Clark Shower Arms

What a shower arm is for

A shower arm is the pipe that connects the head to the water supply in the wall or ceiling and holds the head where you want it. A buying guide from a bathroom supplier says it lets you raise, lower or push out the head, which helps when the wall outlet sits too high or too low. This collection holds the Clark arms: a right angled wall arm, an upswept wall arm and ceiling arms in two lengths, in chrome, matte black and brushed nickel. Every listing is the arm alone, and the listings state that the Clark heads are sold separately.

Start with one question: which arm puts the head where your shower needs it. What decides a purchase is the outlet height, the reach, the thread, the weight of the head, the finish and the fitting. For the general guide to arms from every maker, see shower arms. For the Clark heads and rails that go with them, see Clark showers.

The Clark arms at a glance

• The right angled wall arm is 400 mm, in matte black, and it leaves the wall at a right angle and holds the head.
• The upswept wall arm is 400 mm, in matte black, chrome and brushed nickel, and it rises after it leaves the wall.
• The ceiling arm is 200 mm or 300 mm, in matte black and chrome, with a 300 mm version in brushed nickel, and it hangs from the ceiling.

The brushed nickel upswept arm lists overall dimensions of 60 mm wide, 360 mm high and 410 mm long. The brushed nickel ceiling arm lists a length of 300 mm. The listings do not give a thread size or a weight limit, so read the specification and the installation instructions on the listing you choose.

Start with the height of the outlet

The supplier guide gives the first rule: check the height of the plumbing outlet before choosing. If the outlet is too high, it suggests a straight arm with a rain head. If the outlet is too low, it suggests a rising arm to lift the head. Guides put a fixed wall head at 2000 to 2100 mm above the finished floor to the centre of the arm outlet, and 2100 to 2200 mm for a tall household. So measure from the floor to the outlet, and compare it with the height you want the head to sit.

If the outlet is at the right height, a plain wall arm will do. If it is low, the upswept arm makes up the difference. If you are building new, set the outlet at the height you want. The height is set at rough-in, before the wall is tiled.

The right angled wall arm

The right angled arm comes straight out of the wall and turns to hold the head. A retailer listing for a right angle round arm from another maker gives a reach of 434 mm. It lists dimensions of 60 mm wide, 434 mm high and 60 mm deep, with the arm and its flange in the box. A 400 mm arm of this kind sits at about the same scale. The arm suits a head that you want at the standard height, away from the wall, with a clean line. It does not add height.

A plumbing guide puts wall arm projection at 300 to 400 mm, so the 400 mm arm sits at the top of that range. A longer arm moves the head out over the shower floor. Choose 400 mm when the head needs to clear the wall or a screen, and check that the rose will not hit the glass. A retailer guide says a wall-mount arm keeps the head close to the wall, which suits compact showers.

The upswept wall arm

The upswept arm rises after it leaves the wall, so the head sits higher than the outlet. The brushed nickel listing gives 360 mm of height and 410 mm of length, which means the head sits well above the outlet and well out from the wall. A supplier guide describes the curved, S-shaped arm as one that raises the head, and a retailer guide says a rise adds height without structural plumbing changes when the outlet is low.

Choose the upswept arm for a low outlet in a renovation, because moving a pipe in a tiled wall is a bigger job than fitting a longer arm. It also suits a tall household, since it lifts the head clear of the user. It does not cure every low outlet, so compare the rise with the height you need.

What offset means

Searchers use the word offset for arms that move the head. A DIY guide defines it as moving the spray face away from the original threaded wall pipe, which changes the angle and the distance of the spray from the user. It says the purpose is to add clearance between the user and the wall and to direct the stream away from the door or the side wall of a small stall. It lists three kinds of hardware: straight extension arms that increase the distance from the wall, S-shaped or gooseneck pipes that lift the head before extending it, and adjustable arms with pivot points.

By that description the Clark upswept arm is an offset arm that also lifts, and the right angled arm is a straight extension that sets the head out from the wall. The guide notes that extra offset keeps the stream centred, which reduces overspray and water pooling on the door track.

Ceiling arms: 200 mm and 300 mm

A ceiling arm hangs the head directly overhead, away from the wall. The Clark ceiling arms drop 200 mm or 300 mm from the ceiling. A retailer guide says ceiling-mount arms hang from overhead and suit rounded or rose heads for a rainfall effect, and that they take more vertical space and work best with a high ceiling. A guide from another maker gives an overall height of 313 mm for its 300 mm ceiling arm, so allow a little more than the nominal length when you plan the height.

The choice of length depends on the ceiling. A retail guide puts the head on a ceiling arm at 2100 to 2200 mm, depending on the ceiling, so subtract the arm length and the head height from the ceiling height, and choose the arm that lands the head at the right level. The plumbing for a ceiling arm runs through the ceiling, not the wall, so decide early. For the wider choice, see ceiling showers.

Are shower arms a standard size?

No. A bathroom supplier lists arm lengths of 100, 200, 277, 300, 340, 400 and 450 mm, and the shapes include right-angle square, curved rectangle, round curve, upswept, gooseneck and high-rise. So arms vary in length and in shape. What is common is the connection. A guide on arm and head compatibility says most arms and heads share a standard half inch thread, which is why parts are often swappable across makers, and warns that proprietary designs and older plumbing can differ. Its advice is to check the specifications of both parts before buying.

The Clark listings do not state the thread, so confirm it on the listing and on the head you pair with it before ordering. All the Clark arms here are round, so match them with round heads. A retailer brand guide says a matching range helps coordinate fittings, but not every part is interchangeable.

