Hansgrohe Shower Head Disassembly

[John Keiser]

I inherited an expensive handheld Hansgrohe Raindance shower head with
my condo. It functions fine but excessive water flows around the rim of
the head rather than through the jets. [This is not a connector issue.]
Soaking in CLR did not help. I would like to disassemble and renew any
O rings or whatever but there is no obvious non-destructive means.
Hansgrohe is no help [and the warranty so limited as to be useless].
Has anyone ever done this? Hints?
Thank you.

[hub...@ccanoemail.ca]

On Wed, 9 Aug 2017 11:08:07 -1000, John Keiser <johnk...@juno.com>
wrote:

I would try the CLR again - perhaps several days of soaking &
rinsing ? There's a <dreaded > Fixya link below ..

http://www.fixya.com/support/t12360456-purchased_hansgrohe_raindance_s_100

If it is iron deposits causing a blockage - Iron-Out or Iron-X
are two products for removing iron deposits
eg in water softeners ..
Sometimes these devices are not meant to be taken apart ever -
so damaging it - by trial & error might be worse than spending some
more time & effort soaking it .. ?
Good luck. John T.

[Frank]

On 8/9/2017 5:08 PM, John Keiser wrote:
> Hansgrohe Raindance shower head

I just googled your question:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_aIT2RBkJ4

Youtube can be a primary source for not getting homeowner into trouble.

[Thomas]

Good smoke btw... soak in a veg oil to soften the gaskets.

[John Keiser]

Yes, been there, done that.
Hansgrohe only tells you how to soak to clean the jets. [In German, as
well as English.]
My jets are not clogged. Water is properly emitted from each jet. The
issue is that excess water flows around the rim of the movable plate
which holds the jets.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Please explain how soaking will seal the leaking joints. No matter how
long you soak, if the head is designed to deliver say 3 gpm through the
jets and you have piping to supply it with 6 gpm, any openings will leak.

If the gaskets are shot or seams split, nothing is going to stop the
leak other than sealing it.

[Dean Hoffman]

I imagine you've thought about the opposite approach. Set the
shower head to
whatever setting you like. Seal it in place with whatever epoxy or
glue you think will hold.

[trader_4]

Like someone said, many of these things, even expensive ones, are not
made to be taken apart and repaired. One indication would be if spare
parts are available for the shower head. If not, it's a fair bet it's
not meant to be serviceable. And from the description of the problem,
it sounds like even if you can get it apart, it's going to need a new
seal. If you can't find that online, taking it apart probably isn't
going to solve the leaking. I've had a few of these over the years
and haven't had one that comes apart to service. They last 5 or ten
years, then it's time for another. Not sure how much better the more
expensive ones are.

One problem with these in general is it's hard to figure out how good
they are before it's too late. You can read reviews on Amazon, but
there are so many brands and models, it's a big mess. And looking at
them at HD doesn't do much, how they look and how well they work are
two different things.

[John Keiser]

Oh, I agree completely.
Amazon's price for a replacement is $149!
I will, of course, just replace with a generic for a fraction of that
price. Mostly interested in the tinkering aspect.

[Boris]

trader_4 <tra...@optonline.net> wrote in
news:a4e62f62-8bb8-4884...@googlegroups.com:

+1

I remodeled a bathroom, and the plumber raved about Hansgrohe, and
that's all he wanted to install. They are expen$ive. When all was said
and done, yes, they looked nice, but I don't think they work any better
or will last any longer than a Delta or Price Pfister. When they fail,
you don't fix them, you replace them.

I don't care for the shower valve, because there's only one volume
setting, which is full on. You can't adjust it for less volume. I
didn't know that until it was installed and I first used it. It's a big
water waster that cost around $400. The handle on it moves across a 180
degree arc (any position is full volume), but the first 140 degrees of
arc is cold to slightly warm. The next 40 degrees of arc is warm to all
hot. Ouch.



