For the Plumbers - Shower Help

danny_mac

danny_mac

danny_mac

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Have wanted to install a shower for ages but have basically been too lazy.

There seems to he a few different types that you can get and id appreciate abit of direction on what is best suited to my heating system.

Not even sure what type of boilers iv got but i have posted a picture. This cupboard is directly behind my bathroom so only a blockwork dividing wall seperate's the boiler to where i want the shower.

Help needed!

5prlug.jpg
 
That is your immersion tank with a big element in it like you find in a kettle, that basically heats yiur water up for your bath, sink etc -- expensive to run

Im guessing because you have a tank then you dont have gas central heating, so a power shower running off your hot water feed on your gas boiler isnt an option.

So a electric shower connected to a cold water feed and the electric would probably be the best for you.

I have fitted a few of these Triton showers, and they are very good for the money

http://www.screwfix.com/p/triton-enrich-electric-shower-8-5kw/52753

Hope this helps
 
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fergusont20 said:
Im guessing because you have a tank then you dont have gas central heating, so a power shower running off your hot water feed on your gas boiler isnt an option.
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I wouldn't be so sure about that, plenty of gas central heating systems have an electric immersion tank as a backup, the past few houses I've lived in all have had them.

Before deciding on what type of shower to go for do you know what your water pressure is like?
 
Looking at your immersion heater it comes off the fused switched spur.

In theory you should be able to fit any type of system, we have two power showers coming of out hot water cylinder without issue.

Can you see a water pump and a diverter valve in the cupboard as well.
 
Do you want to install a separate shower cubicle or want to add one to your existing bath?
If the latter, an option may be to just change your bath tap to a thermostatic shower/bath mixer tap.

Maybe consider installing a standard electric shower directly off the mains cold water feed, depends on your pressure whether it's worth adding a pump or not. With this, there's no issue with having to wait for some water to heat up or it running out part way through.
 
Looking at the picture you have provided it seems to me that you have what is known as a Y-Plan system. That is assuming that you have a 3 port or zone valve that basically controls both the domestic hot water and heating circuit.

Now, as for your shower, you have 2 options. One is to fit an Electric shower that needs to be put on it's own supply or circuit from the consumer unit and the other is to fit a shower that will come from the hot water storage cylinder and the storage tank in the loft.

There are a few things though that you need to take into consideration here. If you are going to go for a shower that is incoorperated with your hot water circuit then you must make sure both hot and cold connections are from storage, not mains.

I mean this especially for the cold feed. DO NOT do what a friend of mine did and connect a shower to a direct cold feed from mains as you will have temperature issues. It MUST be from storage.

Also, consider the head of water as when you run a shower (especially if it's pumped) then you will be drawing off a lot of water. Think the minimum head is 1M or something.

Just realised, I have no idea what I'm on about. I'm only a Sparkie :D
 
A fair bit of muddled knowledge in this thread and people giving poor advice!!

Anway, that round tank is your hot water cylinder, and by the looks of things is heated by electric (which IS cheaper than gas if heated on Economy 7) And looking at the two channel timer, the cylinder can also be heated by a gas boiler system. Either way, it doesnt matter! :rolleyes:

Your options:

Electric shower, supplied by mains cold water, and its own 'beefy' cable all the way back to the fuse box, and circuit breaker...You cannot wire them up to anything else!! Upside: doesnt rely on the cylinder/Immersion/gas boiler. Downside: average performance at best.

or

Tank fed shower, mixer or thermostatic, fed by 'mavity'. The flow of water coming out of the shower is directly related to the distance (in height) from the header tank in the loft, to the showers spray head, minimum is 1.0-1.5metres. Both the hot and cold pressures are supplied from the same source, ie the header tank in the loft. Upside: simple and straight forward. Downside: You need a tank full of hot water, and plenty of 'head' for it to be a good shower.

or

If you dont have a lot of 'head' (height) in the above scenario, then you can add a pump, this will need wiring in but would be straight forward and nothing special. Upside: great pressure. Downside: the extra cost for the pump.

Mick ( who might be a plumber ;) )
 
Your best option is a pumped shower, with dedicated feed from cold water tank in loft and hot water cistern as displayed in picture. Do not tee off another feed. Use a Surrey or Essex flange, or even better a tech flange. Keep pump as close to hot tank as possible. Keep run to shower valve as short as possible. Use 22mm pipe to and from pump.

Nice gushy-wushy reliable pumped shower. I have the same system as you and this is my thread on how I fitted a flange: http://www.ukplumbersforums.co.uk/...fit-techflange-essex-flange-shower-pump.html .
 
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