Replacement shower head and hose - universal fitments?

RainbowsInTheSpray

Are the replacement shower head/hose combos you can buy good for all makes? Mine is a Mira Sport. I think I need to replace both the head and the hose as they both seem to have been damaged in a fall.

grumbler

I think the threads are all compatible, but the hose nuts design and shape can differ.

mi-key

RainbowsInTheSpray said:

Are the replacement shower head/hose combos you can buy good for all makes? Mine is a Mira Sport. I think I need to replace both the head and the hose as they both seem to have been damaged in a fall.

You can get replacement Mira ones, I have a Mira Sport as well and got the head and hose from ebay, I had to buy them seperately but was about £30 all in 

DullGreyGuy

Inevitably someone somewhere decides to do something different but the overwhelming majority are universal.

The one issue we had when replacing hose and head, they all fitted together fine but our holder is very close to the wall and the new head cannot angle down as far as the old before the new hose is blocked by the wall. 

plumb1_2

Replace with genuine Mira parts, or you might end up overheating/ burning out the element.

RainbowsInTheSpray

plumb1_2 said:

Replace with genuine Mira parts, or you might end up overheating/ burning out the element.

Would appreciate an explanation of how that would be possible.

nofoollikeold

1. Electric showers work by heating the water as it flows through an electrical heater.
2. The more water flows through, the colder the output, as only so much can be heated "instantly".  The amount depends on the power of the shower such as 8.5 kW, 9.5 kW etc.
3. If you restrict the flow by using a hose / head which can pass less water than the original you may:
3.1 Cause the heater to get too hot as less heat is carried away.
3.2 Cause the pressure relief valve to operate as the narrow hose / head offers more resistance to flow.

flashg67

Personally, I've never had an issue across many years and different shower brands using universal hoses and heads

propertyrental

Hoses are defined as suitable for mains or low pressure usage. Basically the difference is in the diameter of the internal bore.

ThisIsWeird

propertyrental said:

Hoses are defined as suitable for mains or low pressure usage. Basically the difference is in the diameter of the internal bore.

The actual handsets vary too - some are designed for the much greater flow from a combi, unvented or even gravity system, and others have teeny holes suitable for electric showers.

Although you can get 3rd-party hoses and heads that'll be a replacement, I wonder if it's worth it in your case, RinS? The other thing that can vary a lot is the hose connector at the headset end - these are often designed with the correct outside taper for the shower's holder, and it's really annoying if you fit one that's too short or too loose - the headset wobbles, and can rotate in the holder during a shower - grrrr.

RainbowsInTheSpray

Ok, thanks to all. Basically, this one seems to be a hit and hope scenario!