What the Phoenix Lexi shower range is
Lexi is a Phoenix range built around angles. The listings describe a blend of round and square edges that makes it versatile, and the range is designed in Australia. In this collection it covers every part of a shower: twin systems that carry an overhead rose and a hand shower, a deluxe rail, hand showers on a bracket, square roses, wall and ceiling arms, and a rose and arm set. The parts share one design, so you can build a shower from several listings and have it match.
Start with one question: which format suits your wall. What decides a purchase is the inlet position, the arm, the height, the flow, the finish and the care. For the whole brand, see Phoenix showers. For the wider guides, see showers, shower on rails and shower arms.
The Lexi formats at a glance
- The compact twin is an overhead rose and a hand shower on one short body, with a diverter built in.
- The twin on a rail is an overhead rose and a hand shower on a rail, with a metal hose and two wall brackets.
- The deluxe rail is a hand piece on a rail, with no overhead rose.
- The hand shower is a hand piece on a wall bracket.
- The rose only is a square rose in 200 mm or 250 mm, with the arm sold separately.
- The arm and rose is a 400 mm square arm with a 200 mm square rose, or a universal arm with a square rose.
- The arms are 400 mm wall arms, a universal arm and ceiling arms, with the rose sold separately.
The format is the first fork, because it sets what you plumb. Everything else in the range is a choice of finish and size.
The Lexi compact twin
The compact twin is the Lexi product people search for most. A retailer page for the matte black version gives the dimensions: an overhead rose 200 mm across, a hand shower 64 mm across, a width of 200 mm, a height of 288 mm and a reach of 355 mm. It is rated 3 star, and the listings state 8 litres per minute on the overhead and 8.5 on the hand shower. The operating pressure is 150 to 500 kPa. The water inlet position is the top, and it fits onto existing half inch plumbing with a drill-free installation. The integrated diverter switches between the overhead and the hand piece, and each has one spray function. The box holds the rose, the arm, the hose, the hand piece and the installation instructions.
The compact twin suits a bathroom where the wall outlet is already in the right place and you want a second head without moving anything. The retailer page lists the hand piece as angle adjustable, with a flexible hose that is easy to clean. For the wider choice of this format, see compact twin showers.
The Lexi twin on a rail
The Lexi twin is the larger system. Its box holds the hand piece, the rose, the rail, a metal hose and two wall brackets, and the water inlet is at the top. The overhead is rated 3 star at 8 litres per minute and the hand shower at 8.5. Choose the rail when the household differs in height or when the hand shower is used by children or for rinsing, because you can slide the hand piece to the height that suits each person. The compact twin has less movement but takes less wall.
The choice between the two comes down to the wall. A compact twin fits a short wall and a small enclosure. A twin on a rail needs space for the rail, and the rail sits beside the body of the shower in use. Tell the plumber which one you have chosen, since the inlet and the fixings differ. For other rail systems, see shower on rails.
The deluxe rail and the hand shower
The Lexi deluxe rail is a hand piece on a rail, rated 3 star at 8.5 litres per minute, with electroplated finishes. The box holds the hand piece, the rail, the hose, an installation kit and the instructions. It adds a hand shower to a wall that already has a fixed head. The Lexi hand shower is the same hand piece on a wall bracket. The box holds the hand piece, one wall bracket, the hose, an installation kit and the instructions, and it is also rated 3 star at 8.5 litres per minute.
Pick the rail when several people use the hand piece at different heights. Select the bracket when it hangs at one height and rinses. For more hand showers, see hand held shower heads.
Choosing a rose only, or an arm and rose
This is the next fork, and the listings answer it plainly. A rose-only listing has the rose and the installation instructions, and the arm is a separate purchase. The Lexi square rose comes in 200 mm, rated 3 star at 9 litres per minute, and in 250 mm, rated 3 star at 8 litres per minute. The arm and rose listing, a 400 mm arm with a 200 mm square rose, holds both in the box, rated 3 star at 9 litres per minute, in solid brass with a chrome plate finish. The universal arm and square rose holds the rose, the arm, a dress plate and the instructions, rated 3 star at 8 litres per minute. The listing calls its fixed position useful for replacement renovations and for saving space.
Choose a rose only when you are keeping an arm you already have. Pick the set when you are changing the arm, or when you want the rose and the arm to share one finish and one design. If you are keeping the arm, check that the thread is half inch and that the arm will carry the weight of a 250 mm rose. For the roses from other ranges, see Phoenix shower rose.
Arms: wall, universal and ceiling
The arm decides where the rose sits. The Lexi wall arm is 400 mm and square, in solid brass, and the listing says matching roses and accessories are available. The universal arm has an adjustable height, which suits a wall where the outlet is not at the standard position. The ceiling arms are square, with a square plate at the ceiling, and come in 150 mm, 300 mm and 450 mm lengths. A ceiling arm hangs the rose over the middle of the shower, and the 450 mm arm drops it further. A plumbing guide puts wall arm projection at 300 to 400 mm and ceiling arm length at 100 to 600 mm. For the arms from the whole brand, see Phoenix shower arms, and for the ceiling view see ceiling showers.
An arm sold on its own carries no WELS rating, because it passes water and does not control the flow. The rating belongs to the rose you fit on it. Pair an arm with a rose in the same finish, and check the thread before you buy.
