Electric vs Pumped Electric Shower

[Percy]

Hey all,

I have a question for the plumbers on here. I was looking through previous threads last night and from the information posted to date I'm thinking that an electric or pumped electric shower may be the best way for us to go.

We have a 3-bed terraced house in Dublin, only one bathroom and the shower is just an attachment to the bath taps requiring the heating to be on in order to heat the water (our immersion switch is also broken for the third time in three years!). Our water pressure seems grand - at least I would never say it's low even during the winter there. I can only assume that our water tank in the attack is a normal size, but our hot water cylinder in the hot press is very small. We're now looking to update the bathroom a bit an install some type of electric shower, so my question is, based on the above information should we/would we be only able to get an electric shower? Is a large hot water cylinder in the hot press required for a pumped electric shower?

Thanks a million,
Percy

 

[SparkRite]

Hey all,

I have a question for the plumbers on here. I was looking through previous threads last night and from the information posted to date I'm thinking that an electric or pumped electric shower may be the best way for us to go.

We have a 3-bed terraced house in Dublin, only one bathroom and the shower is just an attachment to the bath taps requiring the heating to be on in order to heat the water (our immersion switch is also broken for the third time in three years!). Our water pressure seems grand - at least I would never say it's low even during the winter there. I can only assume that our water tank in the attack is a normal size, but our hot water cylinder in the hot press is very small. We're now looking to update the bathroom a bit an install some type of electric shower, so my question is, based on the above information should we/would we be only able to get an electric shower? Is a large hot water cylinder in the hot press required for a pumped electric shower?

Thanks a million,
Percy

Depends how many of you are in the house will want to shower in succession as to whether you would have to increase the size of the cylinder, if you go for just a pumped (power) shower.

IMHO an electric (instant) pumped shower is the way to go as you have no waiting time between showers.

 

[Percy]

Thanks SparkRite,
There's only 2 of us in the house at the moment, but just thinking longer term there might be more demand. So with a small cylinder a power shower is out then it seems. Sorry for my complete ignorance here but is both an electrician and a plumber required to fit an electric shower?

 

[SparkRite]

Thanks SparkRite,
There's only 2 of us in the house at the moment, but just thinking longer term there might be more demand. So with a small cylinder a power shower is out then it seems. Sorry for my complete ignorance here but is both an electrician and a plumber required to fit an electric shower?

Generally yes, sometimes a plumber will wire up a power shower, but with an instant shower there is more involved so you are better off with a qualified and competent electrician doing the wiring and leaving the pipework to the plumber.

 

[Percy]

Thanks for that skingtile. I think I'm sold on the Mira Azora 9.8kw electric shower. Looks great at any rate and I'm assuming as it's a Mira it's good quality!
Has anyone ever bought stuff from these guys in the UK?

http://www.bathroom-envy.com/

They seem the real deal but am a bit concerned I can't get them on the phone.

 

[SparkRite]

Thanks for that skingtile. I think I'm sold on the Mira Azora 9.8kw electric shower. Looks great at any rate and I'm assuming as it's a Mira it's good quality!
Has anyone ever bought stuff from these guys in the UK?

http://www.bathroom-envy.com/

They seem the real deal but am a bit concerned I can't get them on the phone.

Hi Percy, looks a nice shower, (cheaper elsewhere) but remember it is mains fed, which will mean it will be dependant on water pressure and thus will fluctuate as pressure changes, even if somebody flushed the jacks and as the mains refills the attic tank there is less pressure available to the shower.

Why not go for a pumped "header tank" feed shower (such as a Triton t90, for example) which is independant of other water use in the house, assuming it is plumbed directly from the header tank, which they should be.

 

[Percy]

Hi Percy, looks a nice shower, (cheaper elsewhere) but remember it is mains fed, which will mean it will be dependant on water pressure and thus will fluctuate as pressure changes, even if somebody flushed the jacks and as the mains refills the attic tank there is less pressure available to the shower.

Why not go for a pumped "header tank" feed shower (such as a Triton t90, for example) which is independant of other water use in the house, assuming it is plumbed directly from the header tank, which they should be.

Cheers for that SparkRite - any ideas where I could get the shower cheaper? Yep I realise it is mains fed but it seems the best option for us at the moment as our water pressure is pretty decent and hot water cylinder isn't bit enough to handle a pumped shower. Is a header tank part and parcel of a T90 or is that another tank that would have to be installed in the attic?

 

[Renter27]

Cheers for that SparkRite - any ideas where I could get the shower cheaper? Yep I realise it is mains fed but it seems the best option for us at the moment as our water pressure is pretty decent and hot water cylinder isn't bit enough to handle a pumped shower. Is a header tank part and parcel of a T90 or is that another tank that would have to be installed in the attic?

Percy I went up to place in Newry a few years ago called A&J Plumbing Supplies, I was looking for an Aqualisa shower for a family member (with expensive taste !) , down here it was over 600 euros, I emailed them and asked how much it was ( as their prices are not on their website) . They gave it to me for the trade price of 400 sterling. I drove up that weekend and collected it . Well worth the trip & it was more comforting than ordering over the net .

 

[SparkRite]

Cheers for that SparkRite - any ideas where I could get the shower cheaper? Yep I realise it is mains fed but it seems the best option for us at the moment as our water pressure is pretty decent and hot water cylinder isn't bit enough to handle a pumped shower. Is a header tank part and parcel of a T90 or is that another tank that would have to be installed in the attic?

Percy, I think you are under a missaprehension, ie. a pumped instant shower, for eg. (and again it is just for example) a Triton T90 is not in any way dependant on the size of you HWC (hot water cylinder), but is totally INdependant of the size of any HWC as it is fed from your attic tank.(all/most houses have a header tank in the attic).

To be sure of a constant/even shower the shower unit HAS (OK don't nitpick) to be fed from the header tank directly.

As regards, getting it cheaper, just google it,within the first few I saw 15-20 pounds less. But Percy I believe this is NOT the shower you want/need.

 

[Percy]

Percy, I think you are under a missaprehension, ie. a pumped instant shower, for eg. (and again it is just for example) a Triton T90 is not in any way dependant on the size of you HWC (hot water cylinder), but is totally INdependant of the size of any HWC as it is fed from your attic tank.(all/most houses have a header tank in the attic).

To be sure of a constant/even shower the shower unit HAS (OK don't nitpick) to be fed from the header tank directly.

As regards, getting it cheaper, just google it,within the first few I saw 15-20 pounds less. But Percy I believe this is NOT the shower you want/need.

Hi SparkRite - thanks for the clarification re the header tank. As you can tell I have literally NO clue about plumbing!! I'm confused about your last comment there - do you believe the Mira Azora is not the shower I need or a pumped electric shower?

I'm actually back on the market again now because Bathroom Envy just contacted me - they are real people! - and their delivery people no longer deliver to the Republic.

 

[SparkRite]

Hi SparkRite - thanks for the clarification re the header tank. As you can tell I have literally NO clue about plumbing!! I'm confused about your last comment there - do you believe the Mira Azora is not the shower I need or a pumped electric shower?

I'm actually back on the market again now because Bathroom Envy just contacted me - they are real people! - and their delivery people no longer deliver to the Republic.

Percy, the Mira Azora is an instant shower and is not pumped as it relies on water mains pressure for its flow through. Relying on mains pressure has problems, not least of which are the ones I mentioned before.

My suggestion is to get an instant pumped shower that is fed directly from the header tank in the attic and therefore will be totally independant of mains pressure and all other water usage in the house, which gives a more even and reliable shower.