hi , my mum has just moved into a new build house that comes fitted with a electric shower over the bath, when she used it for the first time it is very weak . she has called out a plumber to have a look and he said thats what they are like . i haven't personally used the shower so can't say what my mums "weak" means . the plumber came out, turned it to cold, turn the shower on and it was flowing out fast . he says that is correct as there is pressure there. then he turns it to hot and the water is weak , he says as there is a element in there that heats the water .the water is going to have to go thru slower to warm it. now i don't know a lot about plumbing but is this a load of nonsense ? please advise . there is n0 manuals so can't tell what type of electric shower it is.
weak electric shower
- Thread starter newbie14
- Start date
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It really depend on the kilowatt rating of any electric as to how well it'll perform. Also, the incoming mains water is colder in the Winter - so that'll reduce the performance further.
On the other hand the shower could be faulty, perhaps it would be wise to establish the KW rating of the shower by finding out the make & model number.
HTH
PS. I hope your Mum is very happy in her new home.
On the other hand the shower could be faulty, perhaps it would be wise to establish the KW rating of the shower by finding out the make & model number.
HTH
PS. I hope your Mum is very happy in her new home.
Not an expert, but I think what he is saying is correct. They are weak by nature. We installed the most powerful one you can run off standard mains, and it's mediocre at best. Works better in summer than winter (because then the incoming water is not so cold)
The water pressure is good from the sound of it. I guess if you live in hard water area and it is old, then perhaps it is furred-up? If it is possible to easily disconnect it, then you might be able to flush it through with something to descale it. But it takes a bit of know-how - that is high power electrics in a wet environment so be careful if you try it.
Can't beat a pumped power-shower off the hot water tank!
The water pressure is good from the sound of it. I guess if you live in hard water area and it is old, then perhaps it is furred-up? If it is possible to easily disconnect it, then you might be able to flush it through with something to descale it. But it takes a bit of know-how - that is high power electrics in a wet environment so be careful if you try it.
Can't beat a pumped power-shower off the hot water tank!
Electric showers are normally rubbish, and I suspect that the builder has fitted a low powered one to keep costs down. You can confirm this by seeing if the wattage is specified somewhere on the case. As said, the shower will be worse in winter as the water needs to travel through the shower slower as it is colder.
You could fit a more powerful one (though you will poss need to upgrade the cable between shower and consumer unit), but they aren't exactly Niagara either. What hw system has she got? You could bin the shower and run one off of a combi or hw cylinder. Would normally be a lot better than electric.
You could fit a more powerful one (though you will poss need to upgrade the cable between shower and consumer unit), but they aren't exactly Niagara either. What hw system has she got? You could bin the shower and run one off of a combi or hw cylinder. Would normally be a lot better than electric.
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As the house is new build I would anticipate the cable is already 10mm2 because hardly any showers exist for 6mm2 these days. But I would agree that the unit is most likely bottom of the range. Being new it is also unlikely to have scaled up and is performing at it's best!
Subject to a check on the cable route and MCB used, she may be able to swap it for a higher Kw version. However all the negative comments about electric showers posted here are essentially true!
Using hot water from the hot water system is almost always a lot better and even a poor head of water can be overcome by use of a shower pump. So if your mums preferred choice of bathing is a shower, treat her by getting rid of the electric one. The difference is usually extreme!
Subject to a check on the cable route and MCB used, she may be able to swap it for a higher Kw version. However all the negative comments about electric showers posted here are essentially true!
Using hot water from the hot water system is almost always a lot better and even a poor head of water can be overcome by use of a shower pump. So if your mums preferred choice of bathing is a shower, treat her by getting rid of the electric one. The difference is usually extreme!
L
longdogs
Another option is a digital shower where the supply pipe is run on the surface of the wall and also doubles as the riser rail. Hot and cold mixing is achieved by a control box sited in the loft. This is normally a good way of replacing an electric shower as there is less making good to do and you don't have to run a hot supply pipe. The down side is that they are more expensive to buy.
