anyone got a really good electric shower with a decent flow, not a mist??

[sillysausagesarnie]

doing our bathroom up and keen to put in a shower. Our water is heated via our solid fuel stove and so in sumer would prefer to have some other way of washing. So planning to either put in an electric shower or put in a mains shower fed from an unvented water heater solely for the shower/bath. The electric shower the easiest to put in but i want a decent flow of water not the mist i often get from electric showers.

Anyone have one with a decent flow that they can recommend??

Thanks

[Catsmamma]

you have to go for the max kw, and you need to make sure your electric board/fuse board is up to the job.

I would not have anything less than a 10.5kw and that's not fabulous imo...i like a hotel shower, but sadly with our water pressure that's not to be without a good deal of money that I do not have being thrown at the plumbing in this house.

[LikeARollingStone]

Best flow is from combo boiler and mains water. Otherwise you can get a pressure booster but very expensive. I don't think electric showers can solve a low pressure issue.

[sillysausagesarnie]

We have pretty good water pressure.

I love a decent shower

just not sure I can cope with the hassel of installation of the water heater system etc...

[PigletJohn]

"electric shower with a decent flow"

No such thing.

An Instant heater has to supply enough power to heat a given quantity of water in a given time (x litres per second)

A typical modern gas combi boiler has about 30kW of power. A typical domestic electric shower has about 10kW of power so can only provide one-third the amount of hot water.

If you have a well-insulated hot water cylinder, it isn't a problem, because instead of trying to heat (say) 15litres of water per minute for immediate use, you heat it slower, for longer, and store it in the cylinder until required for use. You can heat a cylinder from a boiler, and/or with an immersion heater and/or a solar panel.

[EnjoyResponsibly]

I have a Mira, not Naigra but definitely not mist.

[PigletJohn]

if you squirt it into a bucket, at showering temperature, how many litres per minute do you get?

[nannyl]

We also have a Mira

it was so good (as electric showers go) that we bought another one for the other shower in the house

we got the biggerst kw one we could get and, although it isnt quite the worlds most powerful shower, it is still pretty good.

[ggirl]

we have a shower pump to boost the flow
noisy bugger but it works

[PigletJohn]

a shower pump will increase the flow from a hot water cylinder, but on an electric shower, greater flow will just mean the water comes out colder.


In winter, when the incoming main is colder, an electric shower will not be as hot

[FYP]

I've been researching this quite a bit, have just moved house and have two (one ancient) mixer showers. I have come to the conclusion that we need a pump to get a more powerful flow.

[PigletJohn]

mixer showers, yes, could be. Presumably you have a hot water cylinder, and a cold water tank in the loft? You can't use a pump if not. I have a tall house and the cold tank is ten metres above the guest shower, which gives quite a good flow and pressure, but most gravity showers are very weedy. Sometimes theyy improve by replacing the head, or cleaning the limescale out.

[FYP]

Yes PigletJohn that's what I have. We do have a mixer shower in a downstairs bathroom but the flow is weedy.

In our last house we had a shower cabinet which was really powerful.

How much should it cost to install a pump ?

[PigletJohn]

dunno.

Aqualisa, and probably others, make a shower mixer which has its own small pump inside the casing, might be easier to fit. Their previous model ran off a low-voltage transformer which you conceal elsewhere. I think it used to cost £400-£500

A lot of the cost of bathroom work is in the retiling walls and floors after you've hacked them open to run the pipes and cables.

I see shower pumps seem to range in cost between £150 and £450 It will be less noisy if it is fitted to pressurise only the shower, and no other taps, since it will come on less often. Ask around for a recommended local plumber.

[Mrsrobertduvall]

We have an aqualisa and it is so powerful.
It hurts.

[PigletJohn]

like this No price shown.

[FYP]

I think I've seen that spoken about before (possibly on here or A.N other DIY website)

Oh well, looks like I'll had to get the plumbers in

Thanks PigletJohn :-)

[sillysausagesarnie]

MrsR can I ask which model you have? Was looking at the aqualisa and i like how they look.

[PigletJohn]

Very nice quality maker, too

(I don't make or sell them, but it's my manufacturer of choice)

[anniewoo]

Pigletjohn am confused. Is Aqualisa your choice?

[PigletJohn]

yes

[Grockle]

I have a Mira Sport. It's never going to be as powerful as a pressure-fed shower but given our system, it's pretty good. I'd happily get another one.

[wendystew]

PigletJohn can I ask your advice please? (or anyone else of course:) I have a flat with an immersion heater, no loft, shower on same level as immersion heater, I am refurbing the bathroom and want a good powerful, thermostatically controlled shower, could you tell me my options please?