Downstairs shower recommendations please

[Paul205]

Dear All,

We are going to install a downstairs shower in a new shower room. The shower valve will be installed into a tiled wall and we want a 'concealed' and not 'surface mount' valve. The shower valve is to feed a shower head which will be on a 'riser' on the wall.

There will be two options on supplying the water for the shower:-

1. Either fed from the Hot Water cylinder in the airing cupboard and the water tank in the loft. This will be from pipework previously used to feed the upstairs bath.

or

2. From the same sources but via a Stuart Turner twin 3.5 bar pump.

I would be appreciative on recommendations for a top quality concealed brand or type of shower valve (Hansgrohe, Grohe, Aqualisa etc). I'm not interested in a budget product. We have a Hansgrohe unit in the upstairs bathroom but I would like recommendations from other users.

Kind Regards




Paul

 

[oldbuffer]

I personally like the HansGrohe Ibox based mixer showers. Need careful fitting, but beautifully made and work really well. Also need a mortgage.

Measure the distance from the base of your cold water tank to the top of where your shower head will be, in metres, and divide by 10. This will give you the approximate pressure (in bar) you will have without a pump. If you can find find a shower that will give you the flow rate you want at that pressure, then you won't need a pump. You will however need 22mm pipework to the Ibox or equivalent. Its likely that your bath pipework will be 22.

If the natural pressure won't support the shower you want, then you'll need a pump. 3.5 bar is probably a bit OTT, 2.0 would probably do. However, you will need a proper connection into the hot water supply (Essex or Surrey flange or a similar arrangement). The bath water supply is likely to have air in it, which doesn't matter to a bath tap but does to a pump.

With or without a pump, the cold supply should be from the tank at a lower level than the cold feed to the hot water cylinder. This is to ensure that if the water in the cold cistern runs out you'll be frozen rather than scalded, although pretty unlikely with a thermostatic shower mixer.

If you go for a really high flow rate shower you may have to upgrade the size of your cold water storage cistern and hot water cylinder. Some showers run at 30 litres / minute (and more), so won't take long to empty the cistern / cylinder.

 

[Paul205]

Buffer,

Thanks for taking the time and effort for such a comprehensive response. To clarify I already have the Stuart Turner pump fitted complete with large hot water cylinder and tank which is used for the upstairs bathroom. I basically have the two options available to provide water to the shower.

I have a Hansgrohe I box valve in the upstairs bathroom and I think its the dogs nuts. I'm just thinking whether or not there are other manufacturers that provide a better alternative.

Cheers




Paul