How to Turn on Different Types of Showers? [10 Types]

Buying a new shower for your bathroom is an overwhelming task. Aside from the fact that you have many things to consider when purchasing one, you may also encounter problems using it.

Imagine you bought a new and fancy shower. You have already installed it in your bathroom, admiring how great it looked. When you are about to step in and take your shower time, you discovered that you have no idea or clue how to turn it on.

You might say that turning on the shower is an easy task, even for kids. What would you do if the shower you bought is more complicated than what you thought it would be?

If you are one of those troubled people who are still in the process of figuring out how to turn on their showers, then this one is for you.

Read further as we dive deeper into the unique types of showers and the process of how you can successfully turn them on.

How Do I Turn My Showerhead On?

Have you experienced being surprised by the initial burst of water from your shower? It is not a pleasant experience, especially if you are not a fan of cold showers. Every person has their definition of a perfect temperature when taking a shower.

Turning the showerhead on is a simple task, but several factors can make it difficult such as the number of knobs and the type of shower you have.

Generally, you turn on the showerhead by using the shower valve. For some people, it only takes a minute to master the perfect twist for their preferred temperature. Other people spend time standing in the shower to figure things out.

What Type of Shower Faucet Do I Have?

Knowing what type of shower you are going to buy can save you a lot of hassle in the future. The shower must suit your bathroom set-up for it to function correctly. Here are the different types of showers that you can choose from.

Electric Showers

If you don’t want to stand shivering while waiting for the water in the shower to get warm, buying an electric shower can be a solution. 

This shower does not need hot water from your boiler or tank. It is a versatile type of shower because you can instantly have hot water because of its built-in heating device. 

You will not have a problem running out of hot water even if you have a small boiler at home. This type of shower can also save energy because it will only heat the water you are currently using. Its low flow rate can also help you save water.

Mixer Showers

Unlike electric showers, mixer showers need a source of hot water. Like what the name suggests, the shower mixes hot and cold water to produce the perfect water temperature for you.

 The good thing about this shower is that it does not need electricity. Even if there are power cuts, you can still enjoy taking a warm shower. If you have a large water tank at home, then a mixer shower is the one you can buy.

Power Showers

For houses struggling with low water pressure, power showers can be your best bet. Although this shower requires more water than others, it can still give you the water temperature you want.

Power showers work like a mixer shower because it also combines hot and cold water in their output. If you’re going to have a more robust flow rate, power showers can use their electric pump to boost their flow rate.

Digital Showers

Digital showers are for those fond of the latest innovations in technology. You will no longer gauge your water temperature manually because they have built-in temperature controls. 

This shower has a control panel that lets you accurately adjust the water temperature and flow rate.

How Do You Turn on Different Types of Showers?

Now that you have an idea about the different types of showers, it is time to know how to turn them on. It is not just because you have them at home and you should know how to use them.

Knowing how to turn on different types of showers can help you, especially if you travel a lot and stay in hotels or home rentals. Each hotel can have different showers.

 It is better if you know the basics of how you turn the shower on. Here is how you turn on different types of showers.

Electric Showers

Electric showers use electricity to heat water, so make sure that it is plugged. Look for the knob or dial in your shower.  It usually has a blue and red marking.

The blue marking is for the cold water, and the red marking is for the hot water. You can adjust the dial if you are not yet satisfied with the temperature of the water.

Mixer Showers

The water supply for the mixer shower comes from your tank, so you must check that there is still water in it. To turn on the mixer shower, look for the knob, or sometimes there can be two knobs, and adjust it to get the temperature you prefer. 

Getting the exact temperature you want can be a challenge in a mixer shower because you have to check if it is okay already manually. 

If you want to stabilize the temperature of the water, you can use built-in thermostats. You can make use of it so that you will avoid being scalded by hot water or frozen with cold water when you suddenly turn the knobs the wrong way.

Power Showers

This shower is like an upgraded version of a mixer shower. Although the shower has its heating element, which produces hot water, it still mixes cold water.

You have to press the switch on the shower to open the valves of cold and hot water. You have to use the knob or the dial in the shower to adjust the temperature, just like in mixer showers. 

Power showers have their pump, which increases the water pressure, so you have to keep in mind that using this may consume more water than other showers.

Digital Showers

A digital shower is the most user-friendly of all the types of showers. It has a control panel or dashboard. You can choose to adjust the water pressure, volume, and temperature.

If you are tech-savvy, you can even connect it to Google Home Hub and Amazon Alexa so that you can conveniently use voice commands to turn the shower on and adjust the temperature.