Fixed or adjustable angle
The Lexi listings describe two ways to aim the spray. The universal arm and rose listing says the adjustable height and angle of a wall shower give a personalised shower, with the ability to set it up in the perfect position. The hand piece on the compact twin adjusts its angle. A fixed rose is simpler and has no joint to loosen. An adjustable one helps when the household differs in height or when the spray is hitting the screen. If you choose a tilting arm, fit it into solid backing and keep the rose to a sensible weight.
Finishes and what they are made of
The Lexi listings show chrome, matte black, brushed nickel and brushed carbon. A retailer collection page lists the same four, with gun metal as another name for the carbon tone. The arms are solid brass, and the listings describe a chrome plate finish and electroplated finishes. A retailer FAQ says the chrome finish resists corrosion in humid or coastal areas. A retailer help page describes PVD as significantly harder and more durable than traditional plating. Check the listing for the process on the finish you choose, since the care differs. For finish-led browsing, see chrome showers, black showers, brushed nickel showers and gunmetal showers.
Match the finish across the parts you can see. The rose, the arm, the rail and the mixer should share a tone. A retailer says that the Lexi range works with other Phoenix ranges, so mixed sets are possible. Tones differ slightly between finishing processes, so a matte black arm and a matte black rose from the same range will sit closest.
How high a Lexi rose should be
Heights from the sources sit within a narrow band. A fixed wall rose sits 2000 to 2100 mm above the finished floor to the centre of the arm outlet, and 2100 to 2200 mm for a tall household. A rose on a ceiling arm sits at 2100 to 2200 mm depending on the ceiling. The top of a rail sits about 1800 to 1900 mm up, and a wall mixer about 1000 to 1100 mm. A manufacturer guide asks for at least 20 cm between a rain head and the user's head. Confirm the height at rough-in, as retail guides advise, because tiling fixes it.
The compact twin is 288 mm high and its overhead is fixed to the body, so the outlet height decides the height of the rose. Put the outlet at the height you want the rose to sit, and allow for the 288 mm and the 355 mm reach in the plan. Where a diverter feeds two outlets, they sit at different heights, and the plumber needs to know before the linings go up.
Size, pressure and flow
Size the rose to the shower zone. Guides put round fixed heads at 200 to 300 mm, with 150 to 200 mm for low-pressure systems, and advise avoiding heads over 250 mm on low pressure unless a pump is fitted. The 200 mm Lexi rose suits most enclosures, and the 250 mm rose suits a roomier one. Because a larger face divides the same flow between more nozzles, the spray feels softer, not stronger.
The listings state an operating pressure of 150 to 500 kPa. 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.
Every flow rated Lexi product here is 3 star, at 8, 8.5 or 9 litres per minute. 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. If you have one, check before you choose.
How to clean a Lexi shower
A retailer FAQ says to clean the range with a soft cloth and mild soapy water and to avoid abrasive cleaners. A separate cleaning guide gives a schedule: clean the rose monthly if your water is hard, since limescale builds up faster, and every two to three months if your water is soft. Wipe the rose after each shower to reduce soap scum and water stains. For a fixed rose, tie a sturdy plastic bag of warm water with a few drops of mild dishwashing liquid over it, soak for 30 to 60 minutes, rinse, scrub the holes with a toothbrush and dry with a soft cloth.
The same guide advises against vinegar on modern heads, and says it is acceptable only on standard chrome or plastic. It names matte black, brushed nickel, gunmetal and other PVD or electroplated finishes as finishes to keep acid away from, since acid can cause discolouration or peeling. For a brushed nickel, brushed carbon or matte black Lexi, use warm soapy water. Signs of scale are weak pressure, uneven or changing flow, spray in odd directions and blocked nozzle holes.
Fitting a Lexi shower
A like-for-like swap on an existing half inch arm is a simple job, and a retailer guide describes it. Turn the water off at the shower valve and unscrew the old head anticlockwise. Clean the threads of old tape and scale, wrap new thread seal tape clockwise two to three times, hand-tighten the new rose, give it one gentle turn with a wrench and check for leaks. It takes under about 15 to 20 minutes. The compact twin fits onto existing half inch plumbing with a drill-free installation, so it is the easiest way to add a second head.
Call a plumber for leaks that will not stop, a cracked or rusted arm or pipe, a ceiling-mounted install, or any change to the outlet. 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 retailer FAQ recommends a licensed plumber for the range.
What is in the box
- The compact twin: the rose, the arm, the hose, the hand piece and the installation instructions.
- The twin on a rail: the hand piece, the rose, the rail, a metal hose and two wall brackets.
- The deluxe rail: the hand piece, the rail, the hose, an installation kit and the instructions.
- The hand shower: the hand piece, one wall bracket, the hose, an installation kit and the instructions.
- The rose only: the rose and the installation instructions.
- The arm and rose: the rose, the arm and the installation instructions.
- The universal arm and rose: the rose, the arm, a dress plate and the instructions.
- The arms: the arm alone.
When a listing leaves out a part, assume it is not in the box and buy it with the rest so the finish matches.
How to choose a Lexi shower
- Select the format: compact twin, twin on a rail, rail only, hand shower, or a rose and arm.
- Find the position of the water inlet and the height of the wall outlet.
- Choose the arm: 400 mm wall, universal, or ceiling, and check the thread if you keep an arm.
- Size the rose to the shower zone and your pressure, using the bucket test.
- Check the star rating and flow against your hot water system.
- Pick a finish, and check whether it is chrome plate, electroplated or PVD, since that sets how you clean it.
- Book a licensed plumber if the outlet or the arm position changes.
The inlet position and the arm length are the checks that change the order, and the choice of format and finish sits on top of them.
