Showers with hydromassage: varieties, brands, selection, use

The shower cabin with hydromassage is a completely new approach to hygiene. This novelty on the plumbing market will allow you not only to take a shower, but also to relieve stress, relax, and enjoy yourself after a hard day's work.

There are three types of shower cabin with hydromassage.

• Open... Looks like a bathtub with a shower set. The shower is built into a special prefabricated wall. The whole design is quite simple, and accordingly, the price is budget. Among the minuses, there is a minimal set of options.

• Closed. The design is completely self-contained. The main advantage of this type is its versatility, easy installation, maintaining the microclimate. Among the downsides is the high price.

• Combined. It is a mobile, multifunctional design. This type is becoming more and more popular. There are many more options in this type of shower compared to the closed version. But combined shower cabins with hydromassage are more cumbersome, installation requires more strength and capabilities.

The hydromassage shower cabin has several varieties:

• with a Turkish bath;
• with a sauna;
• with a jacuzzi bath.

Hamam (Turkish bath) - a steam room with a high level of humidity at a low temperature. Pros of a booth with a hamam:

• quality work;
• comfort while swimming.

Minuses:

• high cost (the price of a booth with a steam generator starts from 150 thousand rubles);
• there are difficulties in setting up a steam room;
• heats up slowly.

Sauna, in contrast to the Turkish bath, has a number of features:

• drier air;
• higher temperature in the steam room;
• more water consumption;
• increased pressure in the pipeline.

A cabin with a sauna has several advantages:

• various temperature conditions;
• ease of use;
• affordable prices (a steam generator in a Finnish sauna is 10-20 thousand cheaper than in a booth with a hamam).

Among the cons are:

• constant monitoring is necessary;
• high power consumption;
• heavy load on the pipeline and steam generator.

The most expensive option for a sauna cabin is an infrared cabin. Usually these types of showers are made to order. The advantage of an infrared cabin is:

• various options and temperature modes;
• humidity setting.

Among the cons:

• high price;
• small selection (often you need an individual order);
• expensive to maintain.

Wooden sauna cabins are a classic option. They have a number of advantages:

• beautiful appearance;
• affordable price;
• inexpensive repairs;
• big choice;
• maintaining the desired temperature at medium humidity.

Disadvantages:

• rapid wear of a wooden structure;
• additional care is needed;
• there are problems with the seals.

Combined cabins with Jacuzzi bathtub allow you to take not only a shower, but also bask in the bathroom. These options are suitable for small spaces. Among the advantages of a booth with a bath are:

• reliability and practicality;
• variety of species.

Among the disadvantages:

• the cost of a combined cabin is higher than the prices for a shower and a jacuzzi separately;
• constant care is necessary (wipe dry after each use of the wall so that there is no limescale);
• expensive repairs.

In terms of size, the following types of shower cabins are distinguished:

• small - walls up to 90 cm long;
• average - from 90 cm to 1.30 m;
• large - from 1.30 m.

The height is:

• low - from 1.70 to 2 m;
• high - more than 2 m.

The shape of the shower stalls are:

• corner;
• round;
• oval;
• rectangular;
• polygonal.

Manufacturers from an inexpensive price category:

• TIMO - good quality / price ratio. There is a subsidiary in Hong Kong that also manufactures components and assembles structures;

• Appollo - Chinese manufacturers who make inexpensive and fairly high quality shower enclosures. When choosing a budget option, you need to take into account the quality of materials, a guarantee.

• Hueppe - use modern glass processing technologies, thanks to which the walls are less dirty;

• Kermi - produce shower cabins of extra class, comfort and compact, the company issues a quality certificate for all products;

• Hyber - high quality products, a set of simple functions;

• CRW - the most famous brand for its high-quality products, the company uses exclusively original German parts and stainless steel for metal products for the production of products.

Italian manufacturers:

• Cerutti;
• Albatros;
• Jacuzzi is the most popular manufacturer of premium shower enclosures.

Finnish manufacturers guarantee high quality and long service life:

• TIMO - produces inexpensive versions of good quality shower stalls;
• IDO Showerama - is considered one of the most prestigious manufacturers, in addition to the high cost of products, it is also expensive to repair such a shower stall.

Russian firms that produce inexpensive shower stalls that are not inferior in quality:

• Akrilan - a relatively new company that offers modern design;
• Bandhours - a popular manufacturer, has been working on the plumbing market for over 10 years;
• "Radomir" - offers high quality at reasonable prices.

