Which Shower For Bathroom Renovation

[Shominy]

Hi all,

I am sure this is a much asked question so apologies if this is tiresome but I am really looking for some clarification on what is the best thing to do. I'll furnish you with as many details as possible.

We've just moved into a new 3 bed semi, 1 bathroom detached house. There will be two occupants. The boiler is a new Vaillant EcoTec Plus combi (unsure of the Kw size). The only thing that uses the gas is the heating of water and the central heating as the cooker is all electric including the hob.

The old bathroom has been ripped out as we wanted it replacing. The shower was an old Triton electric 8.5Kw job. That has been ripped out now and we were all but set on replacing it was a thermostatic mixer of some variety that ran off the boiler.

The guy that is doing the fitting of the bathroom came round last night and answered any questions we had. When we said that we wanted a mixer shower he said that it wouldn't be the best option and that he would much rather put in an electric shower as it would give better performance. He also went into the loft and said he'd put in some kind of header tank and we could buy a pump assisted shower (though he said not to buy a power shower).

From the reading I have done online everyone seems to be saying that a mixer shower running off the boiler is the best thing to get and that electric showers, even the 10Kw+ models will not give as good performance. I do not know what the water pressure or flow is like in our house but with there only ever being the two of us and only ever one person using the bathroom at any one time I'd have thought that a mixer would be best. Am I wrong?

 

[just pumps]

Mira Jump 10.8, even if the boiler fails you still have a hot shower!

 

[Shominy]

Mira Jump 10.8, even if the boiler fails you still have a hot shower!

Is an electric shower better than a mixer shower if you have a combi boiler, though, if you discount the boiler possibly breaking?

 

[just pumps]

Research how many litres of hot water your boiler can produce and in what time, then use that against how many litres of water your high performance shower will consume in your showering time then multiply that by 2 just incase you both need a shower in quick succession.

It`s a Vaillant combi of course it will break down.

 

[Gasguru]

I think your bathroom fitter hasn't a clue.

Even the base model Ecotec will be around 24Kw and would give a vastly superior shower to anything electrically heated.

However, the Ecotec has been a poor boiler and will break down so you might want to consider keeping an electric shower.

If I was ever unfortunate enough to have a Combi I would have the option of both combi fed shower and electric (for breakdowns).

 

[Shominy]

I think your bathroom fitter hasn't a clue.

Even the base model Ecotec will be around 24Kw and would give a vastly superior shower to anything electrically heated.

However, the Ecotec has been a poor boiler and will break down so you might want to consider keeping an electric shower.

If I was ever unfortunate enough to have a Combi I would have the option of both combi fed shower and electric (for breakdowns).

Thanks for that. I think what I'll do is get a thermostatic mixer shower which doesn't need a colossal flow in order to get a decent shower. Ideally I'd like another shower room with an electric as back up but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

 

[PullerGas]

Thermostatic mixer showers are 100 times better than electric showers.
'Oh, what happens if your boiler goes on the blink'........FFS!!....Is it the end of the world if you need to wash yourself, just like the old day!!

 

[Dan Robinson]

The longest SWMBO has ever been without hot water due to non mains water supply problems has been 9 minutes out of the 15 years we've lived together.

You'd have thought it was the end of the world