Weight and support

An arm has to carry the head. The compatibility guide notes that the length and angle of the arm should suit the size and weight of the head, and that heavy heads, such as rain heads, may need a sturdier arm, possibly with extra support. Keep the head to a sensible weight, and inspect the fitting inside the wall when you replace an arm.

Finishes

The Clark arms come in chrome, matte black and brushed nickel. The listings describe a traditional chrome finish, a matte black finish and a traditional brushed nickel finish, and they do not state whether any of them is PVD or electroplated. Check the specification before you choose a cleaner. For finish-led browsing, see chrome showers, black showers and brushed nickel showers. A retailer guide advises matching the arm's finish to the tapware for a unified look.

Match the arm to the head and the other fittings. If you pair a matte black arm with a chrome mixer, repeat the black somewhere else in the room, and keep the number of finishes small.

Pressure, flow and the star rating

An arm has no star rating, because it passes the water and does not control the flow. The rating belongs to the head. Where a head lists a pressure, check it against your supply. You can test pressure at home with a 10 litre bucket. If it fills in under 60 seconds under the shower, the pressure is good, and guides advise against large overhead heads below about 200 kPa. A manufacturer guide says a high-pressure style head changes the nozzle design to feel stronger and cannot increase mains pressure.

Lower flow saves water, and a buying guide counts more than 5,000 litres a year from 9 down to 7.5 litres per minute. Some instantaneous gas hot water systems need a higher flow to fire and may not cope with low-flow heads. These matters belong to the head you fit on the arm. For the heads, see shower heads.

Replacing an arm

Swapping an arm like for like, on the same outlet, is a simple job in the guides. Turn the water off first and protect the finish with a cloth between the wrench and the arm. Unscrew the head, slide the flange away from the wall, and unscrew the old arm anticlockwise. Wipe old thread tape from the fitting in the wall. Wrap new thread seal tape clockwise around the thread of the new arm, screw it in clockwise until it is secure, slide the flange back and fit the head. Turn the water on and check for leaks.

A homeowner guide describes the problems that make the job harder. The arm threads into a fitting hidden inside the wall, so inspect the fitting for corrosion, cracks, damaged threads and movement. Turn the old arm anticlockwise with slow, steady pressure and do not jerk it. Stop if the arm bends or may snap. If the fitting moves when you turn the arm, or the arm breaks inside the wall, stop and call a plumber. When you fit the new arm, start it by hand. If it feels crooked or needs force, back it out and retry, since that can mean cross-threading. The guides differ on the tape. One gives two to four wraps and another gives three to five.

When you turn the water back on, restore it slowly, run the shower for several minutes and check the head connection first. Then check the flange for drips or movement of the arm. The same guide says to stop using the shower until it is inspected if water appears to come from inside the wall.

Do you need a plumber?

For a like-for-like swap on the same outlet, the guides treat it as a DIY job. Call a plumber for a changed outlet, a ceiling-mounted install, a stuck arm that may snap, a fitting that moves, or leaks that will not stop. A Western Australian regulator page says owners and occupiers may replace a shower head themselves, while other water supply plumbing there is licensed work. Check your own state before you start. A new ceiling arm needs the pipe run through the ceiling, which is plumber work in any state.

How to clean a Clark arm

A retailer listing for a comparable arm advises cleaning with a soft sponge or cloth and warm soapy water or mild detergent, avoiding abrasive brushes and scourer pads, and rinsing after any cleaning solution. A cleaning guide advises against vinegar on modern finishes and says it is acceptable only on standard chrome or plastic. It names matte black, brushed nickel and other PVD or electroplated finishes as finishes to keep acid away from, since acid can cause discolouration or peeling. Since the Clark listings do not state the process, use warm soapy water on all three finishes.

Care by finish

Three care guides for tapware agree on the routine, and the routine suits an arm. Dry the fitting with a soft cloth after use, since drying prevents mineral deposits and water marks. Clean it regularly with warm water or mild soap on a soft or microfibre cloth, rinse, and dry immediately.

• Chrome: warm soapy water and a soft cloth, and a soft-bristled toothbrush on a limescale spot, then rinse and dry.
• Matte black: a damp soft cloth after each use, mild dish soap on stubborn deposits, and no abrasive cleaners, scouring pads, bleach, vinegar or lemon juice, because acid can damage the coating over time and dull the finish. A tapware guide also warns against waxes or polishes on matte black, because they fill the surface and give a polished look.
• Brushed nickel: clean it after use to prevent tarnishing, and dry off water to stop hard water spots, which can be difficult to remove once they set.

The guides differ on one point. One suggests an optional soft wax on nickel finishes for protection, and another says to keep waxes off matte black. Since the Clark listings do not name the process, skip the wax on all three. A guide for hard-water areas suggests a routine clean every one to three months, which matches the schedule a cleaning guide gives for shower heads.

What is in the box

• The right angled wall arm and the upswept wall arm: the arm, with a link to the installation instructions on the listing.
• The ceiling arms: the arm alone.

The head is a separate purchase. The listings say the Clark heads are sold separately, and the brushed nickel listings offer a matching head from a drop-down. If the box list skips a part, count it as extra and order it alongside, in the same finish.

How to choose a Clark arm

1. Measure the height of the wall outlet and the height you want the head to sit.
2. Pick the type: right angled for a standard height, upswept for a low outlet, ceiling for a head over the middle of the shower.
3. Select the length: 400 mm for a wall arm, 200 mm or 300 mm for a ceiling arm, and check the ceiling height.
4. Confirm the thread on the listing and on the head, and keep the head to a sensible weight.
5. Choose a finish to match the head and the other fittings.
6. Book a licensed plumber if the outlet changes or the arm hangs from the ceiling.

Measure the outlet height and the height you want the head to sit at, and the arm type and length follow from the difference.