Project: My old shower head was working OK, but I wanted one with a hose mainly so I could more easily clean my fairly deep/large shower stall. Moving the head around on my old one wasn’t cutting it, and while I rarely use the hose while washing, I knew from past experience that a hose model is great for cleaning a tub/shower stall. Decision: I decided on the Moen as I have had good luck with their products and settled on this design in chrome. But I was torn between this eco model (26100 EP) for $45 (sale) at 2.0 GPM or the 2.5 GPM version of the same thing (26100) for $85 [Amazon prices at the time of review]. NOTE: I knew I was going to remove the flow restrictor in either case and after reading some reviews, it seemed the EP model was going to be much harder to modify. But at twice the price for the non EP model, I rolled the dice and got this one. More on this later. Materials: This puppy is thick plastic with a well applied “chrome” coating that appears metallic. The only metal I could find was the hose (and that is only metal on the outside, it is plastic lined). Some have mentioned that they don’t like the plastic, but I have no issues with it. No idea if the $85 one has more metal, but I also don’t care. The plastic is quality plastic (with the possible exception of the gray base which is a soft plastic) but both versions of this shower head have that same base… NOTE: Making it from plastic may even be an advantage. If you lose your grip and drop the shower head and it swings into your shower stall wall (or glass door) a plastic head is much less likely to damage the wall/glass. [If I have to pick between a damaged wall or door and a damaged shower head, I will take the damaged shower head; much easier to fix.] Hose: As I mentioned, it is metal on the outside and plastic on the inside. The anti-kink mechanism on both ends works very well. I wish it was a tad longer, but the hose length has obviously been chosen so it won’t reach the floor if you drop the head in a standard height shower. Both ends of the hose are easily screwed in by hand and don’t leak. No pipe tape needed to connect the hose. DON’T USE TOOLS! Screw it on hand tight only, and don’t forget the rubber gaskets… Spray Options: This shower head may not be very wide but the water dispersion is quite good and widens out significantly by the time it hits you depending on the setting. There are multiple settings that switch between the center and outer rings of the shower and adjust different pressures for each. I normally use it in the center switch (default) setting unless I am using it for cleaning. The selector switch can be flicked with a thumb and is easiest to select when you are holding the shower head in your hand and it is not snapped into the mount. Magnetic Mount: There IS a small plastic clip at the top of the mount in addition to the magnet which helps hold the head in place. The magnet is quite strong and will grab and snap the head into place when you get it nearby. Not sure how this system will hold up over time, but it seems like a solid design. Operationally, I like using it better than the snap-in head units I have used. Moving The Mount: The gray base can be pointed in various directions to some extent but isn’t real easy to move, especially with the head on the mount. Move it by grabbing it behind the shower head (on the gray part) or pull the head off, move it, and snap it back. For the most part you probably won’t move it much unless you have family members of seriously different heights. I used a modest amount of 1/2" pipe tape to connect the mount to the wall pipe. This ensures a solid seal and also protects the soft plastic mount from the metal pipe grooves (reduces cross threading risks). The pipe tape is likely not needed to make a good seal if your pipe is in good shape. Once again, DON’T USE TOOLS! Screw it on hand tight only and don’t forget the rubber gasket. HINT: To easily remove any old pipe tape on your wall pipe (and you DO want to remove it if you can) take a damp wad of paper towel or toilet paper and twist left and right around the pipe while squeezing and the old tape will usually shred itself off in strings quite easily. Negatives: Aside from the low water flow (which is technically a “feature”) there really are no negatives for me on this unit other than the gray plastic base. This is made of a soft plastic and I wonder how it will hold up. Take your time installing it and ensure you don’t cross thread (forcing it on at a slight angle) and you should be fine. Water Flow Restrictors: This shower head has been carefully and artfully designed to provide as much water pressure as possible with a low water usage. That’s what makes it an “eco” shower head as it reduces water flow, and thus, water use and hot water/power use. Presumably that is why you are thinking of buying it. If so, you do NOT want to remove the water flow restrictors! Modern “eco” shower heads are designed to reduce water use to a minimum while still providing a “useful flow” (sic). Removing the flow restrictors on this model is not simple and voids the point of having an eco shower head; at least according to our big-brother, EPA, government hacks. I personally disagree with this position as I believe that a quick shower at high pressure/high water flow will use the same amount of water (or less) as a longer shower at lower pressure/low water flow. This is because you need to stay in the shower for a longer time to accomplish the same results with a low flow. I also wanted the option of high pressure for cleaning the shower. So as an adult with a brain, I decided to remove my flow restrictors and (gasp!) manage my own water consumption; see below for more info. Greenies, please keep your flames to yourselves as not everyone is too stupid to responsibly control their water use manually. Plus, I do explain the consequences of removal in great detail. NOTE: If you are putting this shower head in a shower to be used by kids/teenagers/other persons with no concept of paying the gas/electric/water bills, DON’T REMOVE THE FLOW RESTRICTORS! — Water Flow Restrictor Removal: THE INFO BELOW IS PROVIDED FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. -I am not responsible for your use of said info, or for any damages you may suffer from doing so. This includes any stress, eco-guilt, or bad karma you may suffer as a result of taking personal responsibility for your own water usage. -Removing the flow restrictors will probably void your warranty, affect your ability to return the product, may cause unforeseen issues down the road, and is probably illegal in some places. -If you are subject to landlord, HUD, or other home inspections (such as when you sell your home) it may cause you to fail said inspections and make you have to buy a new shower head that meets code. [It won’t take a brilliant home inspector to know your flow restrictors have been modified on this unit due to the serious increase in pressure/water flow that results from doing so.] -Reversing this process and putting all these restrictors back in place will likely be somewhere between VERY difficult to impossible to accomplish on this particular product as the water restrictors are unusually complex and delicate. If you decide to remove the restrictors, I suggest you take this action assuming that you will not be able to change your mind! -NOTE: Removing the restrictors significantly increases water pressure (AND POTENTIALLY WATER USE/EXPENSE) depending on how you use the product. Legal stuff out of the way... I found this shower head did not meet my personal needs with the restrictors in place, however, I admit bias on the topic as I had planned to remove them from the beginning. Before you start, understand that this shower head literally has THE MOST COMPLEX series of water flow restrictors I have EVER run across in any product! There are multiple levels of flow restrictors in this shower head. The ones that matter are
