety of models of watering cans, you can create your own “ paradise» for taking water procedures.
A distinctive feature of the “Tropical Rain” shower is that the water is supplied according to special system, distributing the flow over the entire grid area, the dimensions of which can be very significant. The shape and design of watering cans can be very different. There are models with a water pressure control system, which, depending on the settings, can have both a relaxing and invigorating effect.
Watering cans with LED backlight, the color of which changes depending on the flow temperature. Such systems enhance therapeutic effect, since any shade of color has its effect on the human psyche. Simple system control settings allows you to get the desired result.
The range of watering cans is constantly updated. One of the new products is a shower complex equipped with a system for supplying fragrances with the scent of tropical plants.
Some models have the option of randomly selecting pressure. Therefore, being in the shower gives you a feeling of unpredictability, characteristic of real rains.
Shape, material and dimensions of watering cans
Shower heads “Tropical Rain” can be round, oval, square, rectangular. For small shower rooms, both large and miniature ones are suitable. The choice depends on what effect they want to get from water procedures. When using large watering cans, the feeling of a tropical downpour is more realistic.
Watering cans “Tropical Rain” can be steel, chrome-plated, brass, or nickel-plated. When choosing a model, you need to understand that the main thing in a shower system is the mixer and accessories for supplying water. The “Tropical Rain” watering can can be installed on any system.
Premium segment models have maximum amount options. These include aeration technology (air supply), remote control, multi-colored lighting, protection against mineral deposits, adjustable and multi-directional water flow system. Such shower complexes are the most expensive.
Shower head Lumière – Quadro
The aeration system allows you to break streams of water into droplets, which is especially appreciated in the “Tropical Rain” watering cans. The principle of its (system) operation is based on the use of a hydraulic turbine on point bearings. There is a hole in its center through which air is taken in. As the turbine blades rotate, they mix water and air, resulting in the formation of droplets. Adjusting the rotation mode allows you to obtain large and small droplets.
“Tropical Rain” shower heads can be installed in both built-in and wall-mounted shower systems. The installation method can be wall or ceiling. Models of the second type are called “overhead shower”.
shower head tropical rain
Rules for selecting and purchasing a watering can “Tropical Rain”
The first thing you need to pay attention to when choosing a “Tropical Rain” watering can is its size (for round models - diameter).
If the package includes a glass or plastic shade, it must be inspected for chips and cracks. All models of lampshades have a recess in the central part into which a watering can must be installed. Therefore, the diameters of the recess in the lampshade and the watering can must match.
It is necessary to check the availability of components. All “Tropical Rain” watering cans come complete with a special sleeve, which is screwed to the inlet hole located on the back of the watering can. This sleeve is a transition link between the shower roof and the shower head. The sleeve is attached to the shower system (its counterpart with the hose) using a nut. It is also included in all models.
If the model has backlighting, in addition to connecting to the water supply system, connect to the electrical network through a transformer unit.
Installation of a watering can “Tropical Rain”
The “Tropical Rain” watering can can be installed:
- on a hanging shower stand;
- on the panel in the shower stall;
- on a flexible hose that is connected to the mixer (hand shower);
- for a built-in shower system (fixed mounting).
Depending on the chosen model, there are two ways to install Tropical Rain systems.
- Overhead or ceiling shower (built-in systems).
- Wall-mounted shower (column shower, shower panel, connection to a mixer).
Installing the “Tropical Rain” watering can is not difficult. The main task is the installation of a shower system. Built-in models require pipes to be laid in the walls and ceiling. Mounted models do not require such labor-intensive and expensive work and can have adjustable height rods.
Depending on the chosen shower system model, “Tropical Rain” shower heads can be fixed permanently or on a removable hose. Experts recommend using both methods, as this allows you to use the shower system as efficiently as possible.
All models of watering cans of this type are equipped with movable brackets that allow you to tilt the metal perforated disk in any direction. Below the bracket, deep in the watering can, there is a filter rough cleaning water. All models include an adapter tube and bushing, and a decorative ring.
Installation of the “Tropical Rain” watering can is simple and straightforward. Any owner can cope with this task.
Stages of installing the “Tropical Rain” shower head
How to install pipes for the Rain Shower system
Step 1. The bushing included with the shower head is screwed into the outlet of the shower system (on the ceiling or in the wall). First, a decorative ring is put on the bushing, which will hide the attachment point and make it aesthetically attractive.
Step 2. The adapter tube (bracket) is screwed to the installed bushing.