I'd leave it alone, or just get a run of the mill replacement. As you
probably know, there are many that work fine at much less cost...$25 to
$60 or so, depending on how many sprays you want. In the end, I end up
using one spray anyway.

[Ed Pawlowski]

On 8/9/2017 10:39 PM, John Keiser wrote:

> Oh, I agree completely.
> Amazon's price for a replacement is $149!
> I will, of course, just replace with a generic for a fraction of that
> price. Mostly interested in the tinkering aspect.
>

For the cost of an email you can ask if they service them. You never
know how they may respond, even out of warranty.

If that does not work, one of the plumbing supply houses here has a bath
showroom and you can try out various heads and hand helds on display.
We ended up with Delta.

[Jason]

This shower head was recommended here a couple years ago so I tried one.
It's the best shower head I've ever used AND it's under $10:

https://www.amazon.com/Siroflex-Showerhead/dp/B000ZSF296

[John Keiser]

Hansgrohe is the anti-Delta: they are not neither friendly nor helpful.
Unless you are the original purchaser WITH THE ORIGINAL PROOF OF
PURCHASE, you are SOL.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Good to know if I'm ever in the market for that type of product.

[micky]

In alt.home.repair, on Thu, 10 Aug 2017 04:38:07 -0400, Jason

Very interesting. With an "expert setup" it's $87 more, but the next
line says he's a handyman. I don't think a handyman is an expert.

Either a master? plumber or an Sh.D. would be an expert (Doctor of
Shower Heads)
>
>

[micky]

In alt.home.repair, on Thu, 10 Aug 2017 02:40:52 -0000 (UTC), Boris

<nos...@nospam.invalid> wrote:

>
>I don't care for the shower valve, because there's only one volume
>setting, which is full on. You can't adjust it for less volume. I
>didn't know that until it was installed and I first used it. It's a big
>water waster that cost around $400. The handle on it moves across a 180
>degree arc (any position is full volume),

I've seen that sort of valve, used 'em, and I thought I was missing
something, that it must be a good design. I guess not.

[micky]

In alt.home.repair, on Wed, 9 Aug 2017 20:17:12 -0500, Dean Hoffman

PC 11 is white and sticks to wet things. Even when they're wet, but I'd
let it dry.

[John Keiser]

The cutaway image here shows why that idea won't work:

https://www.amazon.com/Hansgrohe-28514001-Raindance-Shower-Chrome/dp/B0016H9YTE/ref=sr_1_14?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1502507887&sr=1-14&keywords=hansgrohe+raindance

It looks to me like the joint around the rim is supposed to suck in air.
Some internal fault is allowing a lot of water to spill out.

[Tekkie®]

John Keiser posted for all of us...

John, the image you quote shows exactly what you posted. The OP should
abandon this POS and get a Kohler, AS or similar.

--
Tekkie

[John Keiser]

Ha! I am the OP!
Of course, I would stick with a normal Delta, Kohler, etc. were I buying
or replacing such a unit.
The shower has a mounted unit which works fine, and this handheld
device. So not essential.
I was seeking advice before I destructively disassemble for fun.
Thanks to all responders.

[Vito]

replying to John Keiser, Vito wrote:
Hey John just wondering how you made out with the hansgrohe shower head tear
down! I want to rip mine apart too did you manage to get it back together.
Any advice on tear down, I'm assuming it pop"s off as a complete unit and
gets pressed in again if you can find all the parts that fly or fall out of it
.....hahahaha
let me know if you have some time,
Vito

--
for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/maintenance/hansgrohe-shower-head-disassembly-1140555-.htm

[jabarebird]

replying to Vito, jabarebird wrote:
Hi there - I have the same problem with water leaking from around the rim -
wondered if you ever found the cause or resolution.
Good luck!!

