Electric showers....Anyone help?

PaulJM

Anyone reading this know anything about electric showers?

I'm looking at getting one for our downstairs bathroom, which has a bath in currently.
It's next to a understairs cupboard which also has the consumer unit in too, so it shouldn't be such a difficult job (I'll get a proper spark to do the cabling)
We've been using the things that attach to the taps if we need to wash after a bath, but it's got time to replace. The other driving factor is that our boiler breaks a few times a year - it's a load of rubbish, but cheaper to buy a service agreement than to get a new boiler - so an electric shower would also provide us hot water while we wait for engineers.
Anyway - what do you recommend?
I've seen 8.5, 9.5 and 10.5Kw on Amazon, and the 8/5 Tritons are £50.
This'll be a secondary shower, we've a good quality mixer upstrairs.
The other consideration is that we have a combi boiler, and pretty rubbish water pressure.

Owain_Moneysaver

Triton or Mira are good makes.

Go for a 10.5kW as it will deliver about 25% more hot water than an 8.5kW; there will be an extra cost in heavier cable but that's a small part of the overall expense.

As long as you have reasonable water pressure on the cold mains it should be satisfactory; electrics have a lot lower flow than combi boilers. Does the cold squirt when you put your thumb over the kitchen tap?

PaulJM

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

As long as you have reasonable water pressure on the cold mains it should be satisfactory; electrics have a lot lower flow than combi boilers. Does the cold squirt when you put your thumb over the kitchen tap?

Good test! I'll try it. I know BG said it was just about enough for a low powered Worcester boiler (not that I'd go with those rip off merchants) - but I presume there is enough.

Hintza

I like the Mira Sport 10.5kW. I found they were also very good when a problem arose.

macman

The type of boiler you have makes no difference-an electric shower is fed off the rising main. The flow rate is largely determined by the shower's rating. Make sure sure that you fit RCD protection on the shower circuit. You'll also need a pull-cord isolator in the shower room, or a wall switched isolator outside.

PaulJM

macman wrote: »

The type of boiler you have makes no difference-an electric shower is fed off the rising main. The flow rate is largely determined by the shower's rating. Make sure sure that you fit RCD protection on the shower circuit. You'll also need a pull-cord isolator in the shower room, or a wall switched isolator outside.

Thanks -
I'm going to get an electrician for that stuff anyway, and it's useful to know the boiler doesn't make any difference.
Does anyone know if 8.5 is adequate, or are they complete rubbish?
I guess as a secondary shower, it may be ok, but from time to time I might need to fill the bath with it, when the boiler is down.

imho

We have a 8.5 Triton.In the really cold weather we have had it did ok. Ours last for about 4/5 years and we live in a really hard water area.When it does break down i call Triton and ask what replacement i can use so dont need to be drilling any holes in bathroom tiles,and every time i have bought a replacement through them as was much cheaper than what i could buy in the shops or online.
But if Amazon have them for £50 grab it.

diywhynot

Aqualisa Quartz Electric 10.5 kW

Ectophile

I have an 8.5kW shower, and will soon be replacing it with another.

Whether it's adequate depends on what you expect from a shower. The limiting factor is how fast it can heat the water, in the depths of winter when the incoming mains water is coldest.

With an 8.5kW shower, you need to reduce the water flow to get an acceptable temperature in winter. I'm happy with water that is reasonably hot, and with enough flow to wash myself with.

If you expect your shower to have a flow like the Niagara Falls and be hot enough to boil a lobster, then you'll need to get a 10.5kW one. But don't kid yourself you're being eco-friendly by taking a shower rather than a bath.