Buying a shower hose: length, 1/2" connection and anti-twist

It starts with a small drip at the connection. A few weeks later the hose is twisted like an old phone cord, and eventually the casing tears. A new shower hose is quickly bought – if you pay attention to three things.

1. The right length

Measure from the tap to the highest position of the hand shower, for example the top of the shower rail, and add 20–30 cm of slack. As a rule of thumb:

1.5 m – for most showers with the tap at medium height
2 m – for bathtubs, low-mounted taps or if you like to move the shower freely

Too long is not good either: the hose then lies in the tub or hangs in a big loop.

2. The connection: 1/2" (DN 15)

Almost all taps and hand showers in Germany have the standard 1/2" connection, also called DN 15. Smarald® shower hoses have this connection. A shower filter such as the DF-007 simply screws in between the tap and the hose.

3. Anti-twist protection

While showering, the shower head keeps turning in your hand – and the hose with it. Without anti-twist protection it winds up over time, kinks and cracks. A swivel at the shower end (360°) absorbs this movement. The Smarald® stainless steel shower hoses have this swivel.

Fitting in two minutes

Turn off the water and unscrew the old hose from the tap and the shower head.
Put a washer into both nuts of the new hose.
Screw the hose onto the tap and the shower head hand-tight.
Turn the water on and check for drips – tighten slightly if necessary.

Which end goes where? The end with the swivel goes on the hand shower – where the hose turns while you shower.

The most common mistakes

Reusing old washers. They are usually hard and flattened – new washers cost almost nothing.
Tightening with pliers. The nuts deform or the washer gets crushed.
Buying too short. Then the hose pulls on the shower holder. Better 20 cm more.

In short: measure the length and add 20–30 cm, check for a 1/2" connection and anti-twist protection, fit new washers, screw on hand-tight.