How to buy an electric shower Electric showers: the basics
Wall-mounted electric showers directly heat cold mains water
If you're thinking of buying an electric shower, the first thing to consider is your expectations – electric showers shouldn’t be confused with power showers. Many people associate a forceful invigorating water jet with power, and are then disappointed by the reality of the average electric shower.
What is an electric shower?
An electric shower is essentially a water heater. It relies on heating mains-pressure cold water very fast as it flows towards the shower head. There is no pump involved, so the amount of water you get through will depend on your mains water pressure.
Electric showers are economical as you heat only the water you need, and they're the only type of shower that's independent of the hot water system, so if your boiler fails you can still have a hot shower.
Pumped 'power' showers
The other type of electric shower is a pumped ‘power’ shower. These connect to both your hot and cold water supplies and are essentially mixer showers, but use an electrical pump to increase the pressure coming out of the shower head, and therefore use much less electricity than an electrically heated shower (they’re not covered in this guide).
Where to buy
You can buy electric showers from a wide range of shops including DIY stores, catalogue stores, and plumbing and building merchants. Prices start at about £50 and go up to more than £300 for showers with designer styling or personalised functions.
Some shower brands or models are exclusive to one retailer, but it may be worth shopping around for the cheapest price with well-known names such as Triton or Mira – online DIY or plumbing suppliers can be cheaper.
Plumbing and electricity
An electric shower requires plumbing only to a mains cold water supply, and connection to the electrical supply. The high power (between about 8.5kW and 10.8kW) electrical element will require connection to a separate fused electrical supply circuit, which generally requires an electrician.