I just happen to fit one for a friend, an 8.5Kw, using 10mm cable that spans 15meters from the consumer unit to the bathroom, fitted a 45amp RCD and a 40A MCB, the voltage drop of only 3volts at most on full poweralong that 15m run, still it only reached 34degrees celcius, which felt a little coldish when I ran my hands under the stream, but taking a shower might feel warmer as your body may be more sensitive than hands, the flow isn't that brilliant, but I guess it would be acceptable for what it is, if your water is metered, then it makes more sense to use less water at a reduced flow, sure no body wants huge energy bills, nor a higher water charges.
One could live with it just about, it may not be so well in extreme winters, but there you go strike a balance, a gas boiler uses typically 24Kw to heat water at almost thrice the flow, and an electric one using 8.5kw is not going to match that unless you want to blow out your meter! a compromise is needed.
It has two elements, and it is possible if one element goes wrong, then the hot water temperature will be even colder and flow reduced further to componsate for higher temperature at lower flow rate.
One could live with it just about, it may not be so well in extreme winters, but there you go strike a balance, a gas boiler uses typically 24Kw to heat water at almost thrice the flow, and an electric one using 8.5kw is not going to match that unless you want to blow out your meter! a compromise is needed.
It has two elements, and it is possible if one element goes wrong, then the hot water temperature will be even colder and flow reduced further to componsate for higher temperature at lower flow rate.
C
chantelle
Mate,you don`t have a clue.. it doesn`t
Education is what is needed son,you are talking through your Aristotle.
Obviously your time of the month.
Can't believe I saying this; but what did Mike get wrong? In your extensive experience as a slum landlady of course?
24÷8.5=2.8
9.8÷3.4=2.8
So... for all intents and purposes Mike was right.
Certainly more so than he normally is anyway.
Can't believe I saying this; but what did Mike get wrong? In your extensive experience as a slum landlady of course?
24÷8.5=2.8
9.8÷3.4=2.8
So... for all intents and purposes Mike was right.
Certainly more so than he normally is anyway.
I have checked it and it's 8.5kw triton , my mum says she wasting more water as it's so weak she spending more time in there. Do u think if she gets bath mixer taps fitted it would be a lot better?she has a combi boiler .
Essentially correct. Cold water comes in from the mains, and the electric shower is essentially a kettle where the water is coming in, being heated, and going out. The temperature is varied by changing the flow rate through the kettle - the longer it stays, the lower the flow rate - the hotter it will be. The quicker it passes through, the higher the flow rate - the colder it will be.
As someone said - in winter, the incoming mains water will be colder, and it will need to spend longer in the kettle, hence will have a lower flow rate. In summer, it won't need to be heated so much, and a higher flow rate will give the same output temperature.
incidentally I took a thermometer with me to shower, mine is a combi gas boiler and so I adjusted the hot and cold water mix until I was getting a flow at a temperature of 32C, tbh it did not feel that cold and was quite comfortable, howver, the flow rate obviously makes up for the lower temperature, because a larger shower pattern covers most of your body whereas an electric one is probably just a smaller area covering due to pressure or flow being restricted by its thermostate control to maintain 32C.
The one I installed was a Triton Temptation with touch control, rated at 8.5Kw and the owner who bought it wants to upgarde it to a more powerfull one, so i told him that according to this forum, it is not going to make an awefull lot of difference so it ishis choice, if he wants to gamble his money, they won't be taking this one back now as it is already used.
The one I installed was a Triton Temptation with touch control, rated at 8.5Kw and the owner who bought it wants to upgarde it to a more powerfull one, so i told him that according to this forum, it is not going to make an awefull lot of difference so it ishis choice, if he wants to gamble his money, they won't be taking this one back now as it is already used.
C
chantelle
Dan_Robinson";p="3010702 said:Obviously your time of the month.
Can't believe I saying this; but what did Mike get wrong? In your extensive experience as a slum landlady of course?
Wrong, difference between a combi shower and an electric shower is huge,figure it out.If you have to stoop to insults then you are only embarrassing yourself.
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