Nero Tapware Showers

What the Nero shower range covers

This collection holds the Nero Tapware shower line: fixed heads, hand showers, rail sets, twin sets, ceiling heads, outdoor rails and accessible bathroom sets. The line is organised in named ranges that run through the tapware too, so a shower can match a mixer, a basin tap and the accessories. The finishes run from chrome and brushed nickel through brushed gold, bronze, gun metal and matte black.

The range is large, so the useful question is which range and which type suit your bathroom. The same choices apply across all of them: type, size, flow, pressure, material and fit. For the arms on their own, see Nero Tapware shower arms. For the matching tapware, see Nero Tapware. The full range across makers sits in showers.

Choose the type first

Each type does a different job, and it is a useful way to start.

• A fixed head is simple and easy to replace, with a fixed height and angle that suit a set-and-forget shower.
• A rain head is a large plate with a soft, falling spray. It suits larger showers and good pressure.
• A handheld has a hose and cradle for rinsing hair, bathing children, cleaning and seated use. Check the hose and the joints now and then.
• A twin set pairs an overhead and a handheld, run separately or together. It suits shared bathrooms and needs a little more room and planning to install.
• A sliding rail has a handheld that adjusts in height, which suits households of mixed heights. It needs a solid wall fixing.
• An outdoor set uses corrosion-resistant materials, often stainless steel, and needs drainage and privacy planning.
• A ceiling head sits overhead for a minimal look and maximum headroom, with planned plumbing and ceiling access, usually during a renovation.

High-pressure style heads change the nozzle design to feel stronger, and cannot increase mains pressure. So a strong-feeling head changes how the flow feels, not how much arrives. For the wider guides, see hand held shower heads, shower on rails, twin shower heads and ceiling showers.

Mecca

Mecca is the broadest family here. The Mecca 2 in 1 twin shower pairs a 250 mm durable metal head with a three-function hand shower on a 1.5 m smooth PVC hose, with easy retrofit installation. Its overhead is rated 3 star at 9 litres per minute, and the hand shower runs at 7.5 litres per minute without a star rating. The Mecca rail shower with Air Shower is a brass set with a PVD finish, rated 3 star at 9 litres per minute, with multiple spray options. Other Mecca pieces include a shower on a bracket, a twin shower with Air Shower II and a range of rails.

For coastal areas, the Zen range is the Nero choice, made from marine grade stainless steel. If you live near the sea, settle that choice first.

Opal and the Air Shower heads

Opal is a sleek, elegant range that suits a contemporary bathroom, kitchen or laundry. The Opal 250 mm head is a large round, single-function head with easy-clean nozzles, rated 3 star at 9 litres per minute. The Air Shower heads, such as the 230 mm, are ABS and have double the outlets of a standard shower, which gives a soft drenching and clears hair and skin better. The Air Hand Shower II has a 130 mm head, and the Opal twin pairs a rose and a hand shower on a rail.

Zen SS316L: marine grade stainless steel

The Zen range is made from 316L stainless steel, which is marine grade and ultra corrosion resistant, and suits coastal Australian homes subject to salt air. It comes in all the colours. The Zen twin shower is rated 3 star at 8 litres per minute with a built-in check valve in the hand shower, and the Zen rail with outdoor shower hose is designed for rinsing off after a swim or time in the garden. The outdoor rail has an adjustable height and an included outdoor hose.

Outdoor sets need corrosion-resistant materials, often stainless steel, and drainage and privacy planning. If you want the range sorted by that material, see Nero Tapware coastal 316 stainless steel and outdoor showers.

Serenity, Dolce II, York and Celia

Serenity includes the 295 mm ceiling head, a twin shower with an overhead and a hand shower with a slide button and four spray options, and wall heads and hand showers. See ceiling showers for the ceiling-mounted pieces.

Dolce II is a minimalist range. The Dolce II rail shower has a single-function hand shower, an adjustable bottom bracket for easy retrofit and a separate elbow for the water inlet connection. The twin has a built-in top inlet diverter and a 250 mm metal overhead. Both are stainless steel with a PVD finish.

