Thermostatic mixer showers

eidolon

eidolon

eidolon

Soldato
Joined
31 Oct 2002
Posts
13,892
Location
Newcastle upon Tyne
I met with my bathroom fitter today and was asking his advice on which shower to fit. I had planned on the Mira Element as it gets decent reviews but he said that I might as well save my money and just get one of the cheap £50 mixer showers as they're all pretty much the same.

So, my question is what is the difference between the various mixer showers? I guess they're pretty basic things so maybe he's right but I'm reluctant to save a bit of money if it's going to cause me problems further down the line, however even if it did I could replace a cheap one four times over for the price of a Mira.
 
Cheap thermostatic cartridges tend to wear internally and drip. I've also found cheaper thermostatic valves don't cope particularly well with rapid changes in pressure. I've got a Mira Miniduo and if someone runs the bath the temperature won't change, just a very slight reduction in pressure.

The big difference with Mira and Aqualisa is you can actually get spare parts and things like replacement seals for them for 10+ years after they were made.

Mira is quality stuff - their accessories are much better quality than the cheap stuff. Yes you could go cheaper and replace more frequently, but will you be able to get something to match the centers and threads exactly?

In the grand scheme of things an extra £100 on a bathroom refurb is not a lot for one of the most important fittings.
 
If it's an external valve which it looks like I'd be inclined to agree. Pipe centres of externals should all be the same so swapping them is a doddle should anything go wrong.

Concealed systems then yes having access to spare parts is a god send. I've got a concealed Mira excel which was 17 years old and ive recently changed the whole thing myself making it brand new again.

Key is cheap but quality, a shower valve is pretty basic. I can only plug ones from my company as i know the factory and quality (and what else is made in the same factory (branded)).

www.bathroomtakeaway.co.uk

Not the biggest select but we concentrate on a smaller range that sells well.
 
In terms of actual bathroom furniture etc ibathuk on Ebay is worth shout - moreso than that bathroomtakeaway site above. Seems to just be another outlet of Soak/Bath Empire but cheaper for some reason! All high quality stuff for pretty cheap.

Id go for a brand of mixer shower, Mira seems to universally recommended.
 
Last edited:
Rather than create a new thread I thought I'd necromance this thread :)

I'm about to fit a concealed valve shower to replace a bath mixer tap shower behind an existing tile wall with stud work. The old boiler cupboard behind (it's a 1989 build so it shouldn't have asbestos) allows access with a bit of cutting to provide access. The difficult part is the central heating and hot water pipes run directly on the airing cupboard wall. The stud work has about 70mm of wiggle room for fitting and the valve will be fitted to the side and both valve and shower head plate fixing will need a studfast fixing to screw into the wood supports.

The kit is this: https://victoriaplum.com/product/mo...er-valve-with-slider-rail-and-wall-shower-set

As always none of the kits have the right amount of info.. so after the kit arrived (it's bloody heavy!) I now know:
a) I need to have the shower head screw fixing flush with the wall as the shower head elbow only has 19mm of thread to use.
b) The secondary outlet has a female thread at the back so requires a 1/2" long thread to come in from the back of the wall.
c) The shower valve faceplate (glass) needs a recess in the tiles - essential a hole right through - due to a metal support plate behind it.

I had thought about flexible pipes but the bore on them is restricted to 8mm at one end! Also I don't like the idea of push-fit so the pipe work will be end feed. I've done some pumping with end feed - radiators under the floor, warming loop under the bathroom floor and pipes for replacement toilet etc so it's not too scary a prospect.

I now need to order the required pipework and the studfast metal supports. If it wasn't for CV I'd pop down and get some sheet metal. However as it's I have to order the stuff for click and collect/delivery.
 
MIRA is the best - they have the least resistance so you always get a better shower with more flow and they last forever - my company fits bathrooms and we are taking out MIRA showers that have been in for 25-30 years in some cases. Some of these cheap ones need replaced AFTER A YEAR
 
Just got 95% of my kit for the install.

still not sure if the existing pipes are 3/4 or 22mm. I measured the OD at 23mm or so.

OD of 22mm is 22mm (metric pipe OD is as stated).

OD of 3/4” is 7/8" or 22.225.. so I think it's a 3/4" pipe so I'll need an adaptor.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom