Customer Reviews

Waterpik ECO 563 EcoFlow 5-Mode Water Saving Handheld Shower, Chrome

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(17)

 

 

I purchased one shower head two months ago to test its performance. Too my surprise, I cannot notice the difference between my old 2.5 gpm shower head and the new 1.5 gpm. My frist experience with low flow shower head was in the 90's. Those were just mist with restricted water flow. Water was never hot enough. For the Ecoflow, I specially like the water flow control that allows you to save more water depending on you need. It works so great I have purchased another one already.
I have also researched other models as well, like the Labybug. It auto shuts off water once it reaches certain temp. That does save as much water as having the abilty to control water flow while maintaining the same temperture.
In summary, if you want to save water and not compromising on the shower experience, this is the one.

Since reviews of similar, but different products are being grouped together on this web page, I am reviewing the Waterpik ECO 563 EcoFlow 5-Mode Water Saving Handheld Shower, Chrome.

This review is pretty long. Here is the bottom line:
Pros
You're going to get a nice flow from this shower head.
It will be easy to install (if you follow the directions)
It will save you money and cut down on water consumption.
It is plastic, which is not a bad thing. I'll explain later.
It comes with a lifetime warranty from Waterpik. KEEP THE RECEIPT and you can count on Waterpik to replace any parts that may wear out over time.

Cons
No cons. It's a very, very good solution, not a perfect solution. Any other proposed in these reviews (Oxygenics 90827, Earth Massage 1.5 GPM) get their share of bad press as well. Even the high-end Moen Revolution has its detractors. With something as personal as a shower, it is going to be almost impossible to please everyone.

I almost didn't buy this thing because of the bad reviews, but reading between the lines, it seemed like this product DID work if installed correctly. Most of the complaints were about
Taste in material (plastic versus metal)
Water pressure
Installation issues
And, most importantly...
What constitutes a "good" shower?

This product was easy to install, well built and it does what it says-it cuts the water consumption of your shower by up to half. It may not be the luxurious experience one might get from a metal shower head that costs $200, but it provides a very good shower.

Installation:
If you READ THE DIRECTIONS, this shower head is EASY to install and is very well designed for the Do-It-Yourself type.
Read the instructions first, then install.
Take a close look as you disassemble (required for installation) and reassemble. This will cut down on confusion of how the parts go together.
Don't use Teflon tape.
Don't use a wrench. There is a wrench mentioned as a tool you might need, but this is for REMOVING YOUR OLD SHOWER HEAD.
Plumbing skill is not needed, but mechanical aptitude doesn't hurt.
Keep the receipt and you are set for life if anything from the hose to the head to the arm wears out. They will send a replacement in just a few days. The warranty cannot be honored without proof of purchase, which is the receipt from the place you bought it from.

From here on out, I'm going to address some of the reviews that almost dissuaded me from this purchase. I'm glad they didn't.

Materials:
From Carolyn H. Heinz
"First, it's plastic. We couldn't tell that from the box, or I wouldn't have bought it on those grounds alone. That meant we couldn't screw the parts tightly together enough to prevent an annoying leak where the coil attaches to the hand-held piece."

My reply:
Plastic is well suited for a hand held shower head because
1. It doesn't rust
2. Less dense: if you drop metal on your bare toes you will appreciate this. Also won't chip tile.
3. Plastic threading can be hand tightened and work. This is better for amateur plumbers like me.
4. Over-tightened metal parts can make subsequent cleaning or repairs difficult to accomplish.

From "bevhealthnut"
"The little insert that reduces the flow is plain terrible."

My reply:
I could be wrong, and bev, if I am please forgive me, but out of the package there are white plastic covers just inside both ends of the hose that you need to remove before installation. If someone did not remove these, they would cut the water flow down to almost ZERO, but of course they are not the mechanism meant to cut flow which is (a inside the shower head and (b)inside the arm. As hard to believe as it might be, that sounds like what might have happened in this case. The other mechanisms would not cut water flow that much.

From Jon M.
"The cradle that holds the shower head only holds the very bottom of the handle and is very unsturdy."

My reply:
I thought this was going to be true too at first, but there is a little rubber nub that holds the handle tightly in place. This is a very solid design. The shower head has not fallen out of its cradle once and the ball joint is very adjustable. I have found it to be very sturdy.
By the way, I am 6'1" and the pipe that comes out of the wall for the shower is about 6' up in a 3'X 3' stall. I have had no problem with the height of this unit. Everyone else in my family is less than 5'5" and they have also had no problems.

