How to choose the right shower

There’s nothing more satisfying than getting into a shower, they’re refreshing, convenient and economically. However, with so many different shower systems now available, when it comes to choosing a shower there are many different factors to consider.  For example, knowing the type of boiler you have and the water pressure is provides, and knowing where you shower needs to be installed, will affect your choices.

This is a quick guide aimed at helping you decide what type of shower would fit your bathroom, plumbing and lifestyle.

Types of Shower

There are 3 main types of shower:

• Electric Showers
• Mixer Showers
• Smart (Digital) Showers

There are more specialised types, and you’ll see lots of different names popping up everywhere, but in terms of finding the best shower for your bathroom, these are the types we’re going to cover in this guide.

Electric Showers
These are wall-mounted units with an internal heating element which heats up the cold water supply on demand. They are separate to your hot water system, so can be used regardless of your plumbing system. There are several benefits to choosing an electric shower; if you have low pressure, an older boiler or many people in your household putting demand on hot water then definitely consider one. A key tip, however, is that electric showers should always have shower installation undertaken by a professional.

Aqualisa Lumi

What’s more, always remember that electric showers rely on existing water pressure – so if you’ve got a gravity-fed water tank, you’ll probably need a shower pump installed too!

Our electric shower pick.  The Aqualisa Lumi Electric Shower

Mixer Shower
As the name suggests, mixer showers mix hot and cold together with ease. The mixture of hot and cold occurs in the shower valve, where temperature is regulated and drops in pressure are compensated for. They tend to be the most common type of shower available and are sold in two parts: the valve and the shower head.

These showers can easily be installed into most types of bathroom or shower enclosure designs, and are compatible with high or low pressure water systems.

There are generally 2 types of mixer showers – a thermostatic mixer and a manual mixer. Unlike a thermostatic mixer, a manual device mixes the different water temperatures together manually.

Thermostatic shower designs, however, incorporate a thermostatic valve to keep water at a constant temperature.

Thermostatic showers are brilliant for families who are worried about a heating element scalding the little ones.

Either type of mixer shower would make a brilliant addition to your home, though you should remember that some thermostatic mixers require an electric pump to increase flow rate.

Our mixer shower pick. The Hansgrohe, Finish Plus Collection in brushed bronze

Hansgrohe Shower in brushed brass

Smart (Digital) Shower
Smart showers bring the most recent technology into the bathroom, using various functions enabling you to personlise your shower experience. For example, you can choose your preferred shower experience right from water pressure, volume and temperature. Unlike a conventional shower, these showers have built-in digital thermostat inside the shower unit.

You can control the water flow and temperature remotely using a separate control unit. This control unit links to the shower via an electric cable or wireless technology and can be located in your shower or anywhere else in the bathroom.

If you want to safeguard your family members – specifically young children – against scalding and thermal shock, then this shower is a perfect choice.

Our smart shower pick. The Vado Sensori SmartTouch 2 Outlet Shower Package

All of our shower picks are available from our show rooms. Why not  book a free  appointment with one of our experienced designers who get get you started with planning your bathroom.