please recommend electric shower

paul4798

Hi there,

I currently have a shower head on my bathroom taps and am now thinking of going for an electric shower, firstly what wattage should i get to get a steady pressure.

People who have got them can they recommend a good system.

thanks

Paul

24_Hour_Electrician

go for at least an 8.7 kw ie some thing like a mira advance about 8 liter a min flow, and pressure regulates with temprature,but remember a shower install is not a diy job
for instance u need a 30 ma rcd at the meter tails your eathing system and cable need to b checked
u need what we call in the trade bathroom bonding ie any exposed to touch metal work in the bathroom ie radiator sink taps maetal bath and pipes need to be connected to the main earth terminal in the light fitting in the room
you need to ensure the light in the room is of a type whisch wont let water in minimin is of an ip56 standard.
10mm cable should be used unless the cable is run under loft insulation,otherwise it will get hot.
mira showers r made in uk and have a 3 year guarntee,and a trade priced mira would cost about 145 and vat on top
dont buy a shower from b anq cause the vessel is to small and they scale up 2 easily
hope this helps
andy electrician

***edited by board guide to remove link to posters website***

paul4798

Thanks Andy,

Certainly do not intend to do it myself already got good chaps in the area!!

Are triton showers any good and does the more wattage the better the pressure or doesnt it work like that.

thanks

Paul

24_Hour_Electrician

triton showers are made at the same factory as mira but i would allways fit a mira unless the existing is a triton as pipe entrys into them are diffrent and cause headaches. and mora got 3 year enginner to attend guarantee
the higher the wattage the more water can flow through the shower in a given time thus the water is hotter and the pressure is higher.
the plumbing supply should be take from the mains service and not a downfeed.
if the pressure is low then it doesnt matter what kw rating the shower is as it wont heat the water any hotter than 60 degrees on new showers as there is a thermal trip to prevent scalding.
min rate shower is a triton forget its model but its 7.2kw
highest rated is 12kw but u have to have a 100amp main service fuse as its so highly rated.
also do u have an electic cooker or anouther electric shower already?
cause if u do then ur main fuse will blow and its 70 quid a throw charged by ur supply company to replac every time]
also make sure ur sparks is part P registerd cause if he does any work and hes not it invailidate ur insurance if anything happens


andy

gromituk

24_Hour_Electrician wrote:

also do u have an electic cooker or anouther electric shower already?
cause if u do then ur main fuse will blow

I don't think so in practice - at least for an electric cooker. As far as I know, the regulations specify some diversity - the chances of the cooker drawing maximum current (all rings, grill and oven on full or heating from cold) and the shower being in use simultaneously are considered negligable.

grumbler

When choosing a shower, buy one with on/off button. It will cost a little extra, but is more convenient in use.

gromituk

Also, maybe they all do this now but you should get one which lets the water flow for a few seconds after the element has switched off. This prevents the water boiling in the heating chamber and will reduce scaling and increase the life of the element.

shrek101

Mira showers are one of the best showers you can get, so I been told. On that recommendation we got one and have been very happy with it. We are due to replace it soon as we are having the bathroom redone. The mira shower has been there for about 11-12 years and still going strong. Only reason why we are replacing it is that the colour is white is now going yellowish (we don't smoke) and getting a little taty around the edges. We have been very happy and wouldn't hesitate to pay that bit more to get another mira.

duncansby

Hi - our shower is a triton which recently bit the dust after 8 years. Having read this thread I have decided to replace it with another Triton for ease of fitting ( and currently 20% off at Argos). My question is can I replace it with a higher wattage shower (currently 7.9w) without needing to get any of the electrics replaced.

Thanks

gromituk

Probably not, no. I imagine your current shower has a 32A MCB or a 30A fuse. You'll need a 45A MCB and probably thicker cable, such as 6 mm^2 instead of 4mm^2 - and a new pull switch isolator unless the current one is rated at 45A.

robnye

gromituk wrote:

Probably not, no. I imagine your current shower has a 32A MCB or a 30A fuse. You'll need a 45A MCB and probably thicker cable, such as 6 mm^2 instead of 4mm^2 - and a new pull switch isolator unless the current one is rated at 45A.

i agree.....

i had a triton 9.5kw, which died,
went and bought a new 10.5kw, only to be told by electrician (as pumlber would not do electrics), current cable was for 9.5kw, if we awanted 10.5kw then job would cost more, as existing cable and rcb werent up to the job.

so swapped 10.5kw for 9.5kw and job done....

difference between ratings on showers indicates heating element , not the power of the water.

my 9.5kw gives me a shower like a power shower..... 5 different settings on shower head