Power/Electric/Mixer Shower?

Johnhowell

meggles wrote: »

Mixer
Feeds off cold water in header tank & hot water tank
Pressure dependent on incoming water pressure
Can install auxillery pump (may or may not be needed). This would installed under bath, in loft, in airing cupboard. Therefore, not as noisy as power shower.
An example of a pump is here: http://www.plumbworld.co.uk/1648-0000
Moderatly priced: http://www.plumbworld.co.uk/1050-15910

A problem with my girlfriends mixer showers is if someone turns on the kitchen hot tap whilst in one of the showers! No such problem with my electric shower.

When I moved into my house, I had the highest wattage shower the main fuse could take fitted. Rather than installing a cheaper shower that will struggle to maintain a high temperature. Also, get a shower that does not require the temperature gauge to be moved when turning the shower on and off.

John

meggles

so... no doing the washing up or clothes washing or toilet flushing while taking a shower then?

how about with power showers- do you "feel" a spike in cold or hot water when someone does one of the above? another power shower question- are they REALLY too powerful for an over the bath shower?

cajef

Johnhowell wrote: »

A problem with my girlfriends mixer showers is if someone turns on the kitchen hot tap whilst in one of the showers! No such problem with my electric shower.

That is only with the cheaper non thermostatic showers, the whole idea behind a thermostatic mixer shower is to eliminate that problem.

Whenever I have stayed somewhere with an electric shower that has always been one of the problems I have had, someone runs a cold tap and the pressure drops and the shower delivers nearly scolding hot water.

meggles

really? I've had an electric shower- cheapo mind you- and have never had an issue. can run washing machine, do washing up, anything, no drop in pressure. the mains pressure must be sufficient in my area.

how do i know if the mixer is cheap or not?
looks & cost wise- i really like this set (pump & mixer)
An example of a pump is here: http://www.plumbworld.co.uk/1648-0000
Moderatly priced: http://www.plumbworld.co.uk/1050-15910

Will_it_make_me_rich

We are installing a new bathroom soon and with this a mixer shower.
The shower i've picked needs a min 2bar pressure so I'll definitely need a pump. I think you'll need one.
What i've been told is don't go for a cheap one, go with Stuart Turner.
The pump will work better if positioned near to the tanks.

If you do decide to get a pump then you'll need to check the size of your tanks and work out if you'll have enough hot/cold water.
I could be wrong, but from memory 15ltrs/min will give you the drenched feeling. Roughly this will be split 10ltrs/min hot, 5ltrs/min cold.

meggles

i *think* i've decided to get a therostatic mixer shower. i will tell the plumber to put in, keeping in mind (pipe wise) that we may be putting a pump in at a later date. the only other thing i thought of- there is a pump in the airing cupboard for the whirlpool (which we've used all of 2 times in the last 18 months). might this be used for both?

as for specific mixer showers- need to order one today.... any idea if these are all suitable?

as for specific thermostatic mixers... looking at these choices:

http://www.plumbworld.co.uk/754-15911
Architeckt Profile Thermostatic Bar Shower & Kit (PWD1264)

http://www.plumbworld.co.uk/1049-15910
Architeckt Profile Thermostatic Concealed Shower & Kit (PWAU0025)

http://www.plumbworld.co.uk/1677-15911
Architeckt Profile Thermostatic Bar Shower & Kit (PWD1264)

http://www.plumbworld.co.uk/69-743
Triton Tyne Thermostatic Luxury Bar Mixer Shower (PWTT0010)

http://www.plumbworld.co.uk/1384-15168
Grohe Grohtherm 1000 Exposed Shower & Kit (PWGH0003)
is this worth the extra money??? it's £80 more than the others...

http://www.plumbworld.co.uk/1407-15244
Mira 88 Gem Manual EV All Chrome (PWMI0126)

none of the cheaper triton models seems to be apprioprate for systems with less than 2m of head pressure. (in case we don't hook up a pump or can't to exisiting)

all of the aqualisa are too expensive. looking to spend under £150

are all of these suitable for my situation?

Will_it_make_me_rich

I can't help you with specific shower makes although there are other shops on the net other than plumpworld.

Your plumber should be able to advise you on showers.

£150 on a mixer shower set up isn't much, to say how often you use a shower.

One other thing to take into consideration is the route for the pipe work to the shower. The cold water pipe will come from the loft and the hot water pipe will come from the airing cupboard which is adjacent.

Are you putting up stud walls?

If not then how will the plumber conceal the pipes to the the mixer valve?
You may need to go for a shower kit that isn't concealed.

The pump for your bath, i'm guessing, has only one inlet so even if you could use it, you would only be able to use it on either the hot or the cold, not both.

ringer

Just had a Mira Event XS Thermostatic shower fitted and it is superb. We only need to have the pressure dial turned down low.

gardnt1

Sounds from your Hw set up, that a mira event xs would be a good choice.........i have two of them now, one thermostatic and one normal.....both are really good power showers, fed off gravity water sytem, so have to be connected to cold water tank in loft and hot water cylinder.....the normal one i have is now 10 years old without a problem and doesnt fluctuaute temperature when other items on as not plumbed in to same system really, ie dishwasher/washing machine fed from mains cold water.