# Trick to plumbing multiple shower heads?



## u3b3rg33k (Jul 17, 2018)

Well, keep in mind that flow only happens when there's a difference in pressure.


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## JPeters (May 14, 2015)

Okay.


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## joed (Mar 13, 2005)

> I'm working on rough plumbing my bathroom. Is there a trick to ensure that I don't loose pressure while running multiple shower heads in the shower?


Don't plumb them in a dead end line. Plumb them in a loop. The pipe should loop back on itself so the water can flow from both directions.


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## ktownskier (Aug 22, 2018)

I presume that you are talking about multiple heads in the same shower. You need to create a pressure loop to help equalize the pressure going to each head. 

Are you talking about multiple shower heads (i.e. a his and hers type arrangement) or a main shower head with an over head rain type shower head? Or are you adding in some body sprays?

Will there be a diverter valve so that you can just run the main shower head?










This is just an example. 

In the image above, you have the hot and cold coming into your standard shower valve where you set the temp and pressure. These valves also protect against scalding from loss of heat or pressure. (Like when someone flushes a toilet or another person takes a shower.)

From there it goes to diverter valves which allow you to control where and how much water flows to which kind of emitters you want. 

In the image above, you have 3 choices, body sprays, hand held spray or over head shower head. Or any combination of them. Like with any water supply, the more you use, the less each one gets. Most manufactures of shower systems will want you to have a direct line from the hot and cold water source to the mixing valves and not off of a branch line. 

You can choose to have more or less things in your shower as you want. If you want 6 body sprays, you would just continue the loop over to the other side. You want to extend the loop, not create a new loop. If you don't, they won't be balanced. 

If you want to add an overhead rain showerhead, you can just add another valve and run a line to the overhead location or, you can create a pressure loop for the wall showerhead and the one overhead. (I would of course not use the showerhead shown above if you went with to shower heads. 

I hope this helps. 

Ktownskier


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## TheEplumber (Jul 20, 2010)

First, you need to have proper line sizes feeding the bathroom. 
Then you need to confirm proper sizing to the shower.
I'm guessing you'll need at least 3/4" per line.


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## JPeters (May 14, 2015)

ktownskier said:


> I presume that you are talking about multiple heads in the same shower. You need to create a pressure loop to help equalize the pressure going to each head.
> 
> Are you talking about multiple shower heads (i.e. a his and hers type arrangement) or a main shower head with an over head rain type shower head? Or are you adding in some body sprays?
> 
> ...


Okay, that makes sense. This is almost the same set up I had in mind. except I need to add a Rain shower head.


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## JPeters (May 14, 2015)

TheEplumber said:


> First, you need to have proper line sizes feeding the bathroom.
> Then you need to confirm proper sizing to the shower.
> I'm guessing you'll need at least 3/4" per line.
> 
> ...


I have 3/4 pex coming to the bathroom location and 1/2 return line to my water heater. 

I was thinking of running 3/4 to the main shower valve. 
Then 1/2" to each head and each device valve.


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## Ghostmaker (Mar 2, 2013)

Depending on the amount of spray heads you can turn on at the same time make sure the drain is sized to handle it.


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

Years ago I installed a early version of Delta's rain heads along with a normal wand. Delta's instructions specifically said to pipe it in copper as any other material will reduce volume via drag...ie PEX, CPVC, etc.


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