How to replace shower head in a rental?

Question

We have a rental

We've had the shower repaired and the landlords have installed (for whatever reason) a threaded fitting from the wall (straight pipe) , we currently have a Estilo hand held shower head but the hard water in the area + old piping has wrecked the head (I've tried the vinegar soak over night it's done nothing)

We had a filter fitted to help, however the landlord advised to remove it as it was preventing waterflow. Which I doubt it was.

What shower head can we fit? I'm assuming a fixed head would be better

MitchellMc · Answer

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @s_earley33. It's fabulous to have you join us and many thanks for your question on showerheads.

@Remarka6le has already covered some really important points there, especially around silicone nozzles, avoiding fine spray settings, and keeping the original fittings to swap back when moving out. That’s all really solid advice.

Given your landlord has made these modifications, I presume they have also installed a new showerhead on the extended arm. My thoughts would be to run their showerhead until it blocks up or reduces the flow significantly, then request that they replace it. If the showerheads continue to get blocked, perhaps they'll come around to your idea of the filter.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

Remarka6le · Answer

Hey @s_earley33,

A fixed head will generally last longer in hard water areas because there are fewer moving parts and hoses to clog or split. Look for something with silicone nozzles you can rub clean, and ideally a larger spray face so it doesn’t block up as quickly. Even better if you go for a basic, solid metal unit rather than lightweight plastic, they tend to cope with mineral build-up far better.

If you still want a handheld, go for one that’s marketed as “low maintenance” or “hard water friendly” with larger nozzles. Avoid anything with fancy mist settings or tiny spray holes, they die quickly in older pipework. Don;t forget your roll of Teflon tape!

For what it’s worth, we swapped out our shower heads while renting as well and just kept the originals in a cupboard to put back when we moved out. As long as you don’t damage the threads and keep the landlord’s fitting safe, it’s usually a non-issue and makes daily life a lot easier.