York pairs a porcelain hand shower with a rail or twin set, in aged brass, brushed nickel and other finishes. The York rail has a metal hand shower, an adjustable bracket and a dual check valve for backflow prevention, with a 1.5 m smooth PVC hose, rated 3 star at 9 litres per minute.

Celia is a square set with a rainmaker head, a three-function hand shower and an in-built diverter. The matte black Celia set is rated 4 star on both outlets at 7.5 litres per minute.

Size, flow and pressure

Size the head to the shower zone. Round fixed heads run at 200 to 300 mm, with 150 to 200 mm for low-pressure systems and 250 or 300 mm for rain heads. The Nero heads here run from 110 to 130 mm for hand showers through 230, 250 and 295 or 300 mm for overheads. More nozzles share the same flow on a larger face, so each stream is gentler rather than stronger.

Nero showers are rated for an operating pressure of 150 to 500 kPa. A simple check at home is the bucket test. A 10 litre bucket that fills in under 60 seconds under the shower points to good pressure, and large overhead rain heads suit supplies above about 200 kPa.

A WELS label shows a star rating and the flow in litres per minute, so compare the litres per minute figure, not marketing terms. For showers, 3 star is the baseline, with efficient models reaching 5 star. Most Nero pieces are 3 star at 8 to 9 litres per minute, and the matte black Celia set and the Project item are 4 star at 7.5 and 6.5 litres per minute. For a twin set, check both outlets, because the overhead and the hand shower can carry different ratings. Moving from 9 to 7.5 litres per minute saves thousands of litres a year. Some instantaneous gas hot water systems need a higher flow to fire, so check yours before choosing a low-flow head.

Hoses, brackets and hand showers

The hose is the part of a hand shower that takes the most daily handling, so it is worth checking. The Dolce II, the York and the Mecca sets list a 1.5 m hose, in smooth PVC, and the Mecca Care sets list a 1.5 m hose with a slider so the handset sits at the height you choose. The Zen outdoor rail comes with its own outdoor hose. Inspect the hose and the connections now and then and replace the hose if it kinks or splits.

A rail with a slider lets each person set the handset to their own height. A bracket holds the handset fixed, which suits a bath or a recess where you only want a handset in addition to the overhead. The Project on-bracket set is a bracket set with a three-function handset.

Heights and clearances

Fit 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. The top of a rail sits at about 1800 to 1900 mm, and a wall mixer goes at 1000 to 1100 mm. For rain heads, leave at least 20 cm between the head and the user's head, and remember that long or gooseneck arms push a rain head outward and need clearance from glass. Fix the head position before waterproofing and tiling, since moving plumbing later is costly. Confirm the heights at rough-in.

Fitting and plumbing

Most heads use half inch BSP threads, and the Nero range does too. Retrofit brackets, adjustable bottom pillars and separate elbows are there to line up with existing holes. Rails need solid wall fixing, so check what is behind the tile first. Use thread seal tape on threaded joints and check for leaks after installation.

A like-for-like head swap is a simple job. Anything beyond that should involve a licensed plumber, and the rules on what an owner may do themselves differ by state.

A handset on a hose creates a backflow risk, so check the valve. Several Nero hand showers and rails have built-in check valves or dual check valves, including the Dolce II, the York, the Zen and the Mecca sets.

Finishes and care

Finishes include PVD, electroplating and powder coating on different items. PVD is significantly harder and more durable than traditional plating, and powder coating is the softest in wet areas, so confirm the finish on the piece you choose. Warm water, mild soap and a soft cloth are enough for routine care, followed by a rinse and a dry. Avoid abrasives and strong chemicals, and keep vinegar and lemon juice off a coated finish. In hard water areas, wipe the head and dry it after use.

Drying the fitting after use prevents mineral deposits and water marks, and a soft-bristled toothbrush clears a limescale spot on chrome. For matte black, avoid abrasive cleaners, scouring pads, bleach, vinegar and lemon juice, and keep waxes and polishes off it because they fill the surface.

For finish-led browsing, see black showers, chrome showers, brushed nickel showers, gold showers, gunmetal showers, bronze showers and white showers.