Shower Sets

Shower Sets: Exposed Rail and Post Showers

A shower set puts the whole shower on one column: the mixer body on the wall, a rail or post rising from it, a rain shower head on top, a hand shower in a holder, and on three-way sets a spout as well. This category holds two-way and three-way exposed shower sets and shower posts. Because everything hangs off two standard wall outlets, an exposed shower set is the fastest way to bring a full shower into an existing bathroom.

Buying guide

Choosing an Exposed Shower Set

An exposed shower set puts the whole shower on one column, which is the fastest way to get a rain head and a hand shower from two wall outlets.

What a Two-Way or Three-Way Shower Set Includes

Two-way: rain head and hand shower. One mixer body with a diverter that sends water either up the rail to the rain shower head or down the hose to the hand shower. It is the standard set for a bathroom without a bathtub.

Three-way adds a spout. The third outlet on the mixer body is a spout at waist height, which fills a bath or a pail. If there is no tub and you never fill a pail from the shower wall, the two-way is the simpler choice.

A shower post runs cold. Some sets are a fixed post with a rain head on top and a hand shower; check whether the model is cold-only or takes a mixer. Same convenience, no heater needed.

Height is adjustable on a rail. The rail's top fixing usually slides, so the rain head height can be set to the ceiling and the people using it. A post is fixed length. Both mount to the wall through the tile with a bracket at the top; the mixer body carries the rest. The bathroom shower hub explains the other ways to build a shower.

Fitting and Water Supply

Two wall outlets, standard spacing. An exposed mixer body connects to a hot outlet and a cold outlet at a standard spacing on the wall, with offset connectors to take up small errors. If the bathroom already has a hot and cold pair at the shower point, a set can go on without any plumbing inside the wall.

The mixer needs a hot feed. A two-way or three-way set is a mixer tap, so a storage or multipoint heater has to supply hot water to the shower point. An instant heater cannot feed it. With no hot feed, choose the cold shower post or a bib tap with an arm and head instead.

Pressure fills the rain head. The head on top of a set is usually eight to ten inches across, and it needs a pumped or well-pressured supply to run properly. On a gravity-fed upper floor, expect the hand shower to be the one you use.

Fixings through the tile. The top bracket carries the rail's leverage, so it needs a solid plug in brick or concrete, or a rated cavity fixing in a false wall. Mark the position, drill without hammer action, and silicone the bracket edge.

Match the finish across the room. The set is the largest single piece of metal in the bathroom, so the basin tap, the bidet spray and the accessories should follow its finish.

Common questions

What is a shower set?

A shower set, sometimes called a rail shower or shower column, is an exposed mixer body with a rail or post, a rain shower head on top, a hand shower on a hose and a diverter to switch between them. Three-way sets add a bath spout. It mounts on the wall face and connects to the existing hot and cold outlets.

Two-way or three-way shower set?

Two-way if you only need a rain head and a hand shower. Three-way if you also want a spout, either to fill a bathtub below it or to fill a pail. The spout is the only difference; the rest of the set is the same.

Do I need a water heater for a shower set?

Yes, for a two-way or three-way set, because the body is a mixer and needs both hot and cold feeds. A storage or multipoint heater supplies the hot side. An instant heater will not feed a mixer. If there is no hot water at the shower point, a cold shower post gives the same layout without the mixer.

Can I install an exposed shower set in an existing bathroom?

Yes, if the shower point already has a hot and a cold outlet on the wall at the usual spacing. The set connects to them on the wall face and the rail fixes through the tile; nothing inside the wall changes. If there is only a cold outlet, the options are a cold shower post or running a hot feed first.

How high should a shower set be mounted?

The mixer body sits at about waist height, where the outlets already are. The rail then rises so the rain head clears the tallest user, and on most rails the top bracket slides to set that. Check the ceiling height against the rail length before buying.

Rail or post?

A rail adjusts in height and takes up small errors in the outlet position, so it suits an existing bathroom. A post is fixed and simpler; check whether the model is cold-only. If there is hot water and the outlets are already there, the rail set is the more forgiving fit.

Tell us whether the shower point has both a hot and a cold outlet and how high the ceiling is, and we can match a set that fits without new plumbing.

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