Thoughts on electric showers ...

[JP_]

I am planning to rip out existing shower room and put back a bath. Currently there is hot and cold (from water tank) feeding a shower. We have 0.1 bar pressure on the hot. The new shower is fine like this, but hot water tank is not that big, and if we all (4) have shower at the same time we run out of hot water.

As this will be a bath mainly, and emergency shower, I was thinking better to have an electric shower, that way we don't need to worry so much about running out of hot water.

The room currently has an electric heater on its own circuit, which I am planning to remove once the room is insulated and new rad installed.

Anyway, I just looked at electric showers and was shocked (no pun intended!) that they were so cheap - and there's one in Wickes now reduced to £30. This seems really good value and a cheap way to have a back-up shower.

Thoughts? And could a sensible plumber install the electric shower, or do we need to get an electrician to wire it up? And ... crazy idea, maybe, are there electric showers that sit on the other side of the wall, with just controls on the bathroom? Because I plan to box in the area on the other side - the cold pipe can run down here too, and maybe if the shower was in a cupboard there, that would keep things looking tidy, and maybe make the electrics easier too.

old shower, currently tool storage

heater in its own circuit

other side of bathroom, will box in (also thinking of removing the chimney stack ..,)

 

[Keithmac]

You need a feed from the Consumer Unit, proper cable as the shower will be 8kw or more.

Ours was done by an electrician and signed off.

 

[JP_]

Thanks, that should be easier enough to do. My electrician will probably suggest running a new cable anyway.

 

[Mottie]

If it was me, I’d spend my money on a bigger hot water cylinder. My experience of electric showers had been a weak, hot shower or at best a semi-warm, semi-powerful one. They’re not great in winter when the incoming mains temperature is colder. If you do get one, get the highest output one you can. The cable to the consumer unit is going to cost a bit I’d imagine.

 

[Stivino]

My first electric shower was a 7KW Heatrae Sadia in 1980. It was fine for what it was at the time. My mate was an electrician working for the council and he supplied and fitted it. We got 10 years out of it until it was replaced by an 8KW Triton. That lasted for another 20 years.
The 7KW was just enough to heat the cold Edinburgh water in the winter time. The 8KW Triton was quite good.

 

[dontbelieveawordofit]

electric showers have come a long way.
they are generally cheap enough to buy and most of the 9.5kw i’ve fitted are good.
trouble is the cost of 10mm cable makes up for any money your’e saving.

 

[JP_]

My first electric shower was a 7KW Heatrae Sadia in 1980. It was fine for what it was at the time. My mate was an electrician working for the council and he supplied and fitted it. We got 10 years out of it until it was replaced by an 8KW Triton. That lasted for another 20 years.
The 7KW was just enough to heat the cold Edinburgh water in the winter time. The 8KW Triton was quite good.

so something like this would be better then?
https://www.screwfix.com/p/triton-t80-easi-fit-white-chrome-10-5kw-electric-shower/4964t

 

[Stivino]

Yes. But, you need a big fat cable for that.
Someone here should be able to tell you what cable, circuit breaker etc you will need for the shower you want.

 

[JP_]

Don't think big cable will be a problem really - the one there for the heater might be suitable, if not, it's only a short run through the loft from consumer unit to bathroom - bungalows make these jobs much easier!

 

[Stivino]

I doubt that the one for the heater will be heavy enough for a shower.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

A 7kW shower will need a minimum of a 6mm cable, the shower alone could potentially pull 30 Amps, in comparison the heater would be a maximum of 3kW, which only requires 13 Amps. A 10kW shower will take 40 odd Amps, so any electric instantaneous shower will need a dedicated supply, fed from it's own Breaker at the Consumer Unit. Also needs a Double Pole switch of the correct type to isolate it.

I would seek the advice of a Qualified Electrician as to an idea of practicality and cost before doing anything else.

 

[dontbelieveawordofit]

10.5 is overkill for an ‘emergency’ shower.
i find 9.5 kw is adequate. and you would normally expect to be well catered for with a 10mm cable. providing , like you say it’s not too far from the board.

the cable feeding the switch for your heater is looking like its already too small, wired incorrectly and is working off a 6amp light switch which is wrong and already overloaded by the heater.

 

[Vicario]

I have a 9KW Mira and we never need to set the temperature controller anywhere near the maximum setting. Excellent flow after I set the mains stopcock quite high.I like the Eco option which gives a cooler shower in summer with decent pressure. My plumber suggested fitting a softener in the supply pipe and it only needs replacement every 10 years.

 

[cdbe]

10.5kw for me, the extra material costs will be marginal and in deepest winter you'll need all the oomph you can get.
I never understand what Mira offer to make them worth so much more than a similar rated Triton or reasonable DIY brand that you can pick up for £60?

 

[ETAF]

Currently there is hot and cold (from water tank) feeding a shower.

Is the Cold water from a TANK , Electric showers usually need to have a mains pressure to operate - Do you have mains cold water supply in the bathroom OR is it feed from a TANK - and also 0.1Bar pressure ?

The spec for the screwfix shower is MIN 1.5bar pressure
The wickes one only says -

• Suitable for cold mains only

and does not give the min pressure