Bathroom - showers

1. First things first. Is your water pressure high enough for you to successfully run one of these luxury showers? Certain models will only work with high-pressure systems, so check with the manufacturer.

2. Before buying a shower, check what kind of system you have. Traditionally in Britain, water has been supplied via a storage system, whereas elsewhere it is supplied directly from the mains and so is under mains pressure. With this system, known as a gravity fed system, the hot water feed comes from either a hot water cylinder or a combination boiler. For a shower to work, the cold water tank should be positioned at least one metre above the shower head, although three to four metres is necessary for a really good shower. If the distance is any less than this, then water pressure and flow will be distinctly underwhelming.

3. Thankfully, many of us are now able to wave goodbye to feeble showers either by installing a pump or converting to a direct mains supply. If you are hoping to fit a pump to your shower but have a combination boiler and no hot water cylinder, then you are likely to be disappointed, as this will not work. Power showers generally use more hot water than a combination boiler alone can produce.

4. The term power shower is used quite loosely these days and few people actually really understand the term. A power shower is in fact exactly the same as a gravity-fed shower but has an electric pump concealed within, which gives the pressure going to the shower head a big boost and results in a more invigorating spray.

5. Although relatively unpopular these days, electric showers still  have their part to play. They can be fitted wherever you like in the house no matter where your header tank is. Plus, they are cheap and easier to install. They are fed by high-pressure mains water through a pipe from a copper cylinder located in the wall unit. When turned on, the electric heater, located in the cylinder, is activated to heat the water, the temperature of which is regulated by controls on the front. The main downside of these showers is that they generally lack power and no pump can be fitted to rectify the problem.

6. Temperature control is key to your enjoyment of your new shower one that consistently switches between scalding hot and freezing cold will certainly not do. Thermostatic shower mixers regulate the temperature of the water, so that if another tap is used elsewhere in the house, the thermostatic mixer adjusts the water flow so that the temperature remains constant. They are a little more expensive than other mixers but well worth it.

7. Once you have determined the type of shower that will be  compatible with your plumbing system, the fun bit begins choosing the model of shower. Shower heads come in all sizes, shapes and finishes: from enormous rose heads designed to give the showerer a thorough drenching, to smaller heads offering a selection of spray options. Shower heads can be either fixed or flexible. Fixed heads are either secured to the wall at a set height or, as is often the case with many contemporary designs, fixed to the ceiling above in some way some rain showers are designed to be set into the ceiling for a seamless effect. The pipework is generally concealed within the wall with this style of shower, with just the head and controls on view.

8. Flexible showers are fitted to a flexible hose and come with a  riser rail: a sliding bar on which the most convenient height for the shower head can be selected by the user. Flexible shower heads often have a variety of sprays to choose from, ranging from frothy champagne sprays to invigorating jet sprays. They are the best choice for family bathrooms.

9. At the very top end of the luxury shower market are models which combine both fixed and flexible heads, featuring both within one showering unit, often complete with your choice of enclosure. It is not unusual for these showers to also be available with a selection of rain bars — poles located at the side of the shower emitting powerful sprays of water — mood lighting and sound systems some even double up as steam cabins.

10. Although showering is often thought of as a means of saving water when compared to bathing, bear in mind that a power shower uses much more water than a conventional model. In households where power showers are used several times a day, the water used could well exceed several bathfuls.

Source: Homebuilding&renovation

Bathroom Plumbing