Adjusting your home's water pressure regulator can help, but honestly, it's usually a band-aid solution rather than a real fix. If your shower's spraying everywhere, it's probably due to mineral buildup or worn-out internal parts. I'd recommend cleaning/descaling first (vinegar soak usually does the trick), and if that doesn't help, you might need to replace the showerhead entirely. Messing with water pressure might temporarily mask the issue, but it won't solve the underlying problem...plus, you might end up with weak faucets elsewhere in the house.
I get your point about pressure adjustments being a temporary fix, but honestly, sometimes tweaking the regulator slightly can help pinpoint if the issue is really buildup or something else. A few years back, my shower went nuts spraying sideways, and I assumed it was mineral deposits. Did the vinegar soak, replaced the head—nothing worked. Turned out my home's pressure was way too high, causing internal seals to fail prematurely. Adjusting it down a bit actually solved the root issue and saved me from future plumbing headaches...just something to consider before dismissing pressure entirely.
"Adjusting it down a bit actually solved the root issue and saved me from future plumbing headaches..."
Fair point—pressure can definitely cause weird issues. Still, I'd caution against relying solely on regulator tweaks. It's usually worth checking valves and seals too...but hey, glad it worked out in your case.
Good call on the valves and seals—pressure tweaks are handy, but they're not a silver bullet. Had a similar issue with my shower last year; adjusting the regulator helped temporarily, but the spray pattern got wonky again after a few weeks. Turned out the showerhead itself was partially clogged with mineral buildup. Quick soak in vinegar and a toothbrush scrub sorted it right out. Might be worth checking yours too if the problem pops back up...just saying.
Had a similar issue pop up in one of my rentals a while back. Thought it was pressure-related at first too, but turned out to be something totally different. Have you checked if the shower arm itself is loose or slightly angled? Sometimes tenants adjust the head angle repeatedly, and over time the connection loosens just enough to send water spraying everywhere but straight down. Tightening it up with some plumber's tape did the trick for me.
Also, curious—how old is your showerhead? If it's been around a while, might be worth swapping it out entirely. Mineral buildup can definitely cause weird spray patterns, but sometimes the internal plastic bits just wear out or crack slightly. Had one that looked perfectly fine from the outside but was cracked inside, causing all sorts of chaos. New head solved it immediately.
Anyway, good luck getting your rogue shower under control...nothing worse than surprise cold sprays first thing in the morning.
