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If building or renovating your bathroom, you’ve most likely come across the ceiling-mounted shower head. These shower heads can be installed flush with the ceiling, recessed into the ceiling, or simply suspended from the ceiling.
Water falls from these fixtures, cascading over your entire body, and provides a bathing experience that feels both deeply refreshing and perfectly natural.
These ceiling-mounted shower heads may be trending especially in luxury bathrooms but their wall-mounted counterparts are the most common type of shower head installation.
Wall-mounted versions allow you to use the existing vertical pipe behind the wall of your shower and install a shower arm with a 90-degree angle on it so that the head can still be completely flat above your head.
Just remember that adding the 90-degree turn in the arm also means your new shower head will be several inches lower than the previous one, so it’s important to make sure you have enough height to spare.
Others may consider raising the placement of the wall-mounted head to prevent head bumps but this will be a little trickier, although less of a disruption to your bathroom than installing the ceiling-mounted version.
More so, some remodelers simply prefer mounting these shower heads in place of your older shower head and ensure an overhead, rain-shower experience by adding an adjustable shower arm that arches above your head.
While wall-mounted showerheads are popular for many reasons, the “top-mounted” showerheads, are also being considered the ultimate shower indulgence majorly because they provide much more water coverage without the need to adjust the shower head.
Also, most modern ceiling-mounted showerheads save water, typically releasing less than 2.5 gallons of water per minute.
NOTE: For more water conservation, look for a shower head bearing the WaterSense label as such has been certified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to use no more than 2 gallons per minute. That saves the average family about 2,900 gallons of water each year.
So, Can You Put A Shower Head In The Ceiling?
Yes, you can put a showerhead in the ceiling of your shower but you’ll want to weigh a few factors when deciding on this style of installation.
1. A high ceiling is required
Ceiling-mounted showerheads, especially if suspended, require enough free ceiling space to accommodate even a tall person.
Even if you’re up for this shower head installation style, you’ll want to make sure the ceiling in your shower stall is high enough.
Ideally, the tallest person using your shower should have at least 3 inches of clearance between the head and the shower head (accounting for at minimum a 3-inch shower arm and a head that’s a few inches tall so that the “rain” has some distance to actually fall).
2. A Higher Budget
It can be more expensive to install a top-mounted showerhead than a normal shower head. This is because the costs of running new plumbing to your bathroom’s ceiling can be quite high.
More so, if living in an apartment that you’re looking to renovate, this might be a very expensive option considering you might need to drop the ceiling to accommodate the plumbing.
The result might be a shorter ceiling where you cannot suspend such a showerhead. In such a case, you can install a flush-mount showerhead.
In fact, these showerheads should be installed at a 90-degree angle, therefore, this can be difficult to install in a rented apartment or attic bathroom.
3. A Larger Shower Room
Ceiling-mounted showerheads mostly have a rain or waterfall spray pattern that gives a drenching experience. Additionally, larger shower heads mean more water is released.
This means that a larger floor area in your bathroom will be getting wet as you shower. Therefore, you also want to consider whether your shower stall is large enough to handle all that “drenching water.”
If your space is quite limited, consider enclosing your showering area. Here are 6 key ways you can use separate the wet and dry areas of your bathroom.
4. Choose a Size Depending on Your Home’s Water Pressure
Most ceiling-mounted shower heads come in 6 inches, 8 inches, 10 inches, and 12 inches. The larger the showerhead, the more ‘rain’ it produces, thus, the larger your coverage.
This means that if your home’s plumbing works on or requires lower water pressure, you might choose a smaller head that features fewer nozzles.
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How To Install a Ceiling Mount Shower Head
Ceiling-mounted showerheads are one of the easiest, simplest changes you can make toward a spa-like bathroom experience and provide a luxurious element to your day.
But installing them requires expertise so we don’t advise DIY enthusiasts to undertake this project. Instead, a licensed local plumber should get things done.
First, you want to consider if the ceiling-mount shower head will be installed in an already established shower or if it’s a home under construction. The latter should be easier but most of you could just be renovating your home.
If remodeling, your plumber will need to determine the point of entry for adding an additional water line, either from the attic or he may be required to remove the ceiling material to have access to the area.
According to standards, the water line that a shower head is attached to (copper piping or PVC piping) is one-half-inch diameter on both the hot and cold supplies.
However, in some instances, you may require a larger pipe to accommodate the ceiling-mounted shower head’s specifications. Ask your plumber about this before buying the showerhead.
Rerouting pipes to enable this setup is the next more involved project. Here, the plumber will have to create grooves in the wall to host the pipe, tie into the existing water line and add a fitting for the additional piping.
A pipe will then run across the ceiling to the desired position above the shower to extend the shower head across the shower area. You’ll make a 90-degree turn while running the pipe.
Now, extend the pipe over the shower and then make a 90-degree turn down and install a drop arm and then the new rain shower head.
To hold the showerhead base/plate, that will either be recessed into the ceiling, flush with the ceiling, or have an extension arm to suspend it from the ceiling, another fitting is installed at this point.
The plumber will then need to secure the piping to the truss, or other means of security, to ensure the pipe’s stability, and the showerhead, and keep the pipe from rattling.
If the plumber accessed the area from below rather than the attic, the ceiling will need to be replaced with new material once all the parts are in place.
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Ceiling-Mounted Showerhead Ideas
Conclusion: Can You Put A Shower Head In The Ceiling?
Yes. Mounted on the ceiling of your shower, either recessed, flush, or with an extension arm, ceiling-mounted showerheads have more nozzles for water to flow through, mimicking the feeling of a rain shower.
Though a more expensive project, this type of showerhead is ultra-modern in appearance and elevates any shower to your personal oasis.
Now, create a shower system with limitless combinations of hand showers, body sprays, and even more shower heads for the ultimate drenching experience.
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