Can electric and mixer showers be combined

[Dangerfieldm]

This may be a strange question.

Is it acceptable to have an electric shower in the same shower cubicle as an overhead fixed mixer shower or is this not allowed?

 

[Taylortwocities]

Probably more of a plumbing question.

By"mixer" shower. Do you mean the type that are connected to the hot and cold water feeds to (typically) a bath?
Usually those are fed from the (gravity) hot and cold water tanks. There may be a boost pump involved.

Most "electric" showers of the instant heat variety are fed from the cold water rising main, that is where their pressure comes from.

So, thats the water bit.

Electrically there's no theorectical or safety problem, providing the regs are adhered to,

 

[JohnW2]

Probably more of a plumbing question. Electrically there's no theorectical or safety problem, providing the regs are adhered to,

I have to say that I would not be all that comfortable about the electrical side of things. Whatever the IP rating of the electrical shower may be stated to be (and having seen inside many of them), I'm not sure I would be totally comfortable with a continuous high pressure divergent spray of water coming down from near ceiling onto the electrical shower unit. That would be far more 'testing' of the IP rating than the occasional brief sprays that are usually encountered from the electrical shower itself.

Kind Regards, John.

 

[Taylortwocities]

True, John. I'm waiting to hear more about what the OP has in mind.
Maybe a mixer on the taps at one end and a power shower at the other?

Maye the mixer is at the bottom for washing feet etc and the power shower is for the rest of one?

My breath is bated.

 

[JohnW2]

True, John. I'm waiting to hear more about what the OP has in mind. Maybe a mixer on the taps at one end and a power shower at the other? Maye the mixer is at the bottom for washing feet etc and the power shower is for the rest of one?

If you were right, my concerns would be much less. However, my concerns do exist because the OP said:

an overhead fixed mixer shower

... which makes me think of the electrical shower unit being positioned within a rain forest!

Kind Regards, John.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Maye the mixer is at the bottom for washing feet etc

Or maybe it's at the foot for washing... oh, maybe not go there....

 

[ban-all-sheds]

This may be a strange question.

Is it acceptable to have an electric shower in the same shower cubicle as an overhead fixed mixer shower or is this not allowed?

That's something I'm planning to do - having found (after the failure of the electric one) that my combi does a shower just fine, the plan is to put a proper thermostatic mixer in to replace the "temporary" ( ) extended hose currently running from the bath mixer taps.

We do want to replace the electric one though, as we have no stored hot water, so if the boiler ever packs up an electric shower would be the only way to get a warm wash.

I share JohnW2's concerns, so if I can't come up with an acceptable (performance and appearance) way to protect the electric shower then I won't have an overhead outlet, just a demountable head on a riser rail the same as the electric uses - in fact the switch from mixer to electric would be done by moving the hose from mixer outlet to the electric shower outlet.

PLAN B

Which has just occurred to me as I was typing this.

Don't have an electric shower in the cubicle.

You have a cold supply and a hot supply and a mixer.

Have an instant water heater installed remote from the shower cubicle, with a diverter valve in the pipework, so that you supply the mixer with hot water either from the normal supply or from the electric heater (assuming that this whole thing is about having the electric as an emergency alternative).

I like this idea.

 

[JohnW2]

PLAN B Which has just occurred to me as I was typing this. Don't have an electric shower in the cubicle. You have a cold supply and a hot supply and a mixer.
Have an instant water heater installed remote from the shower cubicle, with a diverter valve in the pipework, so that you supply the mixer with hot water either from the normal supply or from the electric heater (assuming that this whole thing is about having the electric as an emergency alternative). I like this idea.

Yes, I was thinking of making a suggestion along very similar lines - effectively a way of locating an 'electric shower' outside of the cubicle, and hence safely away from the deluge coming from the ceiling!

Kind Regards, John.

 

[Dangerfieldm]

Probably more of a plumbing question. Electrically there's no theorectical or safety problem, providing the regs are adhered to,

I have to say that I would not be all that comfortable about the electrical side of things. Whatever the IP rating of the electrical shower may be stated to be (and having seen inside many of them), I'm not sure I would be totally comfortable with a continuous high pressure divergent spray of water coming down from near ceiling onto the electrical shower unit. That would be far more 'testing' of the IP rating than the occasional brief sprays that are usually encountered from the electrical shower itself.

Kind Regards, John.

All - Thank you for your quick responses. Pretty much what I thought and hence why I could not find any references on the internet. Reason for proposal had been to avoid running out of hot water from the cylinder if in heavy demand - e.g. bath and multiple showers and hence have the electric shower as a back up, but in the same cubicle.

Not yet spoken to electrician who will be doing the bathroom, but no point in asking him to quote for electric shower if all we can have is the rain head on conventional shower. Clearly to do what we were thinking may be possible would require a shower with a much higher IP rating than normal.

Cheers

 

[JohnW2]

All - Thank you for your quick responses. Pretty much what I thought and hence why I could not find any references on the internet. Reason for proposal had been to avoid running out of hot water from the cylinder if in heavy demand - e.g. bath and multiple showers and hence have the electric shower as a back up, but in the same cubicle. Not yet spoken to electrician who will be doing the bathroom, but no point in asking him to quote for electric shower if all we can have is the rain head on conventional shower.

I don't think you should abandon that 'back up' idea too rapidly. As BAS has said, a workable method would be to have an electrical 'instant water heater' (effectively a fixed-temperature 'electrical shower unit') installed outside of the shower, which could be switched into use if the hot water cylinder got depleted. Your electrician and plumber should be able to advise.

Clearly to do what we were thinking may be possible would require a shower with a much higher IP rating than normal.

The IP ratings of some standard electrical showers might seem to suggest that they ought to be OK with what you proposed - but, as I said, I personally would be hesitant to trust that!

Kind Regards, John.

 

[Dangerfieldm]

Cheer John.

I will have a chat with the electrician to see his views on having electric shower in same cubicle as rain head shower or whether the way forward is a seperate heater - may just need to utilise immersion heater that we have.

but... I know what the home owning regulatory authorities will say to an additional box producing hot water outside the shower.

Malcolm

 

[Taylortwocities]

but... I know what the home owning regulatory authorities will say to an additional box producing hot water outside the shower.

Malcolm

Is it a rented house then? Or is it decisions from SWMBO?

You could opt for one of THESE but you are going to need a pretty meaty power supply for it.

 

[Spark123]

I'm not sure an electric 10.8kw heater will supply enough hot water to a rain head, how much water per minute does a rain head use? If I have done my maths right for a 10.8kw heater you are only looking at just over 5L/min for a 30°C rise in water temp.

 

[JohnW2]

I'm not sure an electric 10.8kw heater will supply enough hot water to a rain head, how much water per minute does a rain head use? If I have done my maths right for a 10.8kw heater you are only looking at just over 5L/min for a 30°C rise in water temp.

Do you mean "enough hot water to provide the performance one would like"? I presume that, as with any electric-powered shower arrangement, a rain head would 'work' with whatever rate of hot water supply was available to it - but, as you might be implying, that might result in 'disappointing performance.

Kindest Regards, John.

 

[Spark123]

Yep, I'm thinking you'd only get a dribble out of the middle of it?? No where near the same as you'd get from a properly installed hot water system.