Dissapointing new electric shower

[Aquaman]

I have just had a new shower (professionally) fitted.
It's a Gainsbourgh 9.5kw. (model 965sdl)

The flow rate is pathetic, the temp knob has to be turned almost completley to the highest heat position to get the correct heat and this makes the water flow really really bad.

It replaced another Gainsbourgh (think that was 9.8kw) and the flow rate on this was 10 times better.

The service valve and stop cock are fully open (there was no problem with water pressure before)

Before I complain to the fitter if I ask for a high kw rated shower is this going to improve things??????

 

[Bahco]

Try it with the head removed.

 

[Aquaman]

Try it with the head removed.

Even with the power off running cold the flow is still severly restricted.

(Same with shower head removed)

Will a 10.5kw rated shower give me more flow?????? Or am I wasting my time??

 

[Bahco]

I would take it up with the manufacturer and see if they can advise you.

You should get about 4 litres per minute flow so measure this first.

 

[Aquaman]

I would take it up with the manufacturer and see if they can advise you.

You should get about 4 litres per minute flow so measure this first.

Is this 4 litres per minute heated? or on cold?

 

[Bahco]

Heated.

Maybe you should get your fitter back if you are not achieving this.

 

[Dave064]

I have just had a new shower (professionally) fitted.
It's a Gainsbourgh 9.5kw. (model 965sdl)

The flow rate is pathetic, the temp knob has to be turned almost completley to the highest heat position to get the correct heat and this makes the water flow really really bad.

It replaced another Gainsbourgh (think that was 9.8kw) and the flow rate on this was 10 times better.

The service valve and stop cock are fully open (there was no problem with water pressure before)

Before I complain to the fitter if I ask for a high kw rated shower is this going to improve things??????

We had a similar situation in a new house and the problem was the temp knob was fitted 90 degrees out. Can you pull the temp know off and move the spindle to the full cold position and then refit the knob? This was the problem with our Trition shower..just a thought.
D

 

[mikej2005]

Colder mains water at this time of year can make a difference to the temperature/flow balance - ie. the flow decreases in order to heat the water to a comfortable temperature.

If your previous model was a 10.8kW model (they're usually 9.5 or 10.8kW in my experience), then yes - you would have had a better flow-rate through that.

The 10.8kW Gainsborough shower I have in my current house does give a noticeably more powerful shower than the 9.5kW Gainsborough I had in my previous house.

Definitely worth getting the fitter back in though, if you're not happy.

Run the shower into a bucket for 1 minute at your normal shower temperature and see how much water it puts out.

 

[Aquaman]

It put 4 litres of water in the bucket at normal shower temperture.

Would a power shower be my solution????

I have seen one that delivers 14 litres per minute, but it raise these questions

1.Do power showers still feed off just the cold feed(because thats the only pipe going to the current one)

2.Will the same electrics work (ie take out the 9.5kw and put in a power shower)

3.How do power showers create more flow?

Thanks in advance for any answers

 

[Steady]

<<< 1.Do power showers still feed off just the cold feed(because thats the only pipe going to the current one)

2.Will the same electrics work (ie take out the 9.5kw and put in a power shower)

3.How do power showers create more flow? >>>



1.No. They are fed by stored hot and cold supplies from cylinder and tank.

2.No electrics involved unless you are fitting a 'power shower' with integral pump inside the unit. However the electrics are only to power the pump, not to heat the water as it passes through so you would need further electrical work to fit one of these.

3. They use a pump either a freestanding pump or one integral to the shower unit as above.

If your hot water is currently supplied from a combi boiler then you could have a shower which takes its hot supply from there- this will give a good shower and better than any electric shower. Cold would obviously be from the mains, same as your current shower.

 

[ChrisR]

It put 4 litres of water in the bucket at normal shower temperture.

That's all you get with any electric shower around 10kW
It all depends on how many kW you're putting in to heat the water.
Eg a combi boiler at 24kW gives you about 10 litres/minute at ahower temp.
Electric showers feel reasonable because the holes in the head are small so the jets ar e quite high speed. If the holes are too big they just dribble.

 

[Aquaman]

It put 4 litres of water in the bucket at normal shower temperture.

That's all you get with any electric shower around 10kW
It all depends on how many kW you're putting in to heat the water.
Eg a combi boiler at 24kW gives you about 10 litres/minute at ahower temp.
Electric showers feel reasonable because the holes in the head are small so the jets ar e quite high speed. If the holes are too big they just dribble.

So if I get 4 litres a minute that is the norm for a 9.5kw shower??
Would a smaller shower head help?