The Ultimate Shower Tapware Buying Guide

The Ultimate Shower Tapware Buying Guide

Whether you’re designing your dream bathroom or looking to give your existing bathroom a makeover, you shouldn’t make a hasty decision when it comes to shower tapware. True, shower tapware may seem like an insignificant element in the grand scale of a bathroom’s design. But it plays one of the most critical roles. Thus, careful thought and consideration need to be taken when shopping for shower tapware in Perth.

You shouldn’t choose shower tapware purely on price. Nor should you choose it based on design. Instead, you should select tapware primarily on its ability to meet your needs. Price and design should then follow.

If you’re looking for shower tapware in Perth, you’ve come to the right place. Ross’s Discount Home Centre is one of the leading tapware suppliers. We not only have an extensive range of shower tapware for you to choose from, but we also know what to look for to ensure you choose the perfect tapware for your needs and budget.

Types of Shower Tapware

There’s no shortage of choices when it comes to shower tapware. Gone are the days when options solely included a showerhead and wall assemblies. Today, the shower is more than a place to clean oneself. For many, it’s a sacred place: the only place to get a private 5-minute time-out, relax, and clean one’s self in the process.

Tapware designers understand how much consumers value and enjoy their shower time and shower tapware plays a vital role in this. As such, there’s a type of tapware for all needs and requirements. The most common shower tapware includes shower heads, shower arms, twin shower sets, hand held shower heads, hand shower rail sets, mixers, assemblies, and diverters, which we will look at today.

Showerheads

A traditional showerhead is the most basic shower tapware option. Previously the most common and popular choice for tapware, today, showerheads are seen as the budget choice. While they provide the function of spraying water, they offer little other function.

Showerheads can be wall or ceiling-mounted. They can also be sold as a stand-alone shower head where a separate shower arm is required for mounting or an all-in-one piece comprising the head and shower arm. Some showerheads can be adjusted in terms of the water direction; however, they are not height adjustable—this can be problematic for some households.

Modern showerheads include slimline showerheads and rainfall showerheads. These showerheads have modernised traditional showerheads, making them more contemporary and desirable.

Showerheads come in various shapes, sizes, designs, and finishes, from traditional round chrome showerheads to large 23cm+ square matte black showerheads.

Ross’s Discount Home Centre offers a large range of showerheads in Perth to meet your design and practical needs. Make a selection from the options below:

Shower Arms

Shower arms are only necessary if you choose a stand-alone showerhead for your shower tapware. As mentioned above, some showerheads come with a built-in shower arm. However, most modern showerheads don’t. If you’re looking to achieve a rain shower or a ceiling-mounted shower, you’ll more than likely need to purchase a shower arm to mount the showerhead.

Shower arms generally come in two formats; wall-mounted or ceiling-mounted, depicting the showerhead installation placement. You can, however, get hi-rise wall-mounted shower arms that position the showerhead overhead, just like a ceiling-mounted shower arm. Such shower arms are popular because they offer the overhead ‘rain shower’ effect without carrying the plumbing to the ceiling, which is otherwise required.

Plumbing ceiling-mounted showerheads are more expensive from the onset. It is also not possible to switch from a wall-mounted showerhead to a ceiling-mounted showerhead – unless, of course, they undergo a complete shower/bathroom renovation. Hi-rise wall-mounted shower arms are a practical and affordable alternative.

Whichever type of shower arm you choose, you’re sure to find one to match your showerhead and shower tapware. Shower arms come in various finishes and styles, including chrome and matte black, as you will see in the Ross’s Discount Home Centre Range.

Ross’s Discount Home Centre offers a range of hi-rise shower arms to meet your design and practical needs. Make a selection from the options below:

Twin Shower Sets

Without a doubt, twin shower sets are by far the current trend for shower tapware. They offer everything you could want, from shower tapware in one well-designed package. What is the overhead ‘rain shower’ effect? What is a hand shower? A twin shower set pairs the two to provide the best of both worlds.

Twin shower sets comprise an overhead showerhead and a height-adjustable hand shower, usually with various functions. A hand shower can be a very convenient addition, especially for washing hard-to-reach areas. The only downside to twin shower sets is the cost, ranging from $280 to over $1000, depending on where you shop. While they can be pricy, they are well worth it, given the superior shower experience they provide.

Due to their popularity, twin shower sets offer the broadest range in terms of styles and designs. You’ll have no trouble finding twin shower sets in any finish you desire, including brushed gold, brushed nickel, gunmetal grey, chrome, and matte black. We stock such finishes here at Ross’s Discount Home Center.

Ross’s Discount Home Centre offers a range of twin shower sets to meet your design and practical needs. Make a selection from the options below:

Hand Showers

Hands showers are a practical solution for any shower. They can be installed as your sole shower tapware, or they can be installed in addition to a showerhead for added practicality and convenience.

Hand showers generally come in two formats; a standard hand shower or a hand shower rail set. A standard hand shower comprises a hand shower and a mounting bracket and is usually the preferred choice as an addition to a showerhead. A hand shower rail set includes a hand shower and a high-adjustable rail for mounting and is generally the preferred choice for a stand-alone installation.