[RobbD]

replying to John Keiser, RobbD wrote:
Your water pressure is at 6 GGM, IIRC. Your shower head is rated at 2 GGM.
You can easily add an inexpensive water volume control valve that fits
between the shower pipe extending through the wall, then attach your shower
head or hose to the output side. These valves are fully adjustable, reduce
the water flow to an acceptable level, and will probably prevent leakage from
around the perimeter of the shower head. Take a look at the following valve.
Easy peasy!

[Nanc]

replying to John Keiser, Nanc wrote:
I have the same problem with leaking around the rim. Tried soaking in vinegar
and CLR with no success. I need a solution too!

[trader_4]

I think you already know the solution. You're hosed. I've had a few of
these, not HG, but others and I've yet to see one that is designed to be
taken apart so you can put a new seal in, or clean it out, etc. I have
HG fixtures in most of the house. In the kitchen, the faucet sprayer head
developed similar problems at about 15 years. I considered the options
and went with a new Delta faucet. That lasted 10 years, now I'm on
the next one, a Glacier Bay. If you go look at even $300 faucets and
shower heads, from what I've seen, they are still mostly plastic, so
not sure what those extra $$$ really get you. Something lower price,
but still stylish, might be a better strategy, especially if you DIY
and put in a new one.

[Ed Pawlowski]

On 3/4/2018 12:44 PM, Nanc wrote:
> replying to John Keiser, Nanc wrote:
> I have the same problem with leaking around the rim.  Tried soaking in
> vinegar
> and CLR with no success.  I need a solution too!
>

Easy. Take it to the plumbing supply and say "I want one of these made
by Delta or Kohler"

[Will KIng]

replying to trader_4, Will KIng wrote:
March 15, 2018: Just came from the professional plumbing distributor. He told
me there is a tool that fits into all the tiny hole in the black, center
circle. That center is threaded and when unscrewed will allow access to some
(not all ) of the inner workings and will allow better cleaning and diagnosing
of the problem (water squirting out the sides of the outer ring). He had a
similar tool for a Delta but none for HansGrohe. No mention of the tool in the
HansGrohe website, big surprise. I will try to fabricate something and wreck
this damned thing if nothing else. I bought a $30 shower wand just in case.

[V.Bireta]

replying to John Keiser, V.Bireta wrote:
to repair hansgrohe selecta shower head

[jeffs555]

replying to V.Bireta, jeffs555 wrote:
I have a Hansgrohe Monsoon Turbo3 that is very old, and I did take it apart by
unscrewing the center section. Mine had 3 small holes in the center section
that were not all the way thru and appeared to be for disassembling with a
special tool. I took a piece of wood and drilled three 0.065" holes spaced
correctly and put 3 two penny nails and then ground off the points. Worked
like a charm. Unscrewed the center section and some gears and a plastic
turbine were under it and they just lifted out. That exposed a straight
slotted screw which I unscrewed and that let all the other pieces come out. I
have seen the same 3 tool holes in pictures of other Hansgrohe shower heads.

[sergio]

replying to John Keiser, sergio wrote:
John. Not sure if you solved it already but I have the same shower head and
exactly the same problem. I was about to open it with brute force when I read
thia thread and decided not to. Instead, I unscrewed the head, cleaned the
little filter (was really dirty) and then proceeded to wash the head with just
soap and water (using a toothbrush). The calcium does not come out easy but
with some force it will go in 5 min. Assembled everything back and the problem
was solves. High
Pressure and no side leaking. Hope
This helps

[trader_4]

Soaking in vinegar will dissolve calcium and similar deposits.

[HeelsFan]

replying to John Keiser, HeelsFan wrote:
I have experienced a similar problem. We have a number of these in a
relatively large hotel company. It is our shower head spec. Hansgrohe has
sent out local representatives to look at these in different cities no less.
They have no explanation as to what is causing it and have shown little
interest in trying to determine a cause. My guess is that they know they have
a serious problem and are hoping people will just ignore it.

