Stiffness In The Shower This Morning!

[OldChinaHam]

I do not know what it is with the Thailand bathrooms these days,

But this morning I went in to the bathroom to take a morning shower.

Have you noticed in the morning when you go in

Your hose seems really stiff?

And it is not even cold!

I am using PMMA manufactured by MPM

It seems like all builders in Thailand are using this brand, and they are just too stiff and are nowhere near flexible enough to do what we like to do in the shower.

The thing I don't like is when I am facing forward with the water coming down on my head, I feel this rubbing against my back because the hose just will not stay down, it is too hard.

Foreign hoses do not do this.

Anyone know why the PMMA brand from MPM is hard like this?

And, what about if I am willing to do a bit of DIY screwing?

Can I just unscrew the hard one, and find a more flexible plastic that will bend in the morning?

As I say, this is the THIRD apartment, guest house, hotel I have lived in while in Thailand, and all the hoses in the shower are just too hard for me.

So:

Are all hoses in the shower equally hard?

Do I need a foreign shower hose?

Thank you,

I am getting tired after fooling around with all these hoses that will not obey me.

[villagefarang]

So:

No

Yes

edit: I always thought a little stiffness in the morning was a good thing, but that is another topic.

[harrry]

As long as warm fluid comes out it does not matter too much in that case if the hose is stiff or not.

[IMHO]

There's about 1 million alternative hoses / shower kits available. Suggest you pay a little more for your accommodation if you keep seeing this cheap crap everywhere you go

[villagefarang]

Then of course there is the all important size of the hose to be considered.

[OldChinaHam]

Then of course there is the all important size of the hose to be considered.

After living in Taiwan,

I can say that the much longer ones are better because they can reach all over.

I was not used to them at first, but if you have a drain in the floor,

Then it is good you can extend your hose even over to the toilet area.

This becomes useful under some conditions.

Especially now that we are aging.

[bbradsby]

...theres just waaay too much material to work with here. this whole thread is one big double entendre isnt it?

[OldChinaHam]

After thinking it over while out in the desert for 40 days and 40 nights,

Now I wish to say that yesterday I did some walking around looking for a good hose,

Longer and not quite so stiff.

These shops seem to be selling the same brand I have.

And since someone here said that I am spending too much time in cheap hotels, but not short time hotels,

What brand is suggested which will not do what this hose does to me every morning?

The Taiwan hoses are far better.

Never had any problem with the hoses there.

But why spend the effort to find a Taiwan hose in Thailand if I can just find a better Thailand hose?

Any ideas?

[bankruatsteve]

Stainless steel hoses are found in almost all the major supply places.

[Artisi]

Well my better-half usually calls out "that's your problem", "deal with it" when ever I report this problem.

Edited September 9, 2013 by Artisi

[jmccarty]

Hardness occurs and with a bit of coconut oil, seems to work its way out.

[wpcoe]

I find the plastic (usually white) hoses are not very flexible (and can kink relatively easily), but the metal "jointed" ones are flexible and don't kink up.

[cooked]

I bought the cheapest I could find as we plan to redo the bathroom entirely. No problem.

[OldChinaHam]

I find the plastic (usually white) hoses are not very flexible (and can kink relatively easily), but the metal "jointed" ones are flexible and don't kink up.

This is really very strange because:

1. This phenomenon does not happen with Taiwan plastic hoses in hot or cold weather, and the plastic hoses are much more flexible. Also they are usually longer and most showers are also bathtubs. Here most showers I see are mostly stalls with short hoses.

2. There must be only one OEM or one process for manufacturing these hoses here in Chiang Mai. So far, I have not seen a different one. These poorly designed hoses take the pleasure out of the shower, every time, because they are so stiff that sometimes they won't even remain in the socket.

3. Oh yes, the socket is too loose, as well.

4. The socket is so loose and the hose so stiff that often the hose will jump out of the socket and start spraying around, even spraying outside the shower. I am surprised, as I say, that no one has put a stop to this behavior far sooner. I should have brought a hose from Taiwan. But maybe someone here has a solution. I do not like the stainless steel ones because they are too heavy.

[wpcoe]

I wonder if the Taiwan ones are rubber or "rubberized" plastic more like a garden hose? I agree that the white plastic ones here are worthless.

