This blog post will provide all the information you need about the different types of shower. The three main types are electric, power and mixer showers. But how do they differ from each other? Well, this blog will explain?
Electric showers
These showers heat cold water on demand by passing it over a built in heating element. Electric showers vary in kilowatts (kW), the higher the kW rating the quicker the shower will heat the water. For higher temperatures, water is held over the heating element for longer, and with the higher powered showers the water doesn?t need to be held as long in order to get it to the required temperature.
The water supply for an electric shower is fed from your cold water mains supply. This means that the water pressure will only be that of your mains water. As a result of this, there is little point installing an electric shower with a higher flow rate than that of your incoming water mains.
For safety, the minimum fuse size required for each kilowatt (kW) rating is listed below. This is based on a 240V electrical supply.
- 8.5kW ? 40 Amp supply fuse
- 9.5kW ? 40 Amp supply fuse
- 10.5kW ? 45/50 Amp supply fuse
The size of the cable supplying the shower would need to be of sufficient size. A qualified electrician would need to investigate the matter to make sure the installation complies with British Standard 7671.
We highly recommend that you purchase a limescale reducer and fit it in line on the water mains to reduce the effects of limescale. Limescale does drastically reduce the lifespan on an electric shower, so doing everything you can to prevent this is important.
All electric showers need to be installed by a Part P qualified electrician as they require an electrical mains feed into the bathroom.
Mixer showers
Mixer showers mix hot and cold water together to create a shower temperature to suit you. The cold water comes directly from your cold water mains and the hot water comes from your heating system ? so this could be directly from a combi boiler or from a hot water tank.
The mixer?s valve blends the two water sources together to reach the required temperatured that you?ve defined on the mixer shower.
It?s important to buy a mixer shower that is correct for your property?s water system. Alas it?s not quite as simple as an electric shower, which is quite a universal appliance. You need to make sure the mixer shower is compatible with your hot water system. There are a few universal mixer showers available, however these may not work as well as a system specific model.
A lot of modern mixer showers are thermostatic. A thermostatic mixer shower will automatically regulate the temperature of the water, ensuring that there is a constant temperature in the event of the water temperature suddenly changing. Apart from obvious comfort benefits, there are also safety benefits by having a thermostatic valve. If the cold water supply were to decrease in flow rate during a shower, this could mean that the water from the shower sudden gets a lot hotter ? potentially scalding you. A thermostatic valve would detect this increase in temperature and decrease the flow of hot water to compensate.
A big plus for mixer showers is that they look great, even the cheaper models! Most of them come in chrome, which can complete the look of any bathroom. You can also have the option of a concealed or exposed mixer. A concealed mixer will be built into the wall, disguising the pipes and valve itself, whereas an exposed mixer will be attached onto the wall with everything on display.
Left: Concealed mixer shower. Right: Exposed mixer shower
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Even though concealed mixers may be trickier to install, they look a lot more minimalist and can save space in smaller shower enclosures.
Power shower
A power shower is intended for properties where the water pressure to the bathroom isn?t great. Often this is caused by the drop from the water tank not being sufficient, so instead of moving the tank your main option is to install a shower pump.
There are a few different configurations for power showers.
- The pump can be built into the wall with the mixer, with the pump placed between the mixer and the shower head
- The pump can also be placed between the water tank and the mixer
- The best way is for the pump to be placed after the water tank and routed to the entire house, increasing the flow rate of all the taps and of course the shower. This is the best way as it can be used with a multiple number of showers and shower types.
Power showers are not compatible with combi boilers as they require a water source from both hot and cold water tanks.
A big downside to power showers is that your water usage is likely to increase quite considerably, which will in turn boost the cost of your water bill if your property is metered. It?s best to purchase a large water tank, as a general rule you should have at least a 50 gallon tank per bathroom.
On top of that you will need to ensure the drainage of the bath or shower enclosure is efficient enough to cope with the increase water flow. It?s best to consult a plumber before committing to having a power shower installed.
Even though power showers are more expensive and costly to run, they give by far the best showering experience.
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