When choosing a shower stall, you need to take into account not only the size, but also the shape, since these two parameters affect the installation location and the connection method.

• Corner symmetrical - a small booth, a great option for small spaces. Regardless of the side, it is installed in the corner, the obverse is semicircular or in the form of a polygon.
• Corner asymmetric - a booth with sides of different lengths, the front part is semicircular or polygonal. According to the method of installation, they are divided into left-side and right-side.
• Rectangular - equipped with a deep tray, which can act as a bath, installed along the wall or in the corner.
• Square - usually has a low pallet, as well as a rectangular one, it can be installed both in the corner and along the wall.
• Non-standard - usually made to order and have an unusual shape for booths.

The pallet must be chosen taking into account the size of the bathroom, the state of the pipes in the house. There are three types of pallets:

• low - height up to 10 cm;
• average - up to 18 cm;
• deep - from 25 to 35 cm, in some cases the depth can be increased.

• Acrylic - retains heat well, is unpretentious in care. A kind of acrylic - kvaril, which is made with the addition of quartz sand. This method made it possible to increase the rigidity and hardness, as well as to reduce the noise level during the flow of water.
• Faience - a natural material that is characterized by smoothness and shine. In design, earthenware products look more harmonious in comparison with artificial ones. Faience is subject to changes during operation, it is fragile and requires special care.
• Artificial marble - a mixture based on glue with the addition of marble chips. Pallets from this material began to be made relatively recently. Such pallets retain heat well, are unpretentious in maintenance, have a low noise level, and can have rich colors.
• Cast iron - durable material, resistant to damage. Covered with enamel, which does not require special care. It retains heat well, but compared to other materials, it takes longer to heat up. Among the disadvantages are high noise levels and massiveness.
• Wood - natural and environmentally friendly material. Flat pallets are made of wood, they are non-slip, warm and look aesthetically pleasing.
• Steel - the pallet is lighter than cast iron, covered with a thick layer of enamel, has a low noise level, and is unpretentious in maintenance. Inside the booth, such a pallet helps to create an optimal microclimate;
• A natural stone - resistant to damage, unpretentious in maintenance, retains heat, has a low noise level. For minor surface damage, sanding helps to correct the situation. Usually granite or marble is used for the shower stall.

When choosing a shower stall, you need to focus on the ease of use in your bathroom. They are made from the same material as the wall panels (glass or plastic). There are several types of doors.

• Sliding - suitable for small rooms, common in shower cabins and multifunctional boxes. Such doors slide apart on special rollers, have airtight doors, and have magnets.
• Swing - the door can be single or double, opening inward or outward, depending on the design. If the doors open outward, you need to take into account the availability of free space.
• Pendulum - a rare type of doors for shower stalls. They require space for opening both outside and inside the booth; special hinges are used for fastening, which allow the door to rotate in different directions.
• Book-door - is a vertical panels fastened together, which can be fully or partially folded. Such doors open easily and silently, but their heat and sound insulation is low, as is the strength of the mechanisms.
• No doors - in general, the doors are not installed in open-type cabins, in which the drain is installed directly into the floor. In this case, the booth may have one or two side posts.

Shower cabins can be equipped with three types of nozzles:

• hydromassage;
• air massage;
• combined.

Also, shower cabins are conventionally divided by the number of walls:

• with one wall - suitable for installation in a corner or in a wall recess, this design usually goes without doors;
• with two walls - suitable for installation in a corner, has two partitions adjacent to the walls;
• with three walls - suitable for installation along the wall;
• full-walled - such a shower stall can be installed in any room, even a bedroom is suitable, since it is completely isolated.

Additional features of hydromassage showers:

• electronic control system;
• radio;
• ventilation;
• shelves, hooks, handles, towel holders;
• option "rain shower";
• backlight;
• aromatherapy unit;
• timer;
• thermostat.

When choosing a shower stall, you need to consider the supports under the pallet. Pallets that have crossed bars under the bottom or supports in the center and around the perimeter will not sag under the weight of the person.

For the shower stall to work longer, you need:

• check the seals and materials of the booth every three months;
• cleaning every three weeks;
• do not often change the temperature regime due to sudden pressure surges in the water supply system;
• check the serviceability of the steam device every 6 months (it is recommended to call a specialist);

It is possible to fully use the hydromassage shower stall with good pressure in the water supply system. In older houses, pressure drops often occur in the water pipes, which can cause breakdown.

The following video shows in detail how to assemble and install a hydromassage shower stall.