Electric Shower Basics FAQ

Electric showers are both a growing phenomenon and a seeming modern mystery. There are countless (entirely reasonable) questions floating around in relation to them. Are electric showers safe? Are electric showers any good? What about showerheads, mounting height, and the actual running cost of an electric shower? You can look forward to answers to all of these and more - so stay tuned.

Today's Topics Include:

1. Are Electric Showers Safe?
2. Are Electric Showers Any Good?
3. Can I Install A Rainfall Showerhead in an Electric Shower?
4. What Height To Mount an Electric Shower?

There's quite a bit to break down here, so let's hop right in, yeah?

Common Electric Shower Questions

As I mentioned above, there are a lot of questions revolving around the new electric shower phenomenon. Let's start with the easy ones, and then we can move into more complicated answers as we get into things.

Now without further ado, let's get going!

Are Electric Showers Safe?

This is often the first question that pops up when people hear about electric showers for the first time. And it's totally reasonable - after all, it's pretty well known that electricity and water make for a dangerous combination.

The good news is that, with proper installation , electric showers are entirely safe. The potential danger occurs when they're installed poorly , though.

An electric shower's safety is entirely reliant on its installation. One misstep, one poorly connected wire, and its safety becomes drastically lower. For this reason, it's Fraffles's opinion that unless you're a certified electrician and plumber, you should pay professionals to install or repair an electric shower in your home.

In short, electric showers are safe when installed properly, and generally less-than-safe when improperly installed.

Are Electric Showers Any Good?

While this is a very subjective question, the general answer is that yes - electric showers are good. They have their own list of pros and cons, just like any device in your home, and these will carry different value for different people.

For example - are you in a home with children? Then electric showers may not be the best for you. They heat water very efficiently, meaning that you'll have very hot showers as a common event in your home. A thermostatic shower, on the other hand, is also pretty efficient, but it monitors and actively adjusts the temperature of your water based on preset controls.

But if you have an extremely small hot water capacity, an electric shower can both save you money and get you more hot water. This is because they heat water as it's needed , rather than constantly, resulting in a steady supply of hot water that's not draining power by keeping it constantly hot.

Another big defining factor is whether or not your system is gravity-fed. If so, an electric shower isn't for you - they simply can't operate on gravity-fed systems. But if you've got a combi-boiler and standard main water supply, you're set and will likely love an electric shower.

And finally, lifespan. Electric showers live somewhat shorter lives than a traditional shower, lasting roughly four years. This means that you'll need to have the budget to pay for part replacements and reinstallation. If so, send it on an electric shower. If not, maybe stick with old faithful.

Whether or not an electric shower is best for you will vary on your home and what you want out of a shower.

Can I Install A Rainfall Showerhead in an Electric Shower?

Yes and no. The reality of the situation is that electric showers operate a bit differently than traditional showers, and as such, your selection of showerheads will vary.

The real answer is that, depending on the brand, you may be able to install a rainfall showerhead in an electric shower. Some brands create bespoke showerheads that are exclusively designed for their showers - these are the ones that you'll want. Buying just any showerhead can actually impede your electric shower's operation.

For example, electric showers generally make better use of "low pressure" showerheads, as pressure plays a large part in how they operate. Showerheads with extremely small openings can lead to a number of issues, as can filtered showerheads. Unfortunately, rainfall showerheads often fall into both of these categories.

So in short, yes - you can install a rainfall showerhead in an electric shower - assuming it's designed to be used on your type of electric shower.

What Height To Mount an Electric Shower?

This is a somewhat subjective question. While there are some quality rules of thumb to keep in mind, it will ultimately vary based on how tall you and those in your home are.

The average person, according to Mira Showers, should mount their electric shower roughly 200 cm from the base of the shower, but this is estimated on an assumption that you'll be roughly a foot beneath the showerhead.

Conclusion

That was a lot of ground to cover! While that was a lot of ground to cover, I should have answered most of your outstanding questions about electric showers. Whether it's a question of how safe electric showers are, how "good" they are, or even just mounting/showerhead advice - we've covered it all.

Now go take a shower and enjoy the fruits of your labour.