The Latest Showers
Many people do their best thinking in the shower, but where do you go when you want to think about buying a new shower? Nick Robbins rains down the knowledge here…
Plus, our must-read buyer’s guide
Choosing the right shower is less simple than choosing most other bathroom fixtures and fittings. For starters, unlike baths, sinks and toilets, your choice can be dictated by the water system you have installed, or will be installing.
Types of Showers
We can separate showers into four main types: electric, mixer, digital and power.
l Electric showers take water from the cold water supply (and are connected to the mains cold supply) and warm it by passing the water over heating elements contained within the units. l Mixer showers take water from both your hot and cold supply and combine the two to deliver water at a specified temperature. Mixer showers with thermostatic control do this and limit variation — such as when a toilet is flushed or someone runs the cold tap elsewhere in the house. l Digital showers are the next generation of mixer showers, adding digital control to the table. These allow for precise temperature control, remote operation and pre-stored settings for temperatures so different members of the family can ‘dial in’ their ideal temperature. l Power showers work similarly to mixer showers, but with the addition of a pump to increase the water pressure. This can either be included in the shower unit, or discreetly installed separately.
Choosing the Right Shower
The key to choosing the right shower for your bathroom is diagnosing the water system in your home. In the UK, the most typical set-ups include traditional gravity-fed systems (common in older homes), combi boiler systems or more sophisticated unvented systems. If there’s a cold water tank in your attic and a hot water tank downstairs, you’re on a gravity-fed system. The other two are high-pressure systems: a combi boiler will supply hot and cold water without the need for a water tank elsewhere, while the unvented systems will have a metal-clad hot water storage tank combined with a wall-mounted boiler.
Power showers are typically used in low pressure systems (i.e. a gravity-fed system), but you may need to employ a separate pump to boost the pressure of your water. Remember, the size of the shower head will also affect the pressure — the larger the head, the lower the pressure will be. So if you have a reduced water pressure system, it’s best to avoid larger, deluge-style heads.
Shower Trends
“The last five years has seen the living area as the most connected space and we are expecting this year to be the year the bathroom takes over, thanks to the world of digital,” says Roland Boal, lead industrial designer at Mira Showers.
“Digital showers are fast becoming the shower of the moment, combining new technology with tried and trusted design for a luxurious experience,” concurs Victoria Plum’s Adam Chard. There are also digital options for those with gravity fed water systems — look for models that come with built-in pumps. There are even digital showers that can be integrated with Amazon’s Alexa currently on the market.
For buyers on a budget, exposed shower systems are often cheaper as they have lower installation costs: “A good way to reduce costs is to install a shower system which offers all the benefits of a fixed head and hand shower, but is secured to the wall instead of behind it. Costs and installation is reduced with a valve secured to the wall; however, you still get the great benefits of a powerful shower,” says Michael Gray of Grohe UK. H