Have rainshower, want to add handheld

Hi all. Quite a newb here, looking for some competent help / advice!

Just moved to a new condo, with some 3-year-old renos. Both tubs have identical rainshower (RS) heads mounted very close to the ceiling (see pics). We're actually enjoying the heads, except for two things:

1) They're so close to the wall that you're almost standing on the drain to get under them. Tilting them helps a bit, but they only go so far.
2) We really miss our handheld (HH) shower heads.

We really don't want to open up the walls.

1st choice would be adding a HH, using a 'T' and some kind of shut-off / diverter, while extending the RS further out over the tub, maybe adding a brace to the ceiling to hold it up. I thought of adding a straight nipple from the wall, with some kind of T/diverter leading out to the RS and down to the HH, with a wall-mounted holder for the HH (T is diverter, b is brace):
Only problem with that plan is that the diverter would be so high it's a stretch to reach, especially for my wife. Could I run a pipe down from the T, with a valve at the bottom, and connect the HH there?

The plumbing store guys just shake their heads and shrug, like the parts I'm dreaming of don't exist.

2nd option is just to replace the RS with HH (could maybe try one of the new 2-in-one heads). Problem here is the pipe is so close to the ceiling that even if I could get a normal angled nipple screwed in without digging into the ceiling, there wouldn't be enough room for a HH shower head.

Any and all creative ideas appreciated!

Cheers... Perry.

That shower arm just screws into a fitting in the wall. replace it with a standard shower arm or even a 8" extended arm.
Remove the head. Remove the arm. Install a new arm with a 45 degree angle instead of the exiting 90. you can also put a hook on the wall to hang you HH instead of hanging it on the Shower arm. these a some images I pulled from google images using "shower arm hand held " should not be hard to find what you need

Thanks For the reply Mr_David.

That diverter valve you found is the right idea. Unfortunately I don't think I can fit a 45 degree arm, at least not an 8" one, because there's not enough room under the ceiling to screw it in.

I might try a short 45, and if I can get it screwed in I can add a diverter and a normal shower head to that. Might work for me; my wife won't be able to reach the diverter though.

Cheers... Perry.

the 8" arm is to extend it out from the wall a couple more inches than the standard 6" arm.

Or just eliminated the head and use a block fitting and a slider bar

Yup, that would work for my 2nd option.

Guess there just might not be a way to have my cake and eat it too.

Thanks... Perry.

Hi again folks. You've helped me find some viable options, but I'm still thinking I might work out my option A, i.e. keep the rainshower and add a handheld. I haven't been able to source the bits locally, but I can put it together from online sources. Here's what I have in mind; I'd appreciate any opinions: will this work?

1. remove the existing 90 degree shower arm
2. screw in a straight 6" arm like this one
3. add a diverter like one of these (I like the Fancy Flip 3-way)
4. use a coupling like this to attach the original 90 degree arm to the diverter

Now the existing rainshower head goes back on the 90 degree arm, a handheld shower goes on the other diverter outlet, with a wall-mounted holder. I'd want to use a brace of some kind to support the longer, heavier assembly from the ceiling.

I can't think of any reason this wouldn't work. It wouldn't look quite as slick and pretty as now, but at least everything's chromed. What do you think? Am I missing some fatal flaw, or is this a viable plan?

As always, any feedback is appreciated.

Cheers... Perry.

That might work

The added weight and length on the wall fitting connection may cause a problem. The threaded end of the nipple may eventually break off inside the fitting. I've repaired a lot of those due those racks people hang on them for their soap and shampoo and various other reasons.

A hanger or bracket of some sort to support the the rain head.

I looked around and found this

Add-A-Shower-Adjustable-Wall-Bracket-With-Rod

Or even a shower curtain support may work as well on same site

Thanks for the link... that's a good site. I definitely plan to support the arm to the ceiling somehow; that curtain rod support might work, although there's only 1.5" from the pipe to the ceiling, so maybe just a long u-bolt or similar. Boat chandleries have lots of hardware that could work, if nothing else.

Appreciate your eyes on it. Time to order parts!

Cheers... Perry.

Hi all.

I finally received all of the parts and installed my shower, so I thought Id share a picture. Looks a bit steampunk, but works great. And yes, I should have taped fewer threads so the tape doesn't show... I'll pull it apart and fix it one of these days.

The ceiling support is a cast stainless piece I found at a boat chandlery, meant to support a stainless handrail. It's a bit larger than the shower arm diameter, which made it easy to install, and it has a hex set screw on the back so the whole installation is very solid and secure.

All in all, I'm happy with the result. Thanks again for your help.

Perry.

A bit of careful work with a knife point will remove the excess thread tape. I do it all of the time.

Nice job !!!

Mr_David said:

That shower arm just screws into a fitting in the wall. replace it with a standard shower arm or even a 8" extended arm.
Remove the head. Remove the arm. Install a new arm with a 45 degree angle instead of the exiting 90. you can also put a hook on the wall to hang you HH instead of hanging it on the Shower arm. these a some images I pulled from google images using "shower arm hand held " should not be hard to find what you need

Click to expand...

I did the same, it was a great solution. I installed an extension arm on the original shower pipe, and then installed a rain handheld showerhead. Everything became perfect, and the wife no longer complained about not holding the showerhead.

Idearat, it looks great and solid, but how does your wife reach that diverter?
That was one of your original concerns.

How on Earth did the "standard" shower height come to be 80" or more? No code requirement, as near as I can tell, but most design guides advise 78", some go as high as 84". I had to fight with a contractor to lower mine to 72". Even with many shower heads having controls on them you can fiddle with, it's still recommended that they be too high for many of us to reach.

72 inches seems very low.

Unless you are a dwarf, which is possible and if so I understand, if 72 inches is the height of the ell behind the wall, then with the drop from the shower arm and the length of a typical chunky adjustable shower head, now the bottom of the shower head is at about 5 foot six inches.

If 72 inches is the height of the bottom of the shower head, I could see that being ok for shorter folks.

Once I was 5' 10", but I liked the shower hitting me in the nape of the neck, so I wanted a lower arm. I used an adjustable arm for years. Now I have to use a bench in the shower, so I'd like it even lower. The shower valve is at 36", next to the bench, and the outlet is next to it, with a handheld shower attached. Everything is within reach of the seated shower-er. Different strokes...

Sounds like a good setup for a bench.
Be sure to add some good grab bars.

That low drop might not be so great for resale someday.
Although if there is room, they could add the shower arm that increases shower head height.

Might have been easier just to install the shower ell higher, then add a vertical bar to hold the shower head or a rest for the handheld.

Congrats on maintaining your independence and fighting for what you want.

My friend got this showerhead https://www.amazon.com/Showerspas-Retro-Fit-Shower-Handshower-Adjustable/dp/B01H4RJZV6/ and had to set it low because his ceiling is only 79" high.
The solution the OP came up with looks good though.

Job well done . Like the solution other than wife not being able to reach divertor . I have always roughed in shower head flange at 82 inches off subfloor or 80 inches off of finished surface of tub/shower floor . Have had a few customers over the years want them lower . Where the ceiling is low like that will usually leave a little lower .