From Han Dougall
"The hose, which is made out of plastic as well, is so stiff it adds to the head wobble problem"

My reply:
I thought the hose was stiff out of the box, but once I ran water through it, I found the whole assembly well balanced and stable. Within seconds of installation, I watched as this issue was resolved, to my relief, because I was thinking about this review as I pulled the hose out of the packaging.
Metal hoses are fine, but the hose alone can cost more than this shower head.
I have had ZERO problems with twisting or crimping of the hose or a wobbly head.

From Ladybug
"The tab used to change the water settings is very difficult to turn, the "pause" feature only slightly decreases the flow, it was a pain to install, and worst of all-this product KILLED the water pressure in our shower!"

My Reply:
I can do it with one hand. I did not find it difficult at all to change between the 5 settings. The settings are nice.
The ecoflow mode or "PAUSE" cuts the already reduced flow by almost half. It is significant and should save water and is good for lathering up. If I want to completely cut off the water flow, my shower fixtures are modern enough that they allow me to do this with the flip of a faucet handle. The water doesn't cut off 100% purposely so that it will work with various kinds of water heaters.
I found the water pressure to be fine, but this is a matter of taste. This reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where they get low-flow shower heads. No two people will have quite the same definition of what makes a good shower. Is it the gym style with very strong flow that is practically a steam bath? Is it standing under a sun-shower in the great outdoors? Everybody has their own idea of what is ideal. I am left wondering if some of the complaints around this issue are due more to perception than actual water flow.

From L. Mims
"The lower water pressure ends up being offset by the need to take longer showers in order to rinse. The hose has limited flexibility making it subject to minor damage"

1. The construction of the shower head compensates for the lower flow by delivering a stronger stream of water.

2. Again with the hose. It is segmented plastic. I have found the hose to be quite flexible when installed correctly.

In retrospect, the most helpful and realistic reviews I read were by N. Clark and Philster "Philster" who astutely commented on the design ("With fewer parts needing to be joined together, the possibility of leaks is less").
Mine has been installed for about a month. Although I have done a little plumbing around the house, I am not a professional by any means. This thing was EASY to install and no leaks right off the bat.
I think if you follow the instructions and are looking for a water-saving hand-held shower head, then this is a good choice.

This isn't a luxury item. Again, metal shower heads can cost up to and over $200. A metal hose can cost up to and over $50. Put it together and it could come out to 10 times the cost of the ECO 563. If you want to save water and get a quality shower and save a little money, the ECO 563 will do the trick. If you want a full on deluge (or at least 2.5 gallons per minute which is the legal limit) there are a lot of high flow shower heads out there to chose from.

I'm totally satisfied with my purchase as is every member of my very picky and vocal family. I didn't buy it at Amazon: the negative reviews made me feel like I needed to see it first to gauge its potential, but don't feel you have to do the same. Amazon offers this item at the cheapest price. This thing works fine, day in, day out. It feels good in the hand, looks nice, is well designed and easy to install.

I purchased this item locally.

While this item does indeed save water, it provided me with the most UNsatisfying shower I have ever had. I understand that reducing the flow of the water is the intended goal, but when you have to shower an extra five minutes just to make sure you are completely rinsed sort of defeats the purpose. I have no water pressure problems, so unless I installed the item incorrectly, then the showerhead is completely to blame. One good thing is that it was very easy to install and I was done in less than five minutes.

As an added note, the "pause" function does not stop the water, it merely reduces the flow a little.

There are other showerheads out there that reduce water flow while still providing an adequate or even above-average shower experience. I previously owned an Oxygenics handheld showerhead that puts the Waterpik to shame. I will be returning this item to the store immediately.

I have never been the first to write a review, so I'll try o do my best.

Let me start with the packaging. The item comes in the typical plastic anti-theft crap that is hard to open, but after getting the product opened, I threw out the directions (no need to loose my man card on a shower head), took off the old shower head and put his baby on.

The shower quality, or should I say the amount of water you feel on you is O.K. nothing to write home about. Enough pressure to get the shampoo out of the hair.

The most interesting mode is the mist mode. I am not to sure what good a mist is while taking a shower, but if you live in a hot part of the country like the deserts of Arizona, you can use the mist mode to cool ya down, but not really take a shower with. There is so much mist, it is hard to the mist mode off.

To round up this report, all in all the device is O.K. not too impressed. Maybe I'll be more impressed when the water bill comes in a little lower. According to the Waterpik web site, I should see a savings of $40.00 per month family wide on heating, sewer and water.

Would I recommend this product to a friend or family member? Make sure you purchase the shower head at a location that has a good return policy. It only takes a few minutes to install and a shower to see if you like it, and just a little more time to take back to the store.

