What's the difference between purchasing a shower head with with a brass ball joint or a plastic ball joint?

Besides the obvious answer of being made from different materials, there are both pros and cons of each type. Brass ball joints are more durable than ABS (plastic ball joints). However, Teflon tape is required to ensure a true leak-free shower head installation. ABS ball joints, while being less durable, are more likely to be leak-free without the use of Teflon tape due to the plastic plastic threads creating a more water-tight seal against the metal threads of the shower arm pipe.

ShowerStore.com offers shower heads with both brass ball joints and ABS ball joints. This icon will be displayed next to any shower head that features a brass ball joint:



If the icon is not found next to a shower head, it's safe to assume that the shower head features an ABS ball joint.

Many of the shower heads we sell come with a roll of Teflon tape tape to ensure a leak-free installation. Additionally, rolls of Teflon tape are available for purchase at the bottom of each product page on ShowerStore.com if the shower head you purchase doesn't include one with it's packaging.

ShowerStore.com improves to meet it's customers needs!

We've been very busy lately at ShowerStore.com bringing all kinds of changes to meet the needs of the people most important to us... our customers!

We have reduced the prices of all our existing items, bringing even more savings to our customers. We have also added 61 new products, many of them part of our all new accessories section, as well as adding more brands, including Hansgrohe, Great Vibrations, and the Ondine/Interbath RV Line. There are more shower heads and held held shower heads, as well as hand held shower head wall bar sets, shower hoses, shower arms, hand held shower mounts, and much, much more! Visit quickly, many items are in limited stock.

In addition to the increase of items we're now offering, we've also made the shopping experience easier for all our customers by now offering PayPal, American Express, Discover, and E-checks in addition to Visa and Mastercard.

Come visit us at ShowerStore.com!

Question: Hello I was wondering if you would know what company made this controller?









Answer: It doesn't seem to be made by Grohe, Moen, Dornbracht, American Standard, Hansgrohe, or Delta. This looks similar to either a Jado or Price Pfister pressure balance valve. The valve trim kit seems to be missing. This may have been a part of a builder pack where the showerhead, spout and valve are included in one package. If this is the case, the shower head and tub spout would be made by the same company.

Also, do you know where the item was purchased? Is the project on a budget or is it a luxury installation? That helps narrow down the possibilities. Builder packs are often available at larger big-box retailers currently favored by some contractors.

Measure the diameter of the large chrome tube coming out from the wall. If possible, find a screw that threads into the center spline (right in the middle). Take the measurement and screw along with these pictures and visit your local plumbing showroom.

You may be able to attach a Jado or Price Pfister trim to it, or maybe even a Grohe trim. If the screw matches up with the screw supplied with a selected trim, you are close, If the hole in the center of the trim is larger than the chrome piece you measured, you're closer. The last part is making sure the valve handle fits onto the spline (the brass piece in the middle with the teeth that accepts the valve handle).

Question: I would like to exchange my new shower heads for a different color. What do I do?

Answer:

First, please check on-line at www.showerstore.com to ensure that we have the showerhead in the color you want.

If we do we will have to treat each transaction separately. You will need to return the unopened package for a refund and order the new showerhead.

Please email us at CustomerService@ShowerStore.com for shipping instructions.

Please include a copy of your original sales order or write the order number on the box. Once we receive the return we will process the refund to your credit card.

You can wait until you receive the refund to order the new showerhead or you can order it at any time - it's completely up to you.

Can I use pipe dope on my shower head or hand held shower?

Never use pipe dope or plumbers putty to install shower fittings like shower heads, hand held shower head sets or tub spouts. It may react with plastic components causing them to break.

The best way to ensure a leak-free installation is by wrapping the shower arm pipe threads several times with Teflon tape to create a water tight seal.