Shower flow rating

[Nimrod103]

I am looking for a new shower, but I am having some trouble choosing the right one.
I have a low pressure system, and I am not sure whether to install a pump. I have survived without a pump for several years, and would like to avoid the expense and complexity if I can.
The low pressure showers in the B&Q catalogue are rated according to flow rate in litres/minute, and vary from 1 to 5.1. I would have thought that the higher flow rating was infinitely better than low, but as there is no explanation in the catalogue, I fear I am missing something. Any views?

[PrincessB]

<i>I would have thought that the higher flow rating was infinitely better than low, but as there is no explanation in the catalogue, I fear I am missing something. Any views?</i>

Hi there.

I'm assuming you've got a hot water tank and are not looking at electric showers or providing the hot water from a combination boiler.

If so, it's worth establishing how long the water in the tank will last, how drenchy a shower you fancy and the number of times the unit will be used each day.

I got a bit carried away when I ordered the shower for the extension and bought a wide headed unit and a three bar pump which is rated at 15 litres of water flow per minute. The downside is that I've not replaced the small 50 litre hot water tank yet. My daughter (a lover of long showers) discovered this the hard way by using an entire tank full of hot during a prolonged sploshing session.

On the plus side, the whole showering experience is now a wonderful experience. Rather than the misery of being crammed into a tiny chilly tiled rectangle attempting to keep warm under a feeble spray while attempting to rinse the soap off for ages, the new shower is fantastic.

What I would recommend is:

A wide shower head - My unit is from Hansgrohe at the premium end with a 30cm oblong head with three modes - jet, rainfall and waterfall (which is great for rinsing hair) it also has a three mode handset which is great for up and under though I think massage mode is a bit weak.

A quiet pump - Finding out how much noise a shower pump makes can be problematic as the manufacturers don't really give much away. Our pump is a Stuart Turner model and it's pretty quiet, over at the sisters they have a pump that sounds like a jet engine.

As large a cubical as you can manage - Due to space constraints we fitted an 85cm wide shower bath rather than having a bathroom and shower room. You don't indicate how much work you're planning but generally the larger the better is the way to go - It's worth popping down to the local bathroom showroom and exploring the difference between the different sizes of enclosure.

Lots of heat in the room - This is a key factor. In a small enclosure you'll be tucked behind a curtain while scrubbing away with the water jetting quietly and warming the inner area. In a larger space with a more robust water flow I've found that getting soaked through takes seconds. I'll then get all foamy with the shower gel and shampoo with the water off and then do a thorough rinse. This is extremely unpleasant if the room is chilly so we've got a 1kw electric (bathroom certified) wall heater which works a treat. It gets the room warm enough to enjoy the pleasures of air drying after shower with the addition of a good book on the Kindle and a glass or two of Prosecco.

Regards,

B.

[Nimrod103]

Thanks for your reply. The shower is for a small but frequently used en suite, where I only have room for a small shower cubicle. I don't think we will be going down the power shower route for the reason you mention - emptying the hot tank too quickly.
My thoughts were really about how one manufacturer can design a shower head which says it can deliver 15 litres/minute, and be on sale alongside another which says it can deliver only 1 litre/minute.

[jfgw]

One litre per minute? I pee quicker than that! Take a one litre jug and run a tap so that it fills the jug in one minute. That dribble is one litre per minute. Are you sure it isn't a typo?

Julian F. G. W.

[Loir]

I have a hot water cylinder which provides a very slow shower on its own. The head (the top of the water level to the shower) is just over 2 metres. So I have a power shower with an integral pump, a Triton AS2000XT. Neat and easy to install as no external to find room for.

Loir

[ten0rman]

I can't talk about flow rating, but I can explain that I have fitted two gravity fed Mira (usual disclaimer) Manual showers in two separate houses and been totally satisfied and had no problems whatsoever. Head of water from the top of the cold water tank to an average position on the slider rail is about 5ft/1.5metres. No pumps used, non thermostatic, just a basic mixer valve with a knob for water flow, and a concentric knob for temperature control. As someone who has used camping & caravanning sites for a long, long time, we have often commented on how much better our home unit is than the majority of the sites we use.

In terms of plumbing, it is essential to ensure that both cold feed and hot feed originate from the same point, ie the cold water tank in the loft, assuming you have one, for balance purposes. In this instance, the temperature control is normally about half way between the two extremes. A full tank of hot water gave something like half an hour from memory of our youngest who used to monopolise it.

HTH,

Regards,

ten0rman

[UncleEbenezer]

Can't help with the question itself, but one important point is missing so far from this discussion.

Think about the classic British shower, coming from classic Heath-Robinson British plumbing. Hot water from a tank, driven by gravity. Cold water from the mains, at much higher pressure. You can get pure hot or pure cold water, but nothing in between. As soon as any cold is allowed to flow, the higher pressure eliminates the hot.

Not a problem with a combi-boiler. Not a problem with an electric shower. But if your hot water comes from a tank, you'll want either a matching cold tank(!) or a pump to allow hot&cold to mix for a comfortable shower.

[jfgw]

With a vented hot water system, it is usual to take the cold from the same tank that feeds the hot water cylinder. The cold outlet should be lower than the outlet for the cylinder so that, if the water runs low, the hot will stop running first.

Julian F. G. W.

[csearle]

With a vented hot water system, it is usual to take the cold from the same tank that feeds the hot water cylinder.

Yes this is exactly what my plumber mate did with mine. The water pressure of hot and cold is the same because they share the same head of water. Helps the mixer to work.

Chris