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Want a powerful shower, help please!

15 replies

DeadThing · 14/06/2025 11:47

Time to replace the bathroom upstairs and sick of wimpy electric showers that start off ok and end up in a miserable trickle.
really would like a very powerful shower, like the ones you get in hotels where you feel like it’s beat you up lol.
we have a traditional (non combi) boiler, cold water tank in the loft, said bathroom is directly below this. The hot water cylinder is in the cupboard next to the bathroom, same floor.
Got a company coming out to give us a quote but what do I need to request? A thermostatic shower with a pump fitted? Google says this would be the option, but does anyone have this set up and if so, does your shower perform like a beast?
Does @pigletjohn still live here? 😂 Thanks in advance

OP posts:
ScaryM0nster · 14/06/2025 11:48

if you want a shower with more water pressure than comes off your best tap, you need a pump.

Crouton19 · 14/06/2025 12:31

I had endless issues with power showers and pumps. Eventually I switched to a combi boiler, no tanks at all, and now have a normal shower with excellent flow. This was on the recommendation of my plumber who was replacing the pump for the Nth time!

FloraBotticelli · 14/06/2025 12:32

I have the same set up as you and we raised the cold water tank in the loft up by 1metre (H built a wooden plinth quite cheaply), and added a shower pump.

I love my shower, it’s way better than lots of hotel ones.

Ilovemyshed · 14/06/2025 12:34

Yes, you need thermostatic and likely a pump to add pressure.

One of the best brands is Stuart Turner and if you go to their website you will find contact number and can get a list of recommended fitters in your area who have done courses with them and are authorised to fit.

Mindymomo · 14/06/2025 12:36

We have the same boiler and hot water tank, we have an Aqualisa power shower, with pump in loft. They are expensive but worth it and come with a 5 year guarantee so long as you have the invoice. We love it.

PigletJohn · 14/06/2025 15:25

A pumped shower will do the job. Some are inexpensive. They can get noisy, get one that only runs when the shower is in use. If you can mount it on a board padded with felt or rubber, with a box round it, this will muffle the noise.

Raising the cold water tank on a platform might not be necessary, but measure the one you have. It is very important that the pump does not suck out all the water and run dry while you are showering.

A typical hot water cylinder holds about 100 litres. In summer, it's possible you might use an equal amount of cold. So I'd look for a 200 litre cold tank (or two smaller ones connected with a large pipe at the bottom by a skilled plumber. You draw from one while filling from the other to keep the water fresh.

Aqualisa showers are very good quality.

Don't get a bar shower. For some reason they are not as good or as durable as round ones.

Before you spend a lot of money, find out what the water flow to your house is. Fill a bucket at the kitchen cold tap, and the garden tap if you have one, calculate litres per minute. 20lpm is good, 10lpm is bad. Older houses often have small pipes and poor flow. Flow is not the same as pressure. A combi cannot give good HW without a good flow and pressure.

A cold tank can give good flow (with big pipes) but poor pressure.

If and when you get a new boiler, you can upgrade to an unvented cylinder, which gives the best HW, better than a combi, but you will need a good incoming flow and may need to replace some of your old pipes, including the one coming in from the road. This can be easy if you have a garden you can dig up, and wooden floors with a space underneath. Or difficult if you have a lot of concrete in the way. If you do it, you will be glad you did.

Modern houses with blue or black plastic incoming pipes tend to have good flow. Flats and converted houses may be almost impossible to improve.

DeadThing · 14/06/2025 15:57

Thanks all for your input! There’s more to it than I thought 😁 we do have good mains water pressure and the cold water tank in the loft is a fair size, probably 1m x. 1.5m approx but no idea what that equates to in volume. Existing boiler is only about 3 year old so not planning to replace anytime soon (please god)

OP posts:
DeadThing · 14/06/2025 15:59

PigletJohn · 14/06/2025 15:25

A pumped shower will do the job. Some are inexpensive. They can get noisy, get one that only runs when the shower is in use. If you can mount it on a board padded with felt or rubber, with a box round it, this will muffle the noise.

Raising the cold water tank on a platform might not be necessary, but measure the one you have. It is very important that the pump does not suck out all the water and run dry while you are showering.

A typical hot water cylinder holds about 100 litres. In summer, it's possible you might use an equal amount of cold. So I'd look for a 200 litre cold tank (or two smaller ones connected with a large pipe at the bottom by a skilled plumber. You draw from one while filling from the other to keep the water fresh.

Aqualisa showers are very good quality.

Don't get a bar shower. For some reason they are not as good or as durable as round ones.

Before you spend a lot of money, find out what the water flow to your house is. Fill a bucket at the kitchen cold tap, and the garden tap if you have one, calculate litres per minute. 20lpm is good, 10lpm is bad. Older houses often have small pipes and poor flow. Flow is not the same as pressure. A combi cannot give good HW without a good flow and pressure.

A cold tank can give good flow (with big pipes) but poor pressure.

If and when you get a new boiler, you can upgrade to an unvented cylinder, which gives the best HW, better than a combi, but you will need a good incoming flow and may need to replace some of your old pipes, including the one coming in from the road. This can be easy if you have a garden you can dig up, and wooden floors with a space underneath. Or difficult if you have a lot of concrete in the way. If you do it, you will be glad you did.

Modern houses with blue or black plastic incoming pipes tend to have good flow. Flats and converted houses may be almost impossible to improve.

What are bar/round showers please?

OP posts:
SleepingisanArt · 14/06/2025 16:19

We have a pump which is powerful enough to run 2 power showers at the same time - it was necessary when we had teenagers! (I was in a Premier Inn recently with such useless water pressure in the shower that it took an age to get washed - I was so happy to get back to my own shower!)

MaisyMary77 · 14/06/2025 16:30

We have the same set up as you with the cylinder, cold water tank etc.
We have a AquaLisa Aquastream power shower. No separate pump needed. It’s excellent. Our first one was installed in 2006, we replaced it in 2023. It’s an excellent shower.
We bought directly through AquaLisa. (Phone, not online-they offer better deals) They organised installation. I just had to make sure the appropriate electrics & plumbing were in place.

PigletJohn · 14/06/2025 19:29

DeadThing · 14/06/2025 15:59

What are bar/round showers please?

Bar

Want a powerful shower, help please!
PigletJohn · 14/06/2025 19:30

DeadThing · 14/06/2025 15:59

What are bar/round showers please?

Round

Want a powerful shower, help please!
smallstitch · 14/06/2025 19:31

Yes we had the same set up as you and had a mixer shower with a pump, it was indeed a beast. The pump went in the cupboard next to the hot water cylinder.

PigletJohn · 14/06/2025 19:32

Round

Want a powerful shower, help please!
Mew2 · 14/06/2025 19:33

We also have an aqualissa shower- it's at least 10 years old and it's amazing.... We need to replace the electric shower in the ensuite and will get another aqualissa!!!!

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