Showers have become a necessity in every home, not just for cleansing purposes, but for relaxation and de-stressing as well. Take a look at the different kinds of showers that you can choose from.
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Different Types of Showers
Electric Showers
As the name implies, electric showers work through electricity. This type is probably the most common kind found in households today. It solves the all-too-common problem of running out of hot water when the storage cylinder or boiler is in short supply. These are incredibly easy to set up, too, and very affordable. They are significantly cheaper than immersion heaters or using gas. Plus, you know you won’t waste as much water with these because they are designed to be efficient. This is important if your family has high water usage.
No matter what water system you have, you can use this shower. It makes sure that you get hot water instantly, compared to power and mixer showers which require a bit of time to get the right level of temperature. Electric showers take water from the cold-water supply of your home, and then heats it inside the shower. This means that you don’t need to wait for the heater to heat up, and you can enjoy hot showers 24/7.
Go for high kilowatt rating units to get powerful showers, as these will give better flow rate.
Mixer Showers
Manual mixer showers is also pretty common in households. The shower works as its name implies: it mixes cold and hot water together to arrive at the right temperature. For it to work right, however, your home must have enough supply of hot water, and your water pressure should be high.
Install these on your wall with a handheld shower set. Turn the tap on and pull the shower diverter, allowing water to flow through the showerhead. Mixer showers are ideal for both shower baths and shower enclosures.
If your household has kids, it might not be safe to use this type of shower, as it can be prone to scalding and other heat-related accidents. Unlike other types (see: Thermostatic Showers below) you don’t really get precise control on how hot the water will be.
Another disadvantage of using mixer showers is that they take water from your current supply. This means that the water flow rate is dependent on how much water you already have, and the shower will not be able to add to this flow rate. If you have poor water pressure flowing through your taps, expect the same situation for your showers.
Power Showers
Power showers are similar to mixer showers in how they also use both hot and cold water to create the ideal level of temperature. These are usually controlled thermostatically for your safety. Power showers are basically mixer showers with internal pumps.
You can find these in homes that have low-pressure water systems (such as gravity-fed systems). That’s why it’s common for homeowners who use this type to also install an extra booster pump to add to the water flow rate, ensuring a better flow rate and pressure when showering.
They draw from both cold and hot water supplies. The pump boosts the flow rate. You can choose from either manual power showers or ones that come with a thermostatic control system. There are also two common types of pumps: brass and plastic. The brass option is more expensive than plastic. If you’re in a tight budget, the plastic pump is reliable enough. A few downsides of using plastic pumps, however, is its noisy operation and the amount of maintenance you’ll have to put in to keep them working.
Digital Showers
Digital showers are one of the newest types in the industry. As the name suggests, it used advanced technology and components. They work similarly to power or mixer showers, except you get way more control over the flow rate and temperature. They have wireless digital shower panels that are installed in the shower. Through the controls, you can personalize each shower and ensure that you get the ideal temperature each time.
Some models can also be connected wirelessly with your phone or a controller. This definitely defines luxurious living and convenient showering. In fact, many digital showers also have the warm-up feature, which gently heats the water with one touch of a button, making it ready before you even step into the bathroom. This eliminates the initial freezing water issue before the hot water sets in.
If you have an old house but need a new shower system, this is an ideal solution, mainly because they require the most minimal amount of work compared to other types of showers. Installation of the pipework and pump can be done into the loft space above the bathroom. The showerhead will be coming through the ceiling, avoiding running plumbing and electricity through the entire house to the bathroom. This conceals any pipework which can be quite an eyesore.
Special Types of Showers
You can get the shower types mentioned above specialized depending on your needs.
Eco Showers
Eco showers are available for mixer and electric showers. These are designed to limit water flow to reach an efficient rate, giving up to 50% less water usage without compromising performance. Often, these units come certified by CALGreen, WaterSense, and other industry commendations. These are a friend to the environment AND to your energy bills.
Thermostatic Showers
We mentioned thermostatic showers earlier. These are designed to prevent both freezing and scalding accidents or injuries whenever someone else in the home flushes the toilet or turns on a faucet. You set the temperature you want, and the mixer maintains this level automatically by feeding the shower the appropriate amounts of cold and hot water. Electric showers can do this as well, but thermostatic showers are more efficient at this feature and can give you complete peace of mind – especially if you have kids or elderly at home. This type of shower would be especially important if you have a roll in shower, which also requires a long hose for the shower head.