[Gsxrnz]

Then of course there is the all important size of the hose to be considered.

The girl from Home Pro told me that size didn't really matter as most of these units are one size fits all.

[Gsxrnz]

...theres just waaay too much material to work with here. this whole thread is one big double entendre isnt it?

Is a double entendre anything like a ménage a trois ?

[wayned]

I agree! I had stiffness in the shower this morning and I yelled to my wife to come and help! She opened the door and said "what the xxxxx your problem" and the stiffness went magically away!

Edited September 10, 2013 by metisdead
Profanity

[OldChinaHam]

I wonder if the Taiwan ones are rubber or "rubberized" plastic more like a garden hose? I agree that the white plastic ones here are worthless.

Joking aside, there is a marked difference which I noticed the first shower away from Taiwan.

The hoses in Taiwan will bend much more and won't "spring back".

So, do you mean that this other type of material, "rubberized" or something, is not available here?

I do not like the stainless steel metal hoses because they are just too heavy,

And I also just don't like to be clanking around like a horse in a stall,

When I stand with my hose in the shower enclosure.

[Gsxrnz]

Op - try getting a swivel type union that goes between the shower head and the hose. That way the hose can do what it likes but the shower head will point wherever you want with no resistance.

[OldChinaHam]

Op - try getting a swivel type union that goes between the shower head and the hose. That way the hose can do what it likes but the shower head will point wherever you want with no resistance.

That is a good idea, in most cases,

But what really gets me is that this hose they have, and the others too, will just not hang loose.

If the shower head nozzle is placed into the wall bracket, then since the hose will not really bend very much when it loops down from the electric heater and then back up to the wall bracket, it will arc out from the wall and hit you in the back if you move close to the wall under the shower head.

What is needed is a hose that will hang straight or not be so rigid.

Also, you really need a longer hose on this thing so that the hose will hang down from the electric water heater, then bend back up 90 degrees, and stay close to the wall until it reaches the wall bracket which holds the shower head "handle".

All the hoses I have seen in Taiwan are quite a bit longer than the ones I have shopped for in Thailand.

So what is needed it seems from reading the above comments is a rubberized heavier hose which is more flexible, and also probably one that is longer.

The question is, why do they not have something like this in the shops in Chiang Mai, or the ones that I have so far visited?

I listed the manufacturer brand marks which I read off of the shower head.

I have no other information than this.

But this hose here has now almost got the better of me,

And it is driving me mad every morning, almost.

Everything else in Thailand is wonderful.

[Khun Jean]

You should make the stiffness work for you.

Loosen it up a little, then rotate it until everything is in the right location and then tighten it up again.

[Crossy]

I'm a little late to this party, however here's my 2 Baht worth.

We had a similar issue in our condo. I found that the hoses which have a stainless steel outer over a thin rubber inner were most flexible, the ones with a metallised plastic outer had a thicker rubber inner were the stiffest. Of course the steel ones were most expensive, we have them in the house now.

Regarding length, our guest shower room has two hoses joined by a 1/2" brass coupler for that extra reach.

[lopburi3]

Yes the SS link type hose is much more flexible for shower and toilet sprays. For shower you want the 1.5m size and spray the 1.2m (to keep off floor).

[wpcoe]

Yeah but:

I do not like the stainless steel metal hoses because they are just too heavy,
And I also just don't like to be clanking around like a horse in a stall,
When I stand with my hose in the shower enclosure.

I just whinny and neigh about as I enjoy using my flexible SS shower hose. Of course, I live alone, and the neighbors already know I'm ting-tong.

[OldChinaHam]

Having been provided time to think about this problem further, I think I know the answer:

Swivels ----- That is right, the hose and the shower head do not rotate. I mean, if there was a "joint" between the hose and the heater, then the hose could easily swivel, and would not stick out, but would always hang limp.

The reason the hose will not lie down is because it is torqued and flexed. But if this rotation were eased a bit and allowed to rotate, then everything would be Sabai-Sabai.

Now that I recall, I am almost sure that there is an extra "coupling" of the hose and the heater to allow rotation. There is obviously a good reason for having this.

Any thoughts from the plumbers out there if I am right in my thinking?

If I am right, then fixing all these hoses is easy. Just buy a few couplers and couple away until all hoses have been satisfied, each with its own coupler.

I should have thought of this solution before.