my shower's gone rogue and sprays everywhere but down

The last brass shower head I tried started turning greenish after a year, and it was a pain to clean up. Maybe it’s just my water?

That greenish tint is probably from mineral-heavy water reacting with the brass - happens a lot in older houses or if you’ve got hard water. Stainless does seem to hold up better for some folks, but yeah, the cheap ones can rust out fast. Those selector switches are a nightmare... I’ve had to take mine apart and lube it with silicone grease every few months just to keep it moving. It’s always a toss-up between durability and maintenance, honestly.

I’ve been down the brass vs stainless rabbit hole too, and honestly, I’m starting to think plastic’s underrated. At least it doesn’t corrode or seize up, even if it feels a bit cheap. Anyone tried those “self-cleaning” heads with the silicone nozzles? Curious if they actually help with the hard water buildup or if it’s just marketing fluff.

Anyone tried those “self-cleaning” heads with the silicone nozzles? Curious if they actually help with the hard water buildup or if it’s just marketing fluff.

I’ve actually got one of those silicone nozzle shower heads in my main bathroom. Picked it up mostly because our water’s so hard it feels like you’re showering in mineral soup half the time. The “self-cleaning” bit is kind of a stretch, honestly. What it really means is you can rub your thumb over the little silicone nubs and break up the scale, instead of having to soak the whole thing in vinegar or take it apart every few months. It does help, but only if you remember to do it regularly. If you let it go too long, you’re still scraping off crusty bits.

Plastic definitely gets a bad rap, but I’m with you - it doesn’t seize up like brass or stainless sometimes does, especially if you don’t keep up on cleaning. I had a metal head that basically welded itself together after a couple years. The plastic ones feel lighter and maybe a bit cheap, but at least they don’t corrode.

One thing I noticed though: some of the cheaper plastic heads with silicone nozzles can start leaking around the seam after a while. Not sure if that’s just bad luck or a quality thing, but worth keeping in mind.

If your shower’s spraying everywhere but down, sometimes it’s just gunk clogging up half the nozzles and forcing water out at weird angles. The silicone ones do make that easier to fix - just flex them back and forth under running water and most of the junk pops out. Not magic, but less hassle than soaking or scrubbing metal.

Long story short: not total marketing fluff, but not exactly “set and forget” either. Still beats fighting with seized-up metal threads any day...

Had to laugh at “showering in mineral soup” - that’s my house too. I’ve tried both the silicone nozzle heads and the old-school metal ones, and honestly, neither is perfect. The silicone ones are easier to poke at when they get clogged, but I still end up with water shooting sideways if I forget for a couple weeks. At least I don’t have to break out the pliers and vinegar as often. Still, “self-cleaning” feels like a bit of a stretch... more like “self-help, if you remember.”

Still, “self-cleaning” feels like a bit of a stretch... more like “self-help, if you remember.”

That line about “self-help, if you remember” hits home. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been called out to fix a shower head that’s supposed to be “maintenance-free.” Truth is, even the best silicone nozzles get gunked up if your water’s hard enough. I’ve seen folks swear by those little rubber nubs - just give ’em a wiggle and you’re good, right? Except half the time, there’s still a rogue jet shooting straight at the ceiling.

Here’s what I do at my place: every couple months, I take the whole head off and soak it in vinegar overnight. It’s not glamorous, but it beats wrestling with pliers when the buildup gets out of hand. The “old-school” metal ones seem to last longer, but they’re a pain to clean. Silicone’s easier day-to-day, but yeah… not magic.

If you’re getting wild spray patterns after just a few weeks, it might be worth checking your water heater too - sometimes the sediment starts there and just keeps moving downstream. Not saying it’ll fix everything, but it can help slow things down.