Showers

In selecting a shower, you will need to know a certain amount about the water supply in your home. The diagrams in the basin tap and mixer section should help you if you are not sure. There are three types of shower:

1) Mixer Showers

There are four main types of shower mixer valve: Thermostatic, Manual, Pressure Balancing and Venturi mixers.

Thermostatic Shower Mixers

Thermostatic Shower Mixers are the most popular showers on the market as the built in thermostat controls the water temperature. This means that the water temperature is unaffected by other factors which may affect water supply to the shower such as a washing machine or someone flushing a toilet. Most thermostatic shower valves will have a maximum temperature stop at around 41 degrees, to prevent accidental scalding. In most cases these can be over ridden but they are designed to ensure that a temperature override does not happen accidentally.

The most popular models are generally ‘dual control’, which means that there is one control for the temperature and one for the water flow. The alternative to this is a ‘single sequential’. Here the single control knob or lever is turned to open the flow, and then by turning it further, the temperature is controlled.

An advantage of dual control shower mixers is that the temperature can be left set at the desired temperature, eliminating the need to set the temperature each time the shower is used.

There are two main types of dual control shower valves: Concentric, where the flow control knob is inside the temperature control; the other style is where the two controls are totally separate. There is no difference in functionality between these styles.

As well as coming in different styles, not all thermostatic shower valves are suitable for all types of water supply. Please check the suitability at the time of ordering. Both of these styles are available in exposed or concealed versions. Discuss with your installer whether a concealed or exposed shower is more suitable for you. Concealed shower valves normally require around 100mm depth of wall.

Manual Shower Mixers

A manual shower mixer may have one or two control knobs or levers. They offer no automatic temperature control of the water, so there is a risk that the water temperature could suddenly change due to an external factor such as someone flushing a toilet.

Many older manual mixer showers can have a very similar appearance to some concentric controlled thermostatic mixers. In these instances it is often quite easy to upgrade from a manual shower to gain the benefits of a thermostatic shower.

The most popular type of manual shower, not bought for replacement purposes are single lever mixers as they are often stylish and attractive. If you wish to select this type of valve, you can use devices such as pressure equalising valves, which will offer a level of protection against sudden temperature fluctuations.

Pressure Balancing Shower Valves Rather than using a thermostat to control the temperature, a pressure-balancing valve (PBV) balances the pressures of the hot and cold supplies. This provides a very similar level of control to a thermostatic valve. PBVs are mainly used in conjunction with combi boilers or multi-point water heaters which are not fully modulating.

Venturi Shower Mixers Venturi Shower Mixers are fed by mains pressure cold water and low-pressure hot water and provides a performance shower by using the Venturi principle. The most popular example of this is the Trevi Boost.

Shower kits It is normal to have the shower kit (handset, slide rail etc) from the same brand as the shower valve (or vice versa, depending on which item you select first). The first thing you need to consider is whether you want a slide rail kit or a fixed head kit. It is not unreasonable to want to have both and we offer a package from Grohe, which enables you to easily do this.

The next thing to consider is what sort of spray pattern(s) you would like. Most of our showrooms offer you the option to try out different spray patterns. Please note that some patterns will require higher pressures than others in order to operate satisfactorily. For example the aerated ‘Champagne’ function generally require 3 bar pressure.

The images below show the four main types of spray pattern. Please be aware that some manufacturers use different terminology.

Normal Spray	Needle Jet	Pulsator	Champagne

Our brochures and displays generally indicate the minimum pressures required, however if you are in any doubt, please ask a member of staff for advice.

	2) Integral Power Shower Integral power showers have their own built in pump and takes water from your gravity hot water cylinder and cold water tank. These are often the easiest and lowest cost way of providing a power shower when the house has a low pressure water supply. Most models have the pump inside the control box, so you may notice a small amount of noise.
	3) Electric Showers Electric showers take water from the mains and heat it instantaneously. Electric showers come in various different outputs. The higher the power level, the better the performance. Higher power electric showers will require larger power cables than lower power models. Where there is no easily usable source of hot water, electric showers are often the easiest shower to install. With electric showers, it is important to consider whether your existing electrical installation needs to be upgraded. Your electrician will be able to advise accordingly.