Whether you are looking to add a rain shower head near a pool area for an exotic look or just want to give your bathroom a spa-like atmosphere, there are multiple ways you can make this happen.
Here’s how:
Making a rain shower head work in your existing bathroom
Here are three ways you can add your own rain shower head to your existing bathroom:
- Adjustable Shower Arm: This method mimics a ceiling-mounted shower head without the need to run a separate water line or replace the existing shower arm. With an adjustable shower arm, you can raise and extend the shower head to the desired height and stand underneath it for a rain shower experience.
- 3-way Diverter with Mount: This method only works if you have an existing handheld shower head. Add your custom rain shower head to the 3-way diverter with the handheld shower head mounted to the side. This allows you to easily switch between the two shower heads.
- Swapping Your Existing Shower Head: If there is ample space around the shower arm, you can simply replace your existing shower head with a rain shower head, as both use the same universal connection.
Making a homemade rain shower head with PVC piping
While we personally have not taken on this project, some adventurous DIYers have created a custom rain shower head with either metal or PVC piping.
Here is one such project that caught our eye when writing this article:
As you can see, this person used PVC piping and several elbows to create the frame of the shower head. They then used a drill to create holes for the water to flow through. This creative design also makes it easy to regulate water pressure and total water use depending on the number of holes you drill. We also like that you decide how big of a diameter you want the shower head to be.
Custom piping with a manufactured rain shower head
Another DIYer ran a line of brass pipes outside and added a simple water shut-off valve to control the flow of water. At the final point of use, they attached a standard rain shower head – giving a more polished appearance than the PVC piping used in the previous example.
To take this design further, you could decorate the piping with vines, paint, flowers, or other decorations to have it blend in with the surroundings for a more luxurious look.
Inspiration
Here are a few pictures we found of people making their own creative rain shower heads:
Other resources
If you want help with a project, then get social and check out a plumbing forum. Some that we particularly love for DIY projects are:
- Terry Love Plumbing Advice
- Plumbing Zone
- Plumbing Forums
- Reddit Plumbing
- Reddit DIY
- Reddit Home Improvement
These forums feature a wealth of information from professionals and DIYers alike. You can use this to document your progress, ask questions, and get feedback on your project.
