hansgrohe Croma Sliding Height Adjust Air Infusion, Rain AirPower Spray, QuickClean Showerpipe Shower Set in Brushed Nickel, 27169821

I'm a DIY'er and bought this to go in our new shower remodel and did the complete install. The one other part you need is the Hansgrohe 16181181 install kit ($35), which gives you 2 brass nipples and a mounting jig to set the pipe spacing behind the wall (you do not need the "01850181 3/4-Inch iBox" since the external shower valve is part of this showerpipe set.) The kit instructions are well written and mounting was pretty straight forward; you just need to make sure the 2 pipe nipples are level and get the correct distance behind the finished wall surface. The kit also comes with temporary brass caps so you can pressure test before the wall gets closed up.This is a heavy-duty high-quality fixture, and compared to even more pricey options it's well worth the money. Instructions were well written and the install was pretty simple. Some other notes:Pros:If you ever need repairs on the shower valve everything is right there on the external valve; you don't need to remove a cover plate and work in the wall space. Also, the description doesn't mention it but the showerpipe set includes 2 isolation ball valves (hot and cold) mounted right on the wall behind the fixture that operate with an allen wrench. You and your plumber will really appreciate this if you ever need to make repairs since it means you don't have to shut off all the water in the house.The mounting nipples only require 2 small 1" holes in the shower wall, which makes it much it easier to seal and waterproof.The clamp for the handshower is secure and works much better than some of the cheaper fixtures.Cons:More exposed piping to keep clean (but it sure looks cool when it is).Like another reviewer said, you can't operate both shower heads at once and the description is wrong. But even if you could there may not be enough pressure for this to work well.Check your clearance when you mount the fixture valve, because at the recommended height (47" +-) the standpipe height puts the showerhead at about 7.5' off the floor (but your tall friends will appreciate this.)

This is the fourth 'shower pipe' I have installed for clients. The install kit ensures the threaded pipes are at the correct spacing for the valve. I take the liberty of waiting until the showers finished surfaces are completed before I cut the threaded pipes with a hand hack saw for valve installation. Always file the cut edges to a slight chamfer to allow easier valve connections. It's not a bad idea to put a wood block behind the wall where the showerpipe stand-off is located. The directions are reasonably clear, but may be a nightmare for a home owner Joe install. Give it a try. Call a pro if it gets to be too much. Either way, this is a great looking and functioning shower system that will look good for years.

The previous Hansgrohe shower, a simpler and cheaper model that began to leak after 10 years plus of continuous use, came with S shaped wall fittings. This new model was packaged with straight fittings. This means the shower will go in exactly at th fixed position where the plumber guessed the shower will fit. The S shaped nipples allow for some tolerance to place the shower in more comfortable positions. The S shaped nipples also allow to find a spot(s) between tiles to drill for the support screw(s). Otherwise the installation is a mess unless your masons have been trained in Germany and place the hot and cold pipes in places where the final product, after finishing the tiling, etc. will be set. I am not talking about the separation between cold and hot pipes. That is easy to do is the desirability to have some tolerance for the final set. Probably this was decided by a perfectionist that expects that their es will in the exact right place. In addition, the so called escutcheons are flat not conical to allow for the S shaped nipples. I was expecting a simple replacement installation and it is not going to such. Other than that, I am happy to share this info. Cheers!

I did not realize that this has a thermostatic limiting cartridge that will not let it get above 104F. I've called support and there is not a way to remove it. And with such a unique mounting pattern I'm now stuck with holes that I can't match with. It will get warm, like a public hot tub but will not get hot! Double check that this does not have the EU heat limiting cartridge. Aside from that, it is a beautiful and well built shower head. I love that you can set the temp with one valve and turn on and off with the other. No more trying to guess where my heart setting should be. Just wish I could get it hotter.

I installed this myself about a year ago during a complete bathroom renovation. I had the advantage of starting from scratch on the shower, by far the biggest challenge was making sure the Ells for the hot and cold water supply were completely level, if they are not, the shower manifold/control bar will not be level on install. Other than that, installation was very painless, and the end result is gorgeous. I love the European spa-type look that it gives my bathroom, the temp and pressure controls are very exacting, and the rain shower is soothing without being wasteful of water. Also super easy to keep clean. We have a lot of salt and calcium in our water, which has corroded and clogged up around other spray nozzles, the little rubber holes just rub clean. I would love if there was a little more metal and a little less plastic on the handheld and upper showerheads, but it would be insanely heavy and probably three times the cost. Make sure you pick up the brass connections to go with it, not the thermostatic box. Not sure why Hansgrohe doesn't provide the coupling as part of the shower package. At any rate, definitely recommend.