electric shower question

pc10

I have an electric shower in the bathroom - Triton Biarritz - and it is approx 9/10 years old. I think it is prob 7.5KW or perhaps 8.5KW.

I assume it is connected to the cold water only although it did replace a mixer shower that was previosuly installed using hot and cold water.

I live in a bungalow and the water tank is in the attic.

The pressure from the shower is really poor (it always has been but I've only just got round to thinking of doing something about it!). It is bad pressure whenever the shower head is fixed at above head height but whenever the shower head is lowered at all is becomes even worse.

Can anyone tell me what I need to do to get it more powerful? Is it possible the shower unit itself is needs replacing? (although it hasn't ever worked as a powerful shower) or is it possible not plumbed in properly?

All ideas welcome!

Thanks in advance

tooconfused_2

If it an electric shower I would have thought it would be on the cold water mains ie fed from the cold water main not a header tank in the loft

Is the cold water pressure satisfactory from the cold taps around your house?

Maybe the shower is past its best people often complain of poor pressure from an electric shower without really knowing how they work.


Imagine the shower is a kettle if you want the water hotter from an electric shower when you turn the knob to hot what you are infact doing is slowing down how quickly the water passes through the shower ie the slower it passes over the element the more time it has to heat up the hotter the water will be but the downside is the slower the flow will be.

The weather can also affect this in winter the water entering from the rising main is alot colder than in summer so the shower may have to be turned further to the hot setting thus slowing down again the passage of water through the shower.

To get a good flow from an electric shower choose the highest KW(Kilowatt) rating you can BUT BEWARE the high output electric showers need a 10mm cable supplying it to carry the extra current if you have had your shower in a while it could be wired in 6mm or even 4 mm CONSULT an ELECTRICIAN first.If you dont want the mess of replacing the cable you may well have to live with a 7.5/8.5kw shower.

Tao81

tooconfused wrote: »

To get a good flow from an electric shower choose the highest KW(Kilowatt) rating you can BUT BEWARE the high output electric showers need a 10mm cable supplying it to carry the extra current if you have had your shower in a while it could be wired in 6mm or even 4 mm CONSULT an ELECTRICIAN first.If you dont want the mess of replacing the cable you may well have to live with a 7.5/8.5kw shower.

Changed my shower and had to have a 10mm cable fitted by a qualified electrician - No mess!! Good water pressure for a non-power shower:D

baldelectrician

Could be the shower inlet is full of crap.

Have had this before. There is ususally a filter that is cleanable in most showers.

Check the instructions (go to the triton website where you can download them if you have lost the original ones)

pc10

Thanks for the replies - interesting info - cheers!


The water pressure is fine from all the cold water taps. I tried the shower at the cold setting and the pressure was fine so I guess thats just what tooconfused referred to in his post above.

I must check out the filter and see whats lurking there.