Showers

Thermostatic Mixers

You won’t enjoy your new shower very much if it scalds you every time someone turns on the kitchen tap. This is where thermostatic control comes in. Thermostatic mixers automatically regulate the balance of hot and cold water flowing through the shower, so no matter who else is using the water supply elsewhere in the house, your temperature remains unaffected. It costs around £80, but is well worth it. Many thermostatic mixers can be used with pumped systems, gravity, standard mains pressure or combination boiler-fed supplies. But check with the supplier that the one you want is compatible with your water system before you buy.

Electric Showers

Where there is an insufficient supply of stored or instant hot water, an electric shower is the solution, and has the advantage of being more flexible in where it is fitted – as it is not dependent on the position of the header tank – as well as being cheap and easier to fit.Water is fed directly from the mains and passed over an electric heater, located in a copper cylinder in the wall unit, producing hot water on demand. The shower’s flow rate depends on its power and the water pressure, but unfortunately cannot be increased with the addition of a pump.

Shower Styles

Shower heads come in all shapes and sizes – from huge ‘rain domes’ and star designs to slim ‘microphone’ sprays – and a selection of finishes, from shiny chrome to brushed nickel, gold-plated, and even powder-coated black.

Shower heads can be either flexible – fitted to a hose with a ‘riser’ rail (sliding bar to change the height) – or fixed, secured to the wall at a set height, or the ceiling; the pipework is generally concealed within the wall on these models, with just the head and controls on view. At the top end of the luxury shower market are models which combine both fixed and flexible heads, both within one showering unit, often with a variety of spray options, from soft and frothy to an invigorating spray. If fitted within an all-in-one shower cabin, it is not unusual for body jets set at different heights, mood lighting and steam settings to be incorporated. For a touch of smart home luxury, digital remote-controlled showers allow you turn the shower on from the comfort of your bed.

Plumbing

It might not be as much fun as pawing over the pictures in shower brochures, but before you choose your shower model, you must check what kind of plumbing system you have, as certain models will only work with high-pressure systems. Vented – or gravity-fed – systems are the standard method of feeding showers in the UK, with water coming from either a hot water cylinder or a combination boiler. Vented systems rely on a header tank or cold water storage tank, usually located in the loft, at least a metre above the shower head — although three to four metres is necessary for a power shower.

Vented showers tend to carry a bit of a bad reputation, as the water pressure can be weak. Thankfully, you can avoid a second-rate showering experience by either installing a pump (this does not really work on combi boilers) or converting to a direct mains supply. Systems fed directly from the mains water supply are known as ‘unvented’, as they use an unvented hot water cylinder strong enough to withstand storing hot water under mains pressure. The pressure of hot and cold supplies can be balanced by a regulating valve either by the cylinder or near where the mains supply enters the property, ensuring constant temperature — and thereby eliminating the need for a thermostatic mixer valve. No header tank is needed for an unvented system, saving space in the loft.

IMAGE GALLERY*: 1 (MAIN IMAGE) Raindance Rainfall Overhead from Hansgrohe, with a concentrated torrent spray to mimic heavy rainfall, £1,713 (0870 770 1972); 2 Aqualisa’s ilux Digital Shower features four programmable presets and a remote control, from £1,000 (01959 560010); 3 Avensys Traditional shower from Grohe, incorporating Grohe StarLight® technology, from £586.64 (0871 200 3414); 4 Crosswater Contour FH617C ceiling-mounted shower head, £475 (0845 873 8840); 5 Ultra Slim shower head with two lights from Original Bathrooms, £2,234 (020 8940 7554); 6 Triton’s Thames Bar Mixer Shower, POA (www.tritonshowers.co.uk); 7 Waterwall by Kos with hydromassage jets, around £1,837 (01444 473355); 8 Chrome Square Fixed Shower Head from Bathroom Heaven, £139 (0845 121 6700); 9 Aston Matthews’ Tradition brass shower mixer £784 (020 7226 7220); 10 Jacuzzi Morphosis Omega this hydromassage steam cabin and shower with structural teak curved seat £18,000 (01782 717175)

*All costings are correct at time of publication (May 2008). Prices are subject to change.