This item was purchased locally. I give it two stars because the product may have environmental benefits and it's easy to install but the overall performance and quality of this item leaves much to be desired considering the cost. If you plan to purchase this item, understand your needs before getting excited about all of the options available with the unit.

As you've probably already read, it's plastic. After 6 weeks of use the plastic bracket that supports the head has cracked off and must be replaced. This unit isn't for every bathroom. If you're in an urban setting with cramped space - smaller bathtub or shower area - I recommend something a little more basic; you probably won't need or want to use all 5 settings. Furthermore, take some measurements before installing; based on your current plumbing the added bulk of the unit means that your installation may be too low (it doesn't adjust that well). A taller individual will have issues.

The lower water pressure ends up being offset by the need to take longer showers in order to rinse. The hose has limited flexibility making it subject to minor damage (there are no leaks thus far but a "fold" has developed that could be trouble).

Did I mention that it's all plastic?

Originally I thought the diverter valve bracket that holds the two units to the water pipe was too loose to properly secure the shower heads. It turned out that the nut that holds the valve to the water pipe can be completely unscrewed from the valve itself...after discovering this I was able to get it appropriately secure and firm the whole unit up.

In addition the whole thing is made of plastic, durability may be a problem.

I usually install plumbing with PTFE tape at the joints, I used that approach with this unit, there are no leaks.

After fiddling with this I'd really rate it a three star product, but I can't figure out how to change the rating.

I was a little concerned when I ordered this showerhead because of a few bad reviews, but once it arrived and I gave it a try, any concerns I had were gone. I still have a hard time believing that it's a low flow showerhead. The water stream is great, it's easily got twice the pressure of the other three low flow showerheads I've had in the past. This one's a keeper!

I think there must be several slightly different products out there, all called the same thing. But the difference in construction translates to significant result-differences. I have a model bought from Home Depot that is all metal -- not plastic. And it works great. No sagging, properly aligned, etc.

I find the water pressure to be great but it so happens that without the restricting shower head, residing as we do at the base of a hill we have *huge* water pressure just ordinarily. So by the time water pressure gets cut down by this device everything is still most satisfying for us.

I enjoy the 5 water-style settings and also a feature that allows you to cut the water flow almost altogether while lathering. This works very well for us for additional water savings. It's actually more comfortable to lather up your hair this way than step out of the shower altogether as this way you get a trickl of warm water on the rest of your body; it's nice!

There are 5 water-style settings: mist, oulse, regular sprinkle, gentler pulse, broad-ring of water sprinkling. No name for these on the insert, so this is just from memory. I find these spray patterns are significantly different (to my surprise) and do offer a difference that's valuable.

We have been using the device for two weeks; it's possible the novelty will wear off but so far I'm enjoying the variety of sprays a lot.

We also own the version with a hose that disconnects, good for children. I believe the unit can be bought fixed to the wall. The additional convenience of the removable handheld shower head seems worthwhile to me.

Be careful which unit you purchase; it does seem that there is no distinguishing numbering system to differentiate wall-mounted, hand-held, plastic, etc...

I grabbed this when it dipped in price and feel it was worth it. Flow rate is good for a 1.5gpm rating and for a handheld low flow there aren't a whole lot of other choices and most cost more. I have the Delta low flow non-handheld and like it, and this one offers a more trational spray as well as the Delta style micro-spray. (wife needs the hand held on her shower so I was glad to finally find one eco friendly)

Consumer reports gave it a decent ratings as well, but added the caveat that as this (and all the low flows they reviewed) is low flow it rated lower then the 2.5 gpm on feel. It shouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure this out either that if you are moving from a 2.5 gpm to a 1.5 gpm it will likely be initially noticeable, but hopefully it will be as noticeable on your utility bill as well. Consumer reports also said it put out slightly more then 1.5 gpm but not much more.

As some of the other reviewers have said this is a model made of plastic. But really for [..] bucks what isn't these days? My five star rating considers it against others in this price point.

Edit: Have used this for a bit now and when combined with a switch to microfiber bath towels (lowers drying times on a gas dryer) I have noticed a difference in our monthly gas usage of about 3 to 5 cf per month. Wife said she noticed the difference in flow originally but didn't think it was that big of a deal.

Don't let the photo fool you. This product is all-plastic, which is disappointing for the price.

Yes, it saves water, but at the expense of flow. The massage setting isn't even close to a massage, and the shower settings are almost useless. The water saver setting reduces flow; I was expecting a shut-off valve.

The handle attaches to the pipe mount at the bottom, which positions it higher than most handles. If you're short, you can't reach it.

I uninstalled it and reinstalled my original shower.