Two Electric Showers

[steamvalve]

I already have an electric shower and notice a heat increase when anyone flushes a toilet or turns on a tap - due to the flow reduction. I am just installing a new en-suite and would like to install another electric shower. I fear that it will not be possible to run two electric showers at the same time due to the low pressure, is there anything I can do? I have a combi boiler - but assume I will have the same problem if I had a mixer shower run from the hot and cold water from the combi. This is because the combi hot water is effectively mains pressure cold water heated up - this would equally cause a pressure drop and heat increase in the existing electric shower. Any ideas anyone?

 

[JohnD]

You probably won't be able to run two electric showers at the same time anyway, as you will overload your electrical supply.

If you have a combi, that would be a good source for a single shower.

But with no stored water I suppose you will have to take turns.

Cylinders are great!

Especially if there are two or more people in the house.

 

[steamvalve]

mmmm. no I think the kW power of the two showers at the same time will be OK - they will both be wired independantly back to the fuse box - having their own breaker. Running a mixer valve off the combi- would probably be a bad idea because of the risk of someone turning on any tap (hot or cold) and the possibility of getting no hot/cold water at all at the shower - running the risk of scalding or freezing your knackers off. I'm not paying for a new boiler and hot water tank - so i'm looking for any bright ideas - has anyone else got two electric showers in their house? How do they perform?

 

[corgiman]

dont hink the sparks is as much of an issue as the fact your water supply seems inadequate for one shower let alone two

 

[gas4you]

You may get away with it if they are both 7 Kw showers on 30amps, but if they are 8 -10 Kw then they could be drawing up to 45 amps each. Your main fuse will be 100 amp maximum so don't use much else (especially your cooker) or you'll be calling out your local electrical company too often

Edit; you may be unlucky and only have a 60 amp main fuse

 

[JohnD]

you can get a pressure-balancing shower that copes with fluctuations e.g. when someone turns a tap on and your Combi flow changes.

I have an Aqualisa that does that.

And there is a pressure=balancing valve I've seen somewhere, looks like it has a diaphagm inside (never used one)

 

[corgiman]

You may get away with it if they are both 7 Kw showers on 30amps, but if they are 8 -10 Kw then they could be drawing up to 45 amps each. Your main fuse will be 100 amp maximum so don't use much else (especially your cooker) or you'll be calling out your local electrical company too often

Edit; you may be unlucky and only have a 60 amp main fuse

Oohh this is a good point never though of that

 

[baxpoti]

Corgiman

You probably won't be able to run two electric showers at the same time anyway, as you will overload your electrical supply.

 

[corgiman]

See my last post Baxi