Apparently our best ideas come to us when we’re in the shower, making the process of choosing the right one all the more important! How it looks matters too, so what’s new in showers, what are the alternatives and what are the watchpoints when you put in a new one.
Showers come in a huge range of types, sizes and colours, with the latest gadgets allowing you to limit the amount of time your teenagers spend under the water. With customers demanding more in terms of energy efficiency and cost effectiveness, innovation within the sector has never been higher. The introduction of rainfall type showers has had a big impact on the market as these give superior showering using less water. Digital showering, where the valve can be situated remotely from the bathroom thus taking the bulk out of the showering space, is also proving popular. New on the scene is an App that allows you to pre-heat the shower (or indeed the bath), so it’s ready for use when you want it. Both can be programmed with your desired temperature. Showers have also joined the digital age withtemperature control, leaving the dial purely for volume, and they can also show how much water you’ve used, a helpful feature if you’re in a metered area. You can even get lights in the shower head that change colour with the temperature, and one company are marketing a travel head which you can take with you to fit into the hotel one!
Currently one of the most popular is the drench head shower concealed in the ceiling, with a separate handset and fed by a combi or pressurised system in place of gravity-fed. This means that the pump does the whole house as well as the shower. A fixed head is also popular and provides a number of spray modes including massage, champagne and rainfall. This last is an effective, low water consumption style as the droplets stick and soak and don’t bounce off. It also helps to keep the shower enclosure cleaner because of less water spray, to the extent that one customer accused her son of not showering because the glass looked too clean!
Over the last five to ten years low level shower trays have become the norm with some trays enabling level access as they’re designed to be fitted direct to the floor joist and tiled up to the edge of the tray. The glass for shower enclosures has also changed, becoming thicker and presenting a luxury look and feel. These trends are not only a drive for minimalism, but also for inclusivity; eliminating steps up into the showering area and simple operating mechanisms such as ergonomic handles make showering a simpler process.
There are four main shower types: electric showers, mixer valves, power showers and pumped showers.
Electric showers
We all love the convenience of the instantaneous hot douche from an electric shower and that’s why it’s probably the most popular one if your priority is instant hot water. There are two options: mains fed, or gravity fed from the cold water storage tank in the roof space. The pump in a gravity fed shower, (which generates the water pressure), makes this shower slightly more expensive than a mains fed. Despite the cost, it’s still an ideal shower for areas where mains water pressure is low, additionally, if another person uses a water tap elsewhere in the house the supply to the shower remains constant. With the advent of mains gas in many urban and suburban areas, there is a strong move away from electric showers to ones working off a combi boiler; mains gas or oil are considerably cheaper than electricity to heat water.
Mixer valves
Mixer valves are either thermostatic or manual. Their role is to blend cold water with hot that has been heated from another source such as an oil or gas boiler or electric immersion. Using an independent supply of both hot and cold water, the water is blended in the valve to the desired temperature and exits through either a fixed or adjustable shower head. A thermostatic shower automatically adjusts in the event of another water source being turned on in the vicinity. A consideration is that these units tend to be more expensive due to the extra parts needed.
Power showers
These are available in both manual and thermostatic options, but not electric; the components are housed in a box on the wall. They also mix hot and cold water like the mixer valve but with the addition of a built-in pump to increase the pressure of water going through the unit. As a rough rule of thumb this type of shower can supply 15 to 18 litres of water per minute, compared to an electric shower which gives approximately five litres of hot water per minute.
Wet rooms
A ‘true’ wet room has no enclosure round the shower and you have probably used one if you have been in a hot country. Think carefully though if you’re planning to re-create the experience back home in Ireland because they rely upon a much drier climate to ensure the effective removal of the moisture. It’s also difficult to keep anything else in the same room from getting wet. In the UK and Ireland, a wet room is more accurately one with a partial screen, a look more people are choosing. Aside from their aesthetic benefits, some of the more practical advantages include easier to clean surfaces and reduced risk of water spillages. You will though still have to allow for the damp atmosphere, making storage of anything in the same space problematical. Wood and chrome plated fittings are especially vulnerable. Bathroom storage in general is a major issue as in the enthusiasm for more bathrooms, we forget about allowing for the things we need in them.
Pumped showers
This describes a shower where the pump is at some distance from the actual water delivering shower head. It could be located in the roof space or an outhouse, but generally they are sited in the hot press beside the cylinder. If it is a shower with body jets or a rain/drench type shower head, remember to tell your plumber as a larger pump may be required to give the pressure needed .The capacity of the hot water cylinder should also be sized correctly to allow for the volume of hot water being used.
In areas where there is no mains gas and low water pressure, a pumped electric shower with cold supply only is a good option as they’re simple to install.
Choice
Electric showers are 98 per cent efficient in terms of hot water usage because they only heat the water that’s needed, but advocates of mixer showers argue that the cost of heating that water is high.
The best answer is to choose one that gives you the best showering experience with the lowest flow rate for what you want to do. This last may seem an odd thing to say, but showers mean different things to different people; some will just need to get shampoo out of their hair or maybe it’s to relax after a gym session. Dog washing is a big use! Something you may not have thought of is that your skin becomes more sensitive as you age so older people might prefer a softer spray, while younger ones like a more forceful, cleansing spray. The solution is a head with a variety of spray types. Eco heads are another new development, designed to give the same coverage and showering experience, but with approximately 15 per cent less water. It’s a simple DIY job to change to one and they’re the same price as normal heads. Remember to choose with your head, not your eyes – waterfall showers look fantastic but they’re not nearly as effective. One supplier likened them to a (warm) ice bucket challenge!
