What I like about it.
1-Functions nicely to give you a good soaking shower that feels like a shower massage. Flow feels quite full and powerful with large drenching drops rather than a finer spray pattern found in many other heads. I like the fine spray type as well but the ones I've had seem too weak with their flow restrictors left in place. The Fluidics design of the Alsons seems to have taken a fresh and successful engineering approach to achieve an invigorating shower with lower water consumption. Not sure how well it works at lower water pressures but it works great with my city water connection in Las Vegas.
2-Water saving 1.5 gpm rating. Beware. Though the actual flow rate should not exceed the published rating, my measurement showed wide disparity between actual flow and published/labeled shower head flow ratings. Water pressure is a major factor. My research indicates the ratings are maximum flow rates at 80 psi water pressure. I measured the flow on my Alsons 655CBX at 1.3 gpm by capturing output in a bucket for 30 seconds and doubling the measure to get the flow per minute at my Las Vegas residence. My old shower head (a ten year old Delta Monitor labeled at 2.5 gpm with one of the typical plastic removable flow restrictors) actually measured only about 1 gpm. The Alsons 655CBX feels like it puts out twice (or more) as much water as my old shower head even though it's only about 30% more by actual measurement. I just find it surprising that the 2.5 gpm labeled shower head measured 1 gpm while the 1.5 gpm shower head measured 1.3 gpm. I suggest you measure before and after installation to know what you're getting if you're concerned about water consumption. I also suspect that different designs may not react in the same proportion to changes in water pressure.
What's not to like?
1-The appearance is functional but not striking, inspiring or attention getting. If you want something to elevate your mood in the morning or to impress a house guest, this won't do it until you/they get in the shower and turn it on. Not that you expect fine art at this price point. Alsons was acquired by the same parent company as Delta. It seems that Alsons will be incorporated into Delta labeled products in 2012 according to an announcement by Delta. The Delta H2Okinetic product line features what seems like the same or similar engineering design as the Alsons Fluidics. I expect Delta has some more elegant and more expensive water conserving designs available for consideration in the H2Okinetic product line.
2-The adjustment on the 655CBX shower head doesn't move it up and down quite as much my old one. Not bad but I keep the shower head aimed in the most downward position and it still sprays out further than I want. It shouldn't be a factor for 99% of installations and is only minor issue for me.
Conserves water compared to similar products.
As certified by
WaterSense
WaterSense is a voluntary partnership program sponsored by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The WaterSense label identifies products, homes, and programs that meet the EPA's criteria for water-efficiency and performance. WaterSense-labeled products and services are certified to use at least 20 percent less water, save energy, and perform as well as or better than conventional products on the market. Check out the WaterSense website to learn more about this program. WaterSense partners with manufacturers, retailers and distributors, homebuilders, irrigation professionals, and utilities to bring WaterSense to your community.
