The bathroom project isn't going very well at the moment, but when I start putting it back together I will be looking at fitting a new electric shower.
Our current shower is an electric unit but works from mains pressure. It seems to do just about ok but in the colder months when the inlet water is much colder pressure can be a bit of a problem as they tend to reduce flow so the water can spend more time being heated.
Is there such a thing as a pumped electric shower that will maintain a higher pressure whether or not the inlet water is freezing or not?
I would also like to get rid of the generic shower head and adjustable rail thing that usually comes with an electric shower kit and instead fit a fixed wall mounted shower head - is this possible? The mechanics of putting it together doesn't worry me, but again the wall mounted shower heads are usually larger in diameter and am worried that if I fit one pressure might once again become the issue if there isn't enough flow to the rose.
Hope that makes sense.
TIA
There is no 'H' in Aych, you know that don't you? ~ Wife
Turns out there is an H in Haych! ~ Sporky
Bit of trading feedback here.
Comments
There is no 'H' in Aych, you know that don't you? ~ Wife
Turns out there is an H in Haych! ~ Sporky
Bit of trading feedback here.
The issue that you have is that the shower heating element isn't powerful enough to heat the incoming water at a high enough flow rate.
A very powerful electric shower may have a 10KW heater but a gas combi boiler can apply 30 KW or more.
So, you need to heat the water with something else - either a combi boiler if your mains pressure / flow rate is high enough or revert to a traditional hot water tank plus a pumped shower.
Ours is 11kW and while there is a slight reduction in flow in winter it is minimal.
Having said that, compared with the Aqualisa power shower fed from our hot water tank the flow is nowhere near as good.
As such, your best flow in an electric shower will be achieved by getting the highest kW rated unit you can. If you want a really invigorating shower experience, you’re best off with a hot water storage tank and a power shower.
https://www.studiowear.co.uk/ -
https://twitter.com/spark240
Facebook - m.me/studiowear.co.uk
Reddit r/newmusicreview
There is no 'H' in Aych, you know that don't you? ~ Wife
Turns out there is an H in Haych! ~ Sporky
Bit of trading feedback here.
I have a Triton Martinique 10.5 kW electric shower.
This one:- https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Triton-Martinique-10-5Kw-Satin-Chrome-Electric-Shower-RP-Topaz-T100-Bezique/132734728148?epid=219561260&hash=item1ee79b37d4:g:5OMAAOSwBDRgHNro
This is the latest generation of this model of Triton push button selector electric showers which had previous names such as T100, Topaz, and Bezique. The design is basically the same for these models, so if and when the unit needs to be replaced, you just shut off the mains cold water and the electricity supply, remove the front cover panel, undo the water pipe connection, undo the electric wire connections, unscrew the unit from the wall, replace like for like, and you are good to go again in under 30 minutes. This neatly avoids having to drill new holes and to install new plumbing. Triton did a good thing in keeping the new Martinique the same as the discontinued older models. To be honest, I think they are the same units with different names.
Ask your electrician not to cut the wires to the unit too short, in the event that you need to change models.
I live on the second floor in a block of flats. The electric shower is connected to mains water, but there is a communal cold water tank in the loft for added pressure. The spray from the shower head is not very powerful, but it is more than adequate for most purposes. During summer, it is very good. During winter, it gets low, but is still usable. I've never had a problem with spray pressure on mine, summer or winter.
NOTE OF ADVICE 1: Ensure that you have adequate water pressure, or the warning light will come on, and the unit will automatically switch to a cooler flow of water until the flow is increased. This is a protection feature to prevent overheating.
NOTE OF ADVICE 2: On an older unit, if it keeps tripping between hot and cold water, this is a warning that the PRD (pressure relief device) should be checked. It also indicates that the solenoid may need replacing.
NOTE OF ADVICE 3: These units often need replacement parts after around three to four years of use. The parts can be expensive. I usually go on eBay and buy a brand new unit which cost just a bit more than the spare parts. The removed unit can be repaired and kept as a spare.
My 10.5 kW Triton unit is connected to its own, separate power supply/breaker switch which is independent of the ring-main in the flat, and the wiring has a higher power rating to cope.
Electric showers come in 8.5 kW, 9.5 kW, and 10.5 kW models. I would recommend you get a 10.5 kW model. I'll explain the reason.
The heating coil in the unit remains at its fixed power rating. During summer, the water gets too hot, so you have to lower the temperature with the control knob, or select the cool water button(s). As I said, power rating remains fixed but by adjusting the temperature control knob you then get an increased flow of water which lowers the water temperature. It still consumes the same power.
During winter, the mains water is very cold. You have to reduce the rate of flow of the water through the heating tank/coil so it gets hot enough. Therefore, you can conclude that with a higher power unit, you do not have to reduce the rate of flow of the water too much to get the water sufficiently warm/hot.
On my 10.5 kW Triton, during winter, I can still get a nice warm to hot shower whilst maintaining a good flow of water.
You risk overloading the cable by just replacing an existing shower unit with a more powerful one that draws more current.
https://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/electricshower.htm
There is no 'H' in Aych, you know that don't you? ~ Wife
Turns out there is an H in Haych! ~ Sporky
Bit of trading feedback here.
Yep, this is already on my mind. It’s a fairly substantial cable as is but might replace it just in case.
There is no 'H' in Aych, you know that don't you? ~ Wife
Turns out there is an H in Haych! ~ Sporky
Bit of trading feedback here.
There is no 'H' in Aych, you know that don't you? ~ Wife
Turns out there is an H in Haych! ~ Sporky
Bit of trading feedback here.
I was reading up on it and found out about a pump that goes before the shower to increase the pressure, so that sounds like what you need.