Shower enclosures
If you’re thinking about investing in a new shower enclosure you need some essential facts before heading for the showroom.
The size of cubicle is crucial; too large and it may cramp the rest of your bathroom, too small and it may be a tight fit for you! Height is also an important consideration; enough room should be left between the top of the cubicle and the ceiling for steam to escape. Location matters too and if it is a replacement, try to keep it in the same area; moving pipes is expensive and often troublesome.
Apart from keeping your bathroom floor and walls dry, seals should be robust and effective to prolong the life of your shower. Magnetic strips are excellent for keeping water in but the type of strip that’s best for you depends on the design of your shower door.
A leaky shower door is typically caused by a bad door seal. Normal ageing and wear causes the strip at the bottom of the door to break, crack or just seal poorly. Replacement seals provide an inexpensive solution to the problem. Although these seals look like plastic, they are more typically made of rubber or vinyl because these materials have a longer life.
How to replace a shower seal
– Inspect the bottom of the shower door to determine the plastic seal attachment method. Seals typically slide into a channel at the bottom of the door or they are placed between the base of the door and the metal drip rail.
– Remove the metal drip rail if necessary for plastic seal access. The rail is attached to the door with small screws. For channel-style seals, pull the old plastic strip out of the rail channel. Use needle-nose pliers to grasp the strip and pull it out, if necessary.
– Wipe the door channel and bottom rail with a damp cleaning rag to remove dirt and soap residue. Use an ammonia-based cleaner to cut through heavy grime build-up. Wipe dry with a clean rag.
– Remove the adhesive backing from the new seal, if applicable. Not all seals have adhesive.
– Slide the seal into the channel, using the pliers to pull it into place if necessary. For those placed behind the drip rail, stick the adhesive portion of the strip to the bottom edge of the door with the plastic seal portion hanging beneath the door frame.
– Cut the excess seal length flush with the edge of the door, using a utility knife. Place a small bead of silicon caulk at the end of the strip to prevent moisture from getting into the channel. Replace the drip rail.
Shower doors
Shower curtains, whilst cheap and cheerful, tend to develop mould and it’s difficult to stop water running down them and out onto the floor. Shower doors are much more elegant and effective at providing a water-tight seal, privacy and easy access to your shower. They are available in many configurations, designs and sizes to match any budget, from the purely functional to a style statement. Your choice should be based upon the design you prefer, the size of the opening (height and width), and practical considerations determining how your door should open.
There are three main categories of shower doors :
– Bathtub showers – which use a bath shower mixer tap
– Alcove standalone showers – which are fitted as a separate shower cabinet
– Corner standalone showers – which are also freestanding cabinets but are fitted into corners
If the enclosure area is new, do not take any measurements until it has been completed as wall finishes such as tiles can reduce the wall-to-wall width by as much as 1”/25mm on each side.
How to measure
Note: measurements should be to the nearest 1/16”/4mm
– Opening width: Determine the distance from wall to wall at the top and bottom of the opening. If these differ, select a door using the larger width for a bypass door or the smaller width when selecting a pivot door.
– Opening height: Determine the distance from the top of the tub edge or shower base to the top of the wall unit or tile wall where you want the door to be located. Measure vertically at both sides.
– Select a door with a height less than or equal to the smallest of these measurements.
– If space is an issue, either a bi-fold or a sliding door are both efficient ways to use space without restricting access in and around the bathroom. If you’re got plenty of room to play with then a frameless surround which creates an illusion of space is still a great option, enhancing the spatial benefits already present.
– Rollers on shower doors are often the first thing to break so ensure they look strong. When considering the shower handle, the choice lies between plastic, chrome coated or solid metal. Initially plastic or chrome coated handles are more affordable but this may be a false economy as they’re not as strong and may not last as long.
Maintenance
As mentioned earlier, the trend is to have a shower with a fixed glass screen and an opening so you don’t have runners to keep clean. For a wall covering, there are traditional tiles in large or small sizes and wall panels. The latter require less labour than tiling and are very simple to clean, but the use of large format matt tiles with a coloured epoxy grout to match is another option. A watchpoint when grouting these is that removing excess grout from the tiles is time consuming so care is needed.
If you live in a hard water area, and most of Ireland is, the build-up of limescale may affect the performance of your shower. Bear this in mind when purchasing, there is also a shower head available that has a pin system so is automatically cleaned as it’s used.2 Opinion differs on using a few drops of vinegar to remove limescale; whilst it can be effective in the short term, it is easy to do damage to chrome and plastic.
With a new installation, putting in isolation valves to remove or clean pieces is a good idea. This also makes showers more consumer friendly.
Cost
How much should you expect to pay for a shower? Prices range from €100/£80 to thousands, with the average price sitting between €400/£300 and €800/£600. Mixer showers using high pressure valves are one of the most economic options but they do require a steady, good level of water pressure, something that is not available in all areas so check before you buy.
Given the huge range of choice, make sure to allow plenty of time to view as many styles and types as you can, listen to what each supplier has to offer and remember to compare like with like.
Additional information
Wayne Lyons of Soaks Bathrooms, Belfast www.soaksbathrooms.com tel. 028 9068 1121
Craig Baker of Mira Showers www.mirashowers.co.uk tel. +44 (0) 844 571 5000