How much for a shower to be installed?

[Snap8TheCat]

Rough estimate is fine. We live in Berkshire and I have no idea what sort of shower I need except it will have to be over the bath.

Thanks.

It really does depend on what type of shower you want. Cheapest being a mixer which will just be changing taps and attaching a riser, thermostatic will require some new plumbing, tiling etc or an electric shower will will be the same as thermostatic but will the added cost of electrics. Will you need extra tiling/ extractor fan? It could vary from a hundred to over a thousand.

have you got a hot-water cylinder? What colour?

We have a mixer tap with a rower currently and it's rubbish, no pressure and just dribbles. This could be due to the head as we got a new one. The old one was much better.

The water cylinder is green.

Oh and the other questions, it's already tiles up to the ceiling, we have a glass shower screen fitted and Also already have an extractor fan.

piglet John I'm very curious as to why the colour of the water tank is of interest.

A green cylinder is vented, so the hot water will be at low pressure and will give a weedy shower in pressure, although if the COLD tank is in the loft and the bathroom is on the ground floor, it may be tolerable.

Next, turn on the cold tap in the bathroom basin. Can you stop the flow by pressing your thumb on the spout, or is the pressure the same as the hot tap?

It's the same as the hot tap, neither can be stopped by my thumb, they just spray up the wall.

Cold tank must be in the loft, bathroom is 1st floor.

unless you have a weak thumb, the pressure sounds higher than I was expecting.

If you are sure the bathroom hot and the bathroom cold are at the same pressure, you can use a mixer shower.

Show us a picture of your mixer and the shower head please in case it gives clues to the weak dribble. If you unscrew the head from the hose, does the flow seem adequate?

Do you know if there are any braided flexible tap connectors, or ball-type service valves, because they restrict the flow?

(unless you use bigger ones, which cost a little more, so penny-pinching plumbers don't)

p.s.

by mixer, I include one with a shower pump. You can't have an electric (heated) shower unless you change the plumbing.

You might put a pump under the bath or in the loft, to serve only the shower mixer, or the noise will be annoying. Or you can get an on-the-wall mixer which incorporates its own pump. Aqualisa do (did?) one, they are a premium brand so consider your budget. Fitting one will be less upheaval.

The pressure from the mixer tap is very good also. However out of the hose it is flowing well but with no gusto if that makes sense. Out of the shower head is even worse.

T

this is the one with its own pump inside the box on the wall. Retail price varies, but some £hundreds.

And here are examples of more complex and expensive ones.

Other makes are available.

My own preference is for the less complex model, as IMO it has less to go wrong.

Most people have a standard mixer with a pump under the bath, in the airing cupboard, or in the loft.

As your bathroom is already tiled, I would be thinking about running surface-mounted chromed pipes down from the loft, if this is feasible. It will be harder to bring them up from under the bath without water seepage.

p.s.

your shower head looks like a semi-drencher design, which needs a good supply of water. You could try a smaller head. No need to spend a lot of money on it for now, just give it a try. Say, a 3-inch head. They almost all have a standard screw fitting onto the hose. Your supermarket probably sells an inexpensive chromed plastic one.

Excellent advice thank you so much PigletJohn

Such good advice on this thread
Is a thermostatic mixer shower generally a better option than an electric one? I'm getting a new bathroom and that's what I've been quoted for (haven't met them yet) by the fitters but I'd assumed I'd get an electric one as that's all I've known. No tanks, combi boiler, first floor bathroom.

yes

An electric shower might have (for example) 10kW of power.

A typical modern combi boiler might have 30kW of power

A cylinder pre-heats the water so has anywhere between 100 and 300 litres of water ready to use, as fast as the shower can deliver it (which from an unvented cylinder with good-sized pipes can be a lot).

Ordinary vented cylinders (fed from a cold water tank in the loft) can be capable of filling a bath fast, but unless pumped, or you have a tall house, are low in pressure so the shower is not strong.

Thank you, that's very helpful

You live in Berkshire, the two people you need to install it will want £200 per day each plus materials. Budget for a £1000.