Would you use a $5,457 showerhead when rehabbing bathrooms?

The answer of course would be a deafening “NO!” But it’s not only the huge price tag you should be looking at. Some luxury showerheads may not be compliant with the Department of Energy’s (DOE) regulations, as well as with the new interpretation of the term “showerhead.” This could be a home rehab problem for you.

If in case you find luxury showerheads that simply stand out but do not cost as high as the five-grand model, well you still need to think twice. You see, for years, manufacturers have thought that the term “showerhead” refers to a “device that directs water onto a bather.” (I mean who didn’t think of it that way?)

However, when the DOE clarified this in May, those in the rehabbing business, although not as much as manufacturers and home builders, were a bit surprised. Apparently, the “showerhead” may incorporate on or more sprays, nozzles, or openings. That means that if all the nozzles combined go beyond the 2.5 gallons-a-minute maximum flow stipulated by the law, there is a violation.

Four showerhead manufacturers have already been fired by DOE general counsel Scott Blake Harris in May because of the alleged violations. Now, the DOE says that homeowners aren’t directly affected by the regulations, which also allow companies to adjust their product lines. But come think of it, some homeowners will be really pissed by the rules. It’s unlikely though that they live in rehab homes.

According to estimates, 95% of homes use standard showers; so less than 5% of homes have those extra huge and expensive showerheads. But of you encounter such showers when rehabbing bathrooms, you make the call.

Does the new regulation change Americans’ bathing culture as some manufacturers allege? Take your side and join our discussions. Log in on our forums now or enter your email below to register.