Fitting the shower hose

Fit the retaining ring to the riser rail before connecting the handset. Pass the hose and hose cone upwards through the ring from below, then fit the handset, ensuring that the rubber sealing washer is correctly seated in the hose cone before tightening the connection.

Positioning the hose retaining ring
The retaining ring may be positioned anywhere on the straight section of the shower riser rail. Positioning it higher limits the downward reach of the hose and handset, reducing the risk of contact with the floor, drain or adjacent sanitary fittings, but also reduces the available travel of the sliding handset holder.

The optimum position will depend upon the shower and riser-rail mounting height, hose and handset length, required handset adjustment range, and the position and spill over level of nearby sanitary appliances. This is particularly important on lower-mounted accessible installations and wall-mounted riser rails, where the available adjustment range must be balanced against the need to control handset reach.

Dual-mode Accessible Showers: The T7_5 range uses a 1000 mm wall-mounted riser rail (1060 mm fixing centres) and is supplied with a 1.25 m shower hose. Particular care should be taken when positioning the retaining ring on lower-mounted accessible installations to maintain an appropriate balance between handset adjustment and restricted downward reach.

For further guidance on accessible shower mounting heights, including Approved Document M and HBN 00-02 (Sanitary Spaces), refer to the Regulations and Guidance section of our Knowledge Share area.

Backflow prevention and handset reach

A flexible shower handset can present a back-siphonage risk if the outlet is capable of being submerged in contaminated water. The degree of backflow protection required depends upon the installation and associated fluid category. Type AUK2 tap gaps may be appropriate for lower-risk installations up to Fluid Category 3, while higher-risk installations, including Fluid Category 5 risks, require Type AUK3 protection or another suitable form of backflow protection.

Where a flexible shower handset can reach a WC or bidet, current Water Regs UK guidance treats this as a Fluid Category 5 risk irrespective of the type of premises. In healthcare and other higher-risk environments, drains, baths, shower trays and other potential contamination sources should also be considered.

Longer shower hoses require particular attention. A higher retaining-ring position may be necessary to limit handset reach, particularly with a 2 metre hose, although this will reduce the available travel of the handset holder. The final position should therefore balance accessible usability with the need to minimise the risk of accidental immersion. The retaining ring helps to control handset reach, but does not by itself determine compliance with the applicable backflow requirements; the complete installation should be assessed accordingly.