Which is the best shower to buy??

Everso_2

Great page/topic!

I too am struggling with my shower, a Mira Zest, purchased a new house, shower installed 3 years ago, and guess what - it has stopped functioning in week 1 of me being there. Have to press the top dial in to get it to work, but still temperamental.

Mira state it's likely to be a switch problem, costing £30 but no guarantee. Friends tell me showers only last 3 years, Mira state they can last 20 - so if I decide to replace, any suggestions with a combi boiler would be great. Also, any other web-sites for purchasing would be just as good!

Many thanks in advance.

undercover_elephant_2

Combi boilers produce good pressure (most of the time), as the hot water comes through at mains pressure. The problem they have, however, is that the flow rate is usually quite low. Power showers go through a minimum of 15 liters of water per minute. That's quite a lot, and can add up to more than a bathful for a shower, and obviously costs quite a lot to heat.

We have a thermostatic mixer shower, running off a combi, and have imported an american showerhead which mixes air into the water and therefore gives you the feeling of a power shower, but with a flowrate nearer that of a poxy little shower (6 liters per minute). You do need good pressure, but even a small combi can heat this much with no problem.

Check out Oxygenics (we have the handheld one). I can tell you that it really is one of the best showers I've used. And it saves water, and heating and money. We got ours from an american lady off ebay for about £30 (with a free duck shaped loofah).

/Elephant

enrm6

To go over the bath with minimum fuss and the added benefits of excellent pressure from a combi and thermostatic control then we got one of these:

http://www.grantandstone.co.uk/bathroom/aqualisa/aquamixa.htm

Been very pleased with it for the last 3 years.

mattandjanno

Hi,

My house is being gutted, new combi boiler and new plumbing, if I chose not to go for an electric shower due to their running costs how can I regulate the heat to ensure my children dont get scalded if there is a temperature surge.

Not sure if this is still an issue but would appreciate feedback.

Thanks

Matthew

Hugbubble

mattandjanno wrote: »

Hi,

My house is being gutted, new combi boiler and new plumbing, if I chose not to go for an electric shower due to their running costs how can I regulate the heat to ensure my children dont get scalded if there is a temperature surge.

Not sure if this is still an issue but would appreciate feedback.

Thanks

Matthew

I'm no expert but I understood that this was what thermostatic showers- the ones with the control "bar"- were meant to prevent (changes in temperature), through keeping the temperature constant

69thelememt

I too was in the same position about a year ago, the shower that i had, which was a simple mixer shower packed in and the boiler was on its last legs. though like many people I was a bit skint and couldn't really afford a new boiler specially when the plumber quoted me 1500 pound for a change over, even then it was a low rated boiler!! He then said to me he could 'cap off'' the cold and use an old feed to install an electric shower.....HAVE YOU SEEN THE PRICE OF A HALF DECENT ONE? 150 for the shower and 300 for the fitting???? 450 quid!!! anyway afet a while searching online I found these ''steam showers'', I'd had it with this plumber by now and asked a friend of a friend plumber to do a job. Anyway to stop rambling it turned out this this man had fitted a couple of these units before and siad from what he knew they seemed quite decent. I managed to find a company called bathtek which sells these steam shower and are the UK based, then with more investigation i found a company called steam shower installation. Not only did these guys sell the same units, but fopr cheaper and they come and fit them themselves, though unforunitly i wasn't in there install area but the unit i got from them was great and i got a something called a 'pressure equalising valve' which sorted out my boiler. Just a heads up the unit i got was 700 and had a mini bath tub, just quid 250 more than just a bog standard shower and am so glad i got one.

davethetaller

mattandjanno wrote: »

Hi,

My house is being gutted, new combi boiler and new plumbing, if I chose not to go for an electric shower due to their running costs how can I regulate the heat to ensure my children dont get scalded if there is a temperature surge.

Not sure if this is still an issue but would appreciate feedback.

Thanks

Matthew

Matthew,

Regarding running costs, an average 9 kw. electric will cost about one pound per hour to run. That is not one pound per shower of course, the cost is pro rata to the time spent in there. So an eight minute shower, will cost twelve pence.

So thats a four minute shower, twice a week then, for twelve pence. Simple pleasures ! :cool:

hitatotatus

Another hijack.....
Because of the type of walls in my bathroom (timber frame) I am considering a rigid riser twin head shower including taps - all in one. Can anyone give any advice please. Thx in anticipation.....

geore97

lmcg123cat wrote: »

Could anyone give me any advice please on the best type of shower to buy. We have a combi boiler [it's an old one though and not very reliable] and we would like to have a shower fitted. What type should we buy, are the cheaper ones worth getting, or should we pay more? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

any triton shower any high pressure shower hundred quid

diable

You also have Hans Grohe which are very good units.