Shower head

[PoP]

I guess there's an easy answer which I ought to know, but I thought I'd ask the experts who hang around here :)

Our shower head needs cleaning fairly frequently - by pushing a pin thru each of the little holes. This is obviously due to scale building up as the water flows thru. For a short time after the head is cleaned we get a wonderful shower (it's a pumped circuit), but it doesn't take too many showers before it's off with the shower head to clean it up again.

Is there a recognised way of keeping the shower head from furring up like this?

PoP

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[Toby]

Swap it for one with rubber nipples, I think the proper name is 'rub clean'.

[Andy Hall]

It's called an ion exchange water softener........

They start at just over £300 for a basic timed one. A metered one, which regenerates based on water used is around £450.

You have to buy sacks of salt, either granular or pebbles according to the machine's requirement - there are places that will deliver if you buy several 25kg bags. From my reckoning, the saving on detergents and especially shampoo etc. more than covers the cost of the salt.

.andy

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[Chris Oates]

I'll have 6 please (plain wrapping)

[Freda]

PoP said

An easier way to clean a shower head is just to use cheap malt vinegar (21p a bottle in ASDA) mixed 50/50 with boiling water. Also excellent for descaling kettles.

[Colin Wilson]

Easier to buy a dog !

[Nick Finnigan]

Move somewhere with proper water. Finish off with a burst of cold. Leave it dripping. Have showers more frequently

[Harry Bloomfield]

"PoP" wrote on Saturday (20/12/2003) :

I agree with the rubber nipple comment ;-)

Just to explain a little..... We had the same problem and the pipe plus head was due for replacement anyway. We picked up a replacement for (I think) a £5 on special offer at one of the German supermarkets last year complete with wall bracket. It just happened to be fitted with a soft rubber rose, with nipples.

Instead of stripping the rose down to clean the jets, you simply run your thumb over the rose whilst taking a shower and the sediment clears itself out.

[PoP]

And there was me thinking the original responder was talking dirty ;)

Good advice - now I know I'll take a look in the DIY sheds to see what I can come up with.

PoP

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[Christian McArdle]

If you don't want a proper water softener, replace your shower head. The best types are pin clean. You rotate the head and about 50 tiny pins get shoved through the holes.

Christian.