Guide On Buying The Right Bathroom Shower
Choosing the right bathroom shower is easy once you understand the basic operation and requirements of the most common shower types. Essentially there are three types of bathroom showers to choose from: electric, mixer and power showers.
Electric Showers
Electric showers heat water by way of an electric element. One of the main benefits of electric showers is they only heat water that is being used at the time, rather than constantly using energy to heat idle water. Conveniently, electric showers can be placed in any position within reach of the mains cold water pipe.
Unfortunately, electric showers rank poorly when it comes to flow rate. The rate water flows is reliant on the electric element and how powerful it is as well as the temperature that the shower user selects.
Feeding water directly from the mains water supply to an electric shower is a recipe for frustration. As water pressure becomes unstable during peak usage times the shower will cut out completely if the water pressure drops past a certain point. By choosing an electric shower that has an internal pump providing continuous pressure, you can combat the problem of the shower cutting out completely.
Also, consider choosing an electric shower whose temperature is controlled by a thermostat to avoid the water temperature fluctuating when other taps are used within the home at the same time. Replacing your electric shower every so often is the reality due to scale build up on the elements; fitting a water softener can help reduce the rate of build up.
Mixer Showers
Mixer showers come in two forms, the simple bath/shower mixer and the separate shower mixer.
Bath/Shower Mixer
The bath/shower mixer is very low cost with a simple design whereby a shower hose is built into the bath mixer tap. This low cost option only works well when the pressure of both the cold and hot water is even. When the water pressure is unbalanced controlling the shower temperature is near impossible. Also, when other taps are used in the house at the same time the temperature fluctuates. One way around the varying hot and cold water pressures it to add on a pump to boost the low hot water pressure. Unfortunately, the additional cost of a pump negates the advantage of the initial low cost investment of bath/shower mixers.
Separate Shower Mixers
Installing a separate shower mixer to the wall and fitting it to the individual cold and hot water tanks, a steady water temperature is achieved even when other taps are used in the dwelling at the same time
Due to today’s mixers having large waterways built into their interior, separate shower mixers have high flow rates, unlike the low flow rates experienced with bath/shower mixers. It’s possible to increase pressure further by adding a pump if so desired. Separate shower mixers are easy to operate; usually having one control to change the water temperature and the other to turn the shower on or off.
Power Showers
Power showers are showering systems that offer a way for the user to increase the water flow, most often by means of a pump combined with a shower mixer. A shower that is hooked up to the mains hot water system is sometimes referred to as a power shower also.
Pumped
To work effectively, showers that have pumps must have individual connections to the hot and cold water tank. Modern systems commonly utilize a motor that works to pump the cold and hot water supply at a point prior to reaching the mixer.
Heads
Some showerheads act like a pump by offering a variety of different water flow settings such as low flow but with extra air, creating an effervescent effect. More robust systems often include a setting whereby the water pulsates mimicking a massage of sorts.
Creme De La Creme
Currently, the ultimate in power showers is where the mixer and pump are built as one unit. These units are a cut above the rest because the pump does not sit in isolation to the rest of the system and their high performance combined with their relatively low cost makes them the preferred choice in power showers.
Which shower type you choose will depend on your specific requirements and the ability of the shower to meet those needs. Select carefully and you, and all the other users of your new shower, will have an enjoyable showering experience day-in day-out.
Tauseef Hussain is an interior decorator and social media blogger for QS Supplies, the online shop for Electric Showers and home décor fixtures (for UK citizens).
