Shower Choice

With some unexpectedly good news about my car (all fixed, free of charge) i can now get back towards saving for my bathroom. Most of the quotes I have been getting have been for electric showers, purely because I thought they were a safe bet.

The last plumber that came out however swore blind against them and getting a thermostatic mixer instead, running off a boiler I had put in a few months ago. Now I honestly don't know which to go for, the boiler is a Wocester-Bosher CDi30 (link below) and is more then capable of providing some seriously hot water.

I am after the highest flow rate (?) possible, I do like a powerful shower, and with it being a long term investment cost isn't my main concern (within reason, was looking at a £150 budget for 10.5KW TRITON shower and £200 to upgrade the cable), I don't mind saving for another month for the long term.

So, electric power shower or combi-thermostatic shower?

Cheers guys :)


http://www.worcester-bosch.co.uk/hom...reenstar-30cdi

Since fitting a combi in the loft earlier in the year, I have found the shower to be every bit as good as my old power shower. Plus over the year it is working out cheaper to run.

Doesn't matter how high your pressure is you'll never get the same sort of flow rate from an electric as you will a combi-fed. We have both in our house and to be honest guests always ask to use the en-suite combi fed instead of the electric 10Kw Mira.

you should have never let them use the en-suite and you wouldnt have this prolem.

yeh your really stuck with a thermostatic running from the combi now, i have the cd 30 (one before yours but same output) and its a bloody great shower, not a power shower but you cant run one without a hot water tank, plus it costs less to run as there is more than enough water coming out! we cant put it on full hot, it burns, kinda makes an electric pointless if the CDI can output more heat than the flow rate :)

Grohe do some nice thermostatics and good shower heads with a high flow rate.

Electric all the way. You dont have to wait for the hot water to get there, especially if the boiler is a long distance from the shower.

Boiler is in the room next to the bath, and testing the water from the bath taps the time is a matter of a few seconds...something I am happy to live with.

With me liking two showers a day (I do my bit for the environment by not smelling ;)) and a girlfriend & possible lodger the saving aspect of it is something I am keen on. The fact I wont have to upgrade the cable all the way back to the fuse box (opposite side of the house) is something I like the sound of as well.


Thanks for all the advice guys, still interested in peoples opinions though :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by abaxas

Electric all the way. You dont have to wait for the hot water to get there, especially if the boiler is a long distance from the shower.

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No way! Lag the pipes, and unless your in a mansion we're talking at most 30 seconds.

The flow rate is so much better with a decently pumped system on the combi...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TheAnimus

No way! Lag the pipes, and unless your in a mansion we're talking at most 30 seconds.

The flow rate is so much better with a decently pumped system on the combi...

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Lagging the pipes wont keep water hot for more than a few hours. So unless someone is showering at 4am, you are a screwed.

Also factor in the energy to heat not just the water but also the boiler too. Combis are very inefficient when you only need a smallish quantity of water. All depends how long you shower for, remembering that increased flow = increased costs.

Also when your combi throws a wobbly every 4-6 years you have a backup :P

if its a combi then don't you have a backup in your electric element in the cylendar?

If its a condensing then its much more economic to run, but might take a minuite to get hot anyway....

Either way better flow rate than the electric stream, my parents expensive 10.2kw is like been spat at by kittens.