It says so on almost every shower head in the shop: high pressure. The Besjaar Luxury Hand Shower says it too. But a shower head cannot raise the pressure in your water pipes. So what does 'high pressure' mean? Besjaar explains, using the Luxury Hand Shower as an example.
The short answer
A high-pressure shower head makes the water leave the head faster and in a more focused way. It does that with narrower nozzles and air in the spray. That does not mean more water comes out; often it is less. The spray simply feels more powerful.
Pressure and flow are two different things
- Water pressure is how hard the water pushes in your pipes. It comes from your water company and your pipes, not from your shower head.
- Flow is how much water comes out of your shower head, in litres per minute.
A shower head cannot change the pressure. It does decide how the water comes out: wide and soft, or narrow and powerful.
How a high-pressure shower head works
- Narrower nozzles. Through a smaller opening, the water has to flow faster. You feel that as a more powerful spray.
- Air in the spray. The head mixes air into the water. The spray feels fuller as a result, while less water passes through.
- A focused setting. A power or massage setting bundles the water into fewer, firmer jets.
What does the Besjaar Luxury Hand Shower do?
The Besjaar Luxury Hand Shower works exactly like this. It has a wide 13-centimetre head with silicone nozzles and mixes air into the spray. You choose from three settings:
- Rain: wide and soft, for every day.
- Massage: firm jets for shoulders and back.
- Power: the strongest setting, for when you want to feel the pressure.
The hand shower uses at most 8 litres of water per minute. For comparison: Milieu Centraal, the Dutch consumer information centre, calls a shower head water-saving at a maximum of 7.2 litres per minute, 20% less than a regular shower head. The Luxury Hand Shower sits in between: more economical than a regular shower head, with a spray that still feels full.
When does a different shower head not help?
Has the spray suddenly gone weak, while your shower head always worked well? Then the cause is often somewhere else:
- Limescale in the nozzles. Descaling helps, see 5 signs your shower head is full of limescale.
- A kinked or old hose. A new hose helps, see choosing a shower hose.
- Low pressure throughout the house. Does little water come out of every tap? Then no shower head can solve that. Read about other causes in low water pressure in the shower.
High pressure, or rather soft?
A powerful spray is not always better. For your face, for children or for sensitive skin, a soft rain setting is often more pleasant. That is why the Luxury Hand Shower has three settings: you choose per moment. Want even more choice and a pause button? The Besjaar Shower Head with Filter has 10 settings. See all models side by side in which Besjaar shower head suits you?
Frequently asked questions
Does a high-pressure shower head increase water pressure?
No. The pressure in your pipes stays the same. A high-pressure shower head does make the water leave the head faster and more focused, so the spray feels more powerful.
Does a high-pressure shower head use more water?
Not necessarily; often it uses less. The Besjaar Luxury Hand Shower uses at most 8 litres per minute.
Does the Besjaar Luxury Hand Shower help with low water pressure?
It gets more out of the pressure you have, thanks to the narrower nozzles and the air in the spray. If the pressure in your whole house is low, a shower head will not solve that.
View the Besjaar Luxury Hand Shower or discover all Besjaar shower heads.
Besjaar makes shower heads and filters for Dutch bathrooms, from Assen. Better water, every day.