[Maxnimal]

replying to HeelsFan, Maxnimal wrote:
I had the same problem with this shower head. It is a leak around the rim of
the head and not related to calcium buildup. To disassemble you do not need
to unscrew the center cap with the 3 jets and 3 small holes. You need to take
off the very center small cap that says "AIR" on it. I used a sharp knife
blade to pry it off. This cap covers a bolt that once removed will allow the
head to come apart. The problem was a central clear seal that had a bent
edge. Reseat the seal, put the head back together and that should take care
of the problem. Hope this helps the next person trying to resolve this common
problem.

[JBS]

replying to John Keiser, JBS wrote:
Hi John. Did you ever disassemble the Hansgrohe shower head? I have Croma
model and would also like to take apart and change o ring. Krgds JBS, Oslo
Norway.

[Westcoast]

replying to Maxnimal, Westcoast wrote:
Maxnimal,

Great post. I have the same problem. I opened mine up and you could see the
seal has a bent edge. The seal also seems to be swollen so it does not fit
tight around the center. I will see if i can get another one from HG. Stay
tuned.
https://www.homeownershub.com/img/hz

[Judy]

replying to John Keiser, Judy wrote:
I HAD a similar problem. But mine was only about a year old when it started
leaking. There is a ring around the perimeter of the jets, and I thought
spinning that might do something, but no luck. I thought about gluing it all
the way around, but that was silly. Then the flow started to slow way down in
my other shower head in the same shower. As it turned out the shower head was
clogged with particles from the water heater (I didn't know you had to flush
those!). That got me thinking.....so I gently rubbed my thumb over the little
jet nubs, and IT STOPPED LEAKING! I must have dislodged some particulates. So
now whenever it starts to do this again, I am able to repeat the process with
complete success. Hope this helps.

[Mbbaumer]

replying to John Keiser, Mbbaumer wrote:
Hi, Here is a video on how to repair Hansgrohe shower head. It works great.
https://youtu.be/u_nIaaZaysc

[Tbird]

replying to Westcoast, Tbird wrote:
I found the same thing when I opened the head. I don’t know where to buy a
new one and I don’t think reseating it will work. Have you had any luck
finding the seal (gasket)? Also mine was black not white/clear.

[ELM]

replying to Nanc, ELM wrote:
I have the same problem as well. I've soaked several times with no success.

[Ed Pawlowski]

On 6/24/2019 5:44 PM, ELM wrote:
> replying to Nanc, ELM wrote:
> I have the same problem as well.  I've soaked several times with no
> success.
>

This thread has been going on for a couple of years now. Simple fix,
Trash it and buy a Moen or Delta head and you are good for life.

[trader_4]

They are all good for life, the only question is it the life of the
shower part or your life? The problem with all these spray things is
that over time they get mineral deposits, the seals start to go, etc.
And the ones I've seen have not been designed to be serviceable.
Another approach is to buy modest cost ones and expect to replace them
every 5 years or so.

[Tbird]

replying to Mbbaumer, Tbird wrote:
I followed this but it had no effect. Didn’t seem like glopping on silicon
grease was going to work and it didn’t.

[MBF590]

replying to jeffs555, MBF590 wrote:
I was able to get it off with a pair of Channel Lock pliers, carefully to
avoid plastic damages.

[Joulethief]

replying to Tbird, Joulethief wrote:
In mine I removed the center cap with an XActo blade. Removed the Torx screw
and discovered the inside reinforced ribbed case has a crack in it which
allowed the outer O-Ring gasket to pooch out. I removed the four t-8 screws
but was not able to get the white plastic portion out of the chrome plastic
case. I did manage to stuff the gasket back into its channel, but when turning
on the water it swirls a lot around the edge of the case and the shower
nozzles. Off to Home Depot to but something less expensive that may last
longer or at lease have replaceable parts.

[Wei Wang]

Have you found if HG has the part for the O-ring?

[Iain]

remove the cap in the center, remove torx20 screw and you are in, maybe try a bit of silicone grease around the silicone gasket....I have the same issue.

--
For full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/maintenance/hansgrohe-shower-head-disassembly-1140555-.htm