Yeah, good call on checking the pressure regulator. High water pressure is sneaky—sometimes it doesn't seem obvious until fixtures start acting weird or pipes burst out of nowhere. Had a client once who kept swapping shower heads because they were spraying all over the place and leaking at the connections. Turned out their home's pressure was nearly double what it should've been. Not only was it causing the shower head issue, but it was quietly wearing down valves and seals throughout the house. Definitely worth taking a minute to test your home's pressure if you're seeing odd spray patterns or leaks popping up. Could save you from bigger headaches later on...
- Had a similar issue in one of my rentals last year—tenant kept complaining about the shower spraying sideways and leaking at the joint.
- First thought was a faulty shower head, swapped it out twice before realizing the real culprit was high water pressure.
- Pressure was way above normal, around 110 psi when it should've been closer to 60. No wonder fixtures were acting up...
- Installed a pressure regulator and dialed it back down. Problem solved instantly, plus probably saved myself from future plumbing nightmares.
- Definitely agree it's worth checking your home's pressure first before throwing money at new fixtures.
Had something similar happen a few years back—spent way too much time swapping showerheads before realizing it was pressure-related. You're definitely on the right track checking pressure first. Honestly, it's easy to overlook because most folks assume fixtures are the culprit. Once I installed a regulator and dialed things down to around 60 psi, everything settled nicely. Plus, it probably saved me from more expensive plumbing headaches down the road.
One quick tip: grab yourself a cheap pressure gauge from any hardware store and attach it to an outdoor spigot or laundry hookup—takes just a minute and gives you peace of mind before diving into bigger fixes. Good call on sharing this; wish I'd seen a thread like this before wasting my weekend swapping out perfectly good showerheads...
Good tips above—pressure's usually the sneaky culprit. Couple more things from experience:
- Check your shower arm for tiny cracks or loose threads; they can spray water everywhere but down.
- Don't overtighten fittings... learned that the hard way when I cracked one and had a surprise indoor fountain.
Good luck!
"Don't overtighten fittings... learned that the hard way when I cracked one and had a surprise indoor fountain."
Haha, been there myself—nothing like an unexpected indoor water feature to wake you up in the morning. Another sneaky issue I've run into is mineral buildup clogging the showerhead holes, causing weird spray patterns. Ever tried soaking your showerhead in vinegar overnight? Worked wonders for me, but curious if anyone's found a better trick or solution...
