which electric shower?
- Thread starter currob
- Start date
Soldato
I think you will need to know the kw rating of your wiring. Mine turned out to be enough to run a small hand wash 
My shower is hopeless
My shower is hopeless
Yep need to know the rating of your wiring and its worth knowing how much pressure you get in the place you want to put the shower.
If theres not a lot its worth looking at getting some sort of pump which is a more sensible option than just getting a higher kw rated shower....
Mira and some brand beginning with T are pretty popular on the shower front.
If all else fails ring a plumber or have an OCUK meet at your house with about 30 of us trying to fix it in one afternoon. Actually just have the meet there a week saturday, if enough of us turn up we can fix your shower and end up starting several other DIY projects for you...
If theres not a lot its worth looking at getting some sort of pump which is a more sensible option than just getting a higher kw rated shower....
Mira and some brand beginning with T are pretty popular on the shower front.
If all else fails ring a plumber or have an OCUK meet at your house with about 30 of us trying to fix it in one afternoon. Actually just have the meet there a week saturday, if enough of us turn up we can fix your shower and end up starting several other DIY projects for you...
Caporegime
Scrap your electric shower and get a proper one. Electric showers are rubbish. A good old fashioned mixer shower is the best way to go.
Sounds great ! I'll put the beers in the fridge !
I'll get in touch with a plumber I reckon then, pressure is not fantastic and I have no idea on the wire rating. Thanks for the replies.
Caporegime
Until your boiler brakes, or the gas goes off and you can't get washed.
Soldato
My parents have a power shower and I miss it every day. Sod the ifs and buts of if something breaks, it never happened when I lived there. Properly sorts you out before you go to work or after you get in.
If you offered me the choice between the one I have at the moment, which has the water flow equivalent to being urinated on, or the steaming torrent of awesomeness that is a power shower, with the caveat it may break, I'd take the latter every time.
If you offered me the choice between the one I have at the moment, which has the water flow equivalent to being urinated on, or the steaming torrent of awesomeness that is a power shower, with the caveat it may break, I'd take the latter every time.
Caporegime
Yep power showers are 100% better, however if you only have one shower in the house (like me) i'd rather have an electric.
I was without hot water for almost a month after my hot water storage system failed in a huge way, parts took ages to turn up, was a nightmare.
edit- nice typo from me
I was without hot water for almost a month after my hot water storage system failed in a huge way, parts took ages to turn up, was a nightmare.
edit- nice typo from me
Soldato
Exactly.
OP Just get a Mira - they come with excellent support for 2 years and are relatively inexpensive.
As for the model we'd need more info.
Water pressure
Gravity Fed or mains?
Fuse/wiring situation.
If Gravity fed you'd do well to get a combined shower w/pump Like the Mira Elite ST.
cheers,
Soldato
Typical ocuk response. "Buy the best and most expensive" nonsense. What if he doesn't have a boiler?.
OP: Electric showers are fine. Nothing wrong with them. We need to know what size cable and length of run it has. Also need to know the main fuse/mcb rating in the consumer unit.
And the white plastic case turns a nice shade of yellow after a few years
And the white plastic case turns a nice shade of yellow after a few years
I'm sure the hundreds of guides to fix that on a snes or dreamcast should work just as well on a power shower...
Soldato
And the white plastic case turns a nice shade of yellow after a few years
lol. They used to but I've had my elite ST since 2010 and it's not yellow yet.
However you can get silver ones now
Soldato
Get a black one. 
I've just fitted a black triton 9.5kw shower in our house, and yes before anyone asks, i run new 10mm cable and upgraded the rcbo.
We've always had tritons,they've lasted us years and years. Just avoid Gainsborough
I've just fitted a black triton 9.5kw shower in our house, and yes before anyone asks, i run new 10mm cable and upgraded the rcbo.
We've always had tritons,they've lasted us years and years. Just avoid Gainsborough
Thanks again for all the replies, I've got an electrician coming round to look at the wiring as it is around 30 years old and I have no idea what rating it is, the existing shower is also around 30 years old and is 7kW (the trip switch is 32A) so I'm pretty sure now that the wiring will be no good for a newer more powerful unit, I was thinking it would be so simple to just replace it but maybe not
Thanks again for all the replies, I've got an electrician coming round to look at the wiring as it is around 30 years old and I have no idea what rating it is, the existing shower is also around 30 years old and is 7kW (the trip switch is 32A) so I'm pretty sure now that the wiring will be no good for a newer more powerful unit, I was thinking it would be so simple to just replace it but maybe not
Yeah to get a good pressure/flow rate at desired warm temp you need the most powerful rated shower i.e. 10.8kW, is the max you can buy as far as I know.
That requires 10mm cabling to handle the current of around 40-45amps. They are not cheap to run
Caporegime
Yeah cause that happens all the time. I'd rather have a shower that was ten times better for 99 percent of the time than one that always worked but was about 10 percent as powerful. If your boiler is always breaking then you need a better one.
Wrong. Electric showers are awful. That's why you never go to a hotel with an electric shower...customers won't accept the terrible trickle flow in this day and age.
Caporegime
Lol, that's hardly the reason hotels don't fit electric showers, but nice try.
I have the feeling central hot water heating system, plumbing already to all the bathrooms and cost savings on both electric and fitting individual shower units might have more to do with it.
In addition your solution is still limited by your boiler capacity and ability to heat the water, if you have a pants boiler or a god awful combi your warerflow might be better but the temp less than a high power electric shower.
I have the feeling central hot water heating system, plumbing already to all the bathrooms and cost savings on both electric and fitting individual shower units might have more to do with it.
In addition your solution is still limited by your boiler capacity and ability to heat the water, if you have a pants boiler or a god awful combi your warerflow might be better but the temp less than a high power electric shower.
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Man of Honour
Er, that's not why hotels don't use electric showers.