Are all 9.5W electric showers equal ?

[Dave7]

Get an electric power shower, pump included, can’t use with combi boiler. I’m on my second Aqualisa (not cheap at around £400) but very good pressure. It draws from HW tank

https://www.screwfix.com/p/aqualisa...gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=COy-s_q0hNgCFYQ54AodBvMJxw

We only have a combi' boiler so no water tank.

 

[Dave7]

Your issue is probably the water pressure not the shower wattage.

How would that work? (serious question)...........our water pressure is not particularly good so that surely makes the water flow less.....so theoretically the shower unit should cope easier ??

 

[Dave7]

The performance will be limited by both the power input and the water flow.
Are you able to increase the water flow? There will be a pressure drop from the incoming supply to the shower especially if it is upstairs. Is someone else drawing water while you are in the shower?

How would increasing the water flow make the water hotter ?
Definitely no one else drawing at the same time.........we make sure of that.

 

[Dave7]

They are all equally kind of hopeless at this time of year as they draw off the main which is colder in Winter than Summer.
If you have a cold water tank in the loft and a hot water cylinder then I'd bin it and fit a power shower instead.
Do you know what size the existing cables are? You may be able to get to a 10.5kW...

I know 9.5 is the biggest this wiring will take.

 

[Dave7]

I compared the two showers in our house yesterday. My wife's filled a 1 pint jug in 9 seconds but mine took 26 seconds to do the same. I took the shower head off and dumped it in a jug of water with a limescale tablet and 3 hours later I'm getting the same flow rate as the wife.

So try cleaning the shower head of limescale before you spend any money.

TBH we think the shower head we have is pretty rubbish and we are going to change it.............maybe that will help.

 

[Dave7]

The problem your experiencing at the mo is due to the weather being so cold, the mains water flow through the shower has to be slower to compensate in order to maintain the temperature you want, once the outside temperature warms the flow through the shower will increase. That's the bugbear with electric showers.

Thanks.
I do realise that but this shower is pretty poor in warmer weather and absolute c**p in this weather.

 

[Low Gear Guy]

How would increasing the water flow make the water hotter ?
Definitely no one else drawing at the same time.........we make sure of that.

Most showers have two separate heating elements (4kW +4.5kW). Some turn off the second element to prevent the tank over heating with low water flow.

 

[Mr Celine]

We only have a combi' boiler so no water tank.

I thought the whole point of combis was that you could run a mains pressure shower off one. Surely you only need a mixer valve (and probably a plumber).

 

[vickster]

I thought the whole point of combis was that you could run a mains pressure shower off one. Surely you only need a mixer valve (and probably a plumber).

Yes but not an electric power shower (need a separate pump)

 

[sight-pin]

[QUOTE 5076642, member: 9609"]obviously supply pipes will vary from property to property, but I have found sudden cold snaps make no difference to the temperature of the rising main. It does vary during the year with its lowest point mid Feb of 6c and its highest at the end of Aug at 15.5c (it's currently 7.3 so not that cold yet) but this weeks -10c air temperatures will have made no obvious difference.[/QUOTE]

Maybe your mains in is deeper than the the norm, takes longer to adjust?

 

[Mr Celine]

Yes but not an electric power shower (need a separate pump)

Why would you need a pump? Cold feed from the mains, hot from the combi.

I don't have a combi BTW, Celine Towers has a hot water cylinder and two pumped power showers.

 

[sight-pin]

It's also illegal to pump the mains.

 

[derrick]

Do not get a wickes one, they are crap.
http://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Hydr...r+Adjustable-Riser-Kit---White-9-5kW/p/118511

 

[NorthernDave]

Look at the shower head - some (often the ones supplied with showers) are pretty rubbish, but a relatively cheap aftermarket one can give the feeling of noticeably more flow and a better selection of spray patterns which can also make a difference..

We've got a Mira shower and while it wasn't the cheapest it's head and shoulders above the Triton we had before.

 

[sight-pin]

As your running a combi boiler you could run a hot water supply by the side of the cold supply to the electric shower and fit a shower valve suitable for a combi. much better shower.