shower install free standing bath

[David J Williams]

Hi
I have recently moved into a property which the previous owner has installed a free standing bath. I am looking to install a shower on the wall. The bath has a gap at both ends and I am concerned about water going down the side of the bath. The previous owner hasn't made the best job of the bath install and water splashing out of the bath gets through the ceiling downstairs. I guess a filler plate to fill the gap between the bath and wall maybe required(thinking of mounting the shower on the RHS of the bath) but I think this may look a bit of a bodge. The house has a low pressure system so going to go down the route of an electric shower with a mains fed cold water inlet. Has anyone experience of screening these baths off? I think the best shower would be a ceiling mounted one but no electric versions are available.

 

[terryplumb]

That type of bath isn't really suitable for a shower to be mounted above it.

 

[Madrab]

That's a 'back to the wall' slipper bath, with the squared rear section it's a bit of a hybrid between a free standing and and normal wall sealed bath. Don't see many of them as they're a pain in the a$$. With that type of bath though the floor should be fully sealed so any water escapes has no where to head down.

There should also be clear access all around it too to ensure water can be dried up properly.

 

[David J Williams]

Hi
Why is the BTW bath not suitable for mounting of a wall shower. I can see the problem of the sides being open but from what I have seen on the net free standing baths can have wall showers mounted on the wall beside them

 

[Madrab]

It's not that it isn't suitable per sé, it just isn't really practical as the shower can't be contained where the wall to bath seal should be waterproof and there is a proper shower screen/curtain.

The only showers I've ever seen for a freestanding have a circular/oval shower curtain with an overhead rain shower and IMO they just don't look like they're meant to be there. These types of bath weren't really designed to have showers, hence their shape is more for lying in rather than standing in.

 

[David J Williams]

Hi thanks for the info. I have been considering the circular curtain but I believe as your picture shows a ceiling mounted shower head. We are on a low pressure system here and an electric shower is the only real option and these aren't suitable for ceiling mounting. It is unfortunate that the previous owner installed this type of Bath as it was installed shortly before we bought the property which makes ripping it out a bit of a waste

 

[Madrab]

We are on a low pressure system here and an electric shower is the only real option and these aren't suitable for ceiling mounting.

They can be used but you do need a higher powered electric shower with a free flow rain shower, one of the can types rather than a plate.

This one fed from the taps.

as suggested you do get oval ones too

You also have the option to fit a power shower, well suited to a gravity system. That could power a rain shower too.

TBH though if you are on gravity HW then a pump may be the answer but again you are limited by the bath type TBH. Of course, nothing stopping you refitting a traditional bath and proper shower.

 

[David J Williams]

Hi
Thanks for the detailed information. I think the pump would be needed for anything running off the taps as there is a shower attachment included with the tap unit but the water that comes out of it is very poor pressure. I guess it could be the wrong pressure shower head has been fitted. I like the idea of an overhead shower head like you have shown in the picture and I think if I could get the pressure high enough it would provide a simple solution along with the curtain surrounding the bath area

 

[Madrab]

Well the 2 options are a power shower, or electric.

If I was offering a recommendation on site I'd be suggesting a power shower. It would be fed from the existing hot and cold gravity water system that I presume supplies the bath and would feed most rain head showers quite nicely. Anything but the largest electric shower would struggle and it would require a new hefty power supply from the consumer unit and a new cold mains supply which costs as much if not more than the shower itself.

 

[David J Williams]

Hi thanks for the reply and recommendations. I have a few options to consider now.
Cheers Dave