You can also watch the following video:

How to Turn on Moen Shower?

Some people are complaining about their Moen shower. It can be a bit complicated since there are two different models, and each model has another way of turning it on. 

For the Posi-Temp model, you should rotate the handle to turn it on. Make sure that you don’t pull out the handle because it will not turn on. 

For the Moentrol model, it works the opposite of the posi-temp model. In this model, you have pulled out the handle to turn it on.

How to Turn on the Shower With One Knob?

Showers with one knob can be operated easily because you only have to control one knob to get your preferred temperature. This shower can have two ways for you to turn it on. Check if the knob has a pull-out valve or a turn-around valve. 

For those with a pull-out valve, you need to pull the knob out to allow the water to rush into the tube connected to the showerhead. While in turn-around valves, you have to turn the handle to the cold and hot side of the knob for you to get the perfect temperature.

How to Turn on a Shower With Two Knobs?

A shower with two knobs is suitable for those who want to have cold showers alone from time to time. The first knob can be the one that controls the cold water, while the other knob is responsible for the hot water.

You can always explore how hot or cold you want your shower to be. Most of the time, the right knob is for the cold water, while the left knob is for the hot water.

How to Turn on a Shower With Three Knobs?

Three knobs on a shower can sound a bit complicated, isn’t it? Don’t worry because you just have to understand the purpose of each knob for you to use it correctly. Three knobs are common to bathtubs with shower.

Two knobs control the water temperature while the other knob is for the direction of the water. The third knob is responsible for where the water will flow. It can either be on the faucet or the showerhead.

How to Turn on Delta Handheld Shower?

Delta handheld shower has different spray setting such as the full-body, fast massage, full spray with massage, drenching, soft drench, and soft rain spray.

Delta handheld shower comes with a knob handle, which you can use to control the water that flows to the showerhead. It also has a lever on the shower itself for the showerhead’s pause for a lighter shower mood.

How to Turn on a Handheld Showerhead?

Handheld showerheads are convenient to use. You can easily hold it to bathe yourself or your pet. This shower comes with knobs, but the number of knobs depends on the brand or the company. Look for the knobs in your shower. You can easily turn a handheld shower by following the steps given above on how to turn on a shower with one, two, or three knobs. 

How to Turn on the Shower at the Holiday Inn?

Who would have thought that showers at the Holiday Inn can be as hard as rocket science? It is quite surprising to see a lot of queries about how their shower works. 

This is how it works. First, you will see a knob, faucet, and shower. Then you need to turn the knob so that the water will be flowing on the faucet. The faucet itself is like a button that you can push up so that the water will go to the shower. Once you push the faucet up, you will be able to turn on the shower.

Why Would the Shower Not Turn On?

There are several reasons why water won’t come out on your shower. The most obvious one is that you forgot to pay the bill. Sometimes there are problems with the shower. Here are some of the reasons why your shower won’t turn on.

  • You can check your water supply or tanks if it is still filled or if there are leaks. If you find leaking pipes, it would be best to call a plumber to address the problem.
  • Try checking if there is sediment build-up at the tank or the showerhead itself. The sediments will block the water; hence the water will not come out. Remove the showerhead using a wrench or pliers, then clean it. If you can’t clean it, you can just replace the showerhead with a new one.
  • The water valve is off. There are times when something may accidentally bump the switch of the water valve. All you have to do is switch it back on.
  • The handle or the knob is damaged. When the knob is damaged will also cause the series of notches not to work. No matter how you turn it, the mechanism will not function, so what you have to do is replace the knob.
  • If your shower is built ages ago, there is a big chance that the water is not flowing because of low water pressure. Old pipes or other old fixtures may cause low water pressure.

Summary

Now that you know the different types of shower and how to turn them on, you can take showers at ease everywhere.

 If one day it crossed your mind to remodel your bathroom, you will no longer be confused about what type of shower will suit your needs and preferences. This knowledge is also essential for you and the whole household to conserve water. 

Determining how to turn on a shower may be a simple task, but if you don’t know how to use these knobs, you might end up wasting liters of water. All of these are simple things that you can know ahead for you to enjoy your shower experience.

Resources

Image credits – Photo by Jan Antonin Kolar on Unsplash

Shower on Wikipedia

What Are The Different Types of Showers? – PlumbWorld.co.uk

I have over 20 years of experience in construction. For the past 12 years, I've been mostly devoted to bathrooms, where I have my own business. I've seen almost every problem, so I believe I can help you. Read more