Whichever format you choose, hand showers add an extra level of convenience to any shower experience. Their ease of mobility makes it easy to reach specific body parts. They come in very handy when cleaning the shower and even make washing the dog a quick and easy chore.

While hand showers don’t offer the range of twin shower sets, there is still a decent variety available; it may just take a little longer to find.

Ross’s Discount Home Centre offers a range of hand held shower heads is Perth. Make a selection from the options below:

Wall Taps, Mixers, Assemblies, & Diverters

One thing often overlooked when shopping for shower tapware in Perth is mixers and diverters. Shower tapware comprises only the water outlet device. They don’t include the water-controlling device, the mixer, assemblies or the diverter.

It’s essential to purchase a mixer, assemblies or a diverter to control your shower tapware.

Mixers are, by far, the preferred option today. They are easier to plumb than assemblies and offer water flow and temperature control all in one easy-to-use lever. Assemblies provide individual hot water and cold water control and are considered ‘old-fashioned’ in terms of current tapware trends. As such, they are available in less of a range than mixers. Diverters are necessary for any shower/bath combination or a showerhead and separate hand shower installation. They offer water flow and temperature control, like mixers, and allow the water flow to switch between two outlets.

Mixers, assemblies and diverters are generally affordable, ranging anywhere between $60 and $400. The important thing to remember when choosing mixers, assemblies and diverters is to match them to your shower tapware, whatever that may be. Meaning it should be from the same range or at least the same finish and style.

Ross’s Discount Home Centre offers a wide range of wall taps & mixers in Perth. Below is just a small sample.

View all Mixers, Assemblies & Diverters

Considerations for Shower Tapware

Choosing shower tapware shouldn’t just come down to having the nicest design or meeting your budget requirements. Consider the time you spend in the shower and how important a shower is to you in your daily routine. The price and style should be secondary and tertiary factors.

Functionality

Like most bathroom fixtures, the most important element when choosing shower tapware is its functionality. While you might be thinking, ‘doesn’t all shower tapware do the same thing?’ that is far from the case.

Each of the shower tapware types outlined above functions slightly differently. It’s important to consider what you want from taking a shower before selecting. For instance, if you consider a shower as simply a means to clean yourself, with no fuss needed, then a simple shower head would be suitable. However, if a shower is somewhere to take a few minutes to destress, unwind and relax, then you might be after a more personalised experience, which comes from something a little fancier, such as a twin shower set. On the other hand, if mobility is an issue, a single-hand shower is an easy-to-use option to ensure a full-body wash without contorting yourself to the water flow.

There’s shower tapware to meet every need and preference. The key is knowing which is best for you. If you’re unsure or think your needs may change, then opting for a twin shower set is probably the best option, as it offers the best of all possibilities in one stylish package.

Price

With prices ranging from $50 to over $1000, I’d be remiss to say that price won’t impact your choice of shower tapware. However, regardless of your budget, it’s important to consider the value of these two things;

  • your shower experience and,
  • the overall look of your bathroom

If enjoying a shower and the look of your bathroom doesn’t phase you, then lower-end-of-the-range shower tapware will do the job. You get what you pay for with shower tapware, so most consumers don’t mind upping their shower tapware budget to ensure the best shower experience and bathroom design. For this, you should be budgeting onwards of $600 for your shower tapware.

It’s also important not to overlook the operation lever. Shower tapware is sold separately from wall mixers and assemblies required to operate and control the water temperature. Mixers and assemblies are an additional expense to factor into your budget and can range in price from $60 to $400, depending on the design, finish and quality.

Today, it’s reasonable to set a $1000,00 or more budget for modern shower tapware in Perth.

Style

Choosing your shower tapware style should be very easy if you have already chosen tapware for other areas of the bathroom. In this case, simply match the existing. Opt for shower tapware from the same collection. Doing so will ensure all tapware matches to present a cohesive design. If you can’t find the exact type of shower tapware in the range, try to match it as best as possible. For example, if your basin mixer and bath spout feature a round matte black design, choosing round matte black shower tapware from a similar range is the best option. No one will notice the difference (finding a similar item in a cheaper range may save you some money).

If you have not yet chosen your bathroom tapware, you will want to find a range that features each tapware item you require to ensure they all match one another. For the best bathroom design result, choose bathroom tapware that complements your bathroom design style. For example, if you are designing a dark, moody bathroom, black tapware will be a suitable choice. If you create a light contemporary bathroom, chrome, brushed gold, or brushed nickel tapware are suitable choices. And, for a traditional bathroom, chrome is the best.

Read The Ultimate Bathroom Tapware Buying Guide for help choosing tapware for the entire bathroom.

Conclusion

Shopping for shower tapware shouldn’t be a rushed decision. You need to understand the options available and determine which best meets your needs in terms of functionality. Only then should you worry about the price and style.

For quality shower tapware in Perth at rock-bottom prices, look no further than Ross’s Discount Home Centre. We have a massive range to choose from, including showerheads, shower arms, twin shower sets, hand showers, hand shower rail sets, mixers, assemblies & diverters.

Read our blog posts, ‘How to Choose the Right Tapware for Your Home Renovation‘ and ‘The Ultimate List of Tips for Choosing Tapware‘, for more consumer tapware advice.

View Our Shower Tapware Range View Our Mixers, Assemblies & Diverters