Electric Shower

MrBump

I've checked, it's been a few years since someone asked this, so I think it's justified.

My Aqualisa Quarts 10.5kw shower has died - these things aren't really fixable, and tend to just need replacing.  This one was shit, and didn't really last much more than a year.

Any recommendations on new electric showers?  I've got teenages, so they take a hammering.  Not shy of spending a few quid on it.

Ta.

TheMarlin

The more powerful of the Mira Sports showers are pretty good.  Get the multi fit one.  Easier to install

spaceman_inorbit

A second vote for Mira, ours is going strong after 12 years.

ICBM

I've got a Mira Sport too, and it's a good shower, but the nylon geared temperature control assembly - only necessary because the knob is central and the valve inside isn't - stripped its teeth after about five years. I was able to buy a replacement front panel - it's a complete unit of course, you can't just change the gears - online, but it leaves me feeling that it will probably do the same after about another five years, and by then they may not have spares...

Of course if MrsICBM would just learn to leave the damn thing at the temperature I like it, then it wouldn't have got turned back and forward every day and probably wouldn't have broken .

lewism

I’ve got a Mira that’s got a temperature display. It uses a separate sensor for the display and the thermal cut out. The cut out sensor corroded where it contacts that metal water reservoir, causing the shower to think it was overheating - all the while, the display was happily telling you that the water coming out was 17 degrees. Replaced the sensor (put some WD40 on the new one to prevent it corroding) and it’s been fine for a few years now.

mbe

Mira

Dominic

Dare I say MIRA

strtdv

Our aqualisa Quartz lasted 11 years (motor linkage went in the end). I got the newer version as the piping layout is the same (turned a whole day job into an hour job) and you get a 5 year warranty anyway.
Don't buy straight from them though, they charge about £150 more than you can buy it for if you shop around (I paid about £300ish for mine)
Ours is a gravity fed one though with both a hot and cold feed going into it.

viz

Mira Azora. The only shower that actually looks nice. 

http://i.imgur.com/LIJrhm8.jpg

mbe

Mira is the Boss Katana of showers.

Phil_aka_Pip

Mira. Job done

Roland

Shower companies leapfrog each over. We’ve got two bathrooms. In the last 25 years I’ve had Mira, Triton, and Acqualisa. The first Mira failed within months, but the replacement has run for 20 years. The other bathroom had Triton, and I’ve replaced the whole unit every five years - buy a replacement from Argos and plug it in.

Last year we replaced a bathroom and I sought advice from a number of suppliers, including a bathroom fitter who lives down the road. Consensus is that, on average, Acqualisa are currently more reliable, followed by Mira. Triton less so, but easier to buy a replacement every five years and fit it yourself. 

The key determinant is whether the shower turns off immediately when you press the button, but then boils the water which is left inside, or continues running until the after temperature has fallen. The former (Triton in my case) wears out faster.

The real reason that I bought Acqualisa this time around is that I preferred the water flow through their shower head.

DrJazzTap

We had a mira fitted. B&Q knocking them out with £200 off iirc.

lasermonkey

And there was me thinking this was going to be about a stoner rock band.
Harrumph.

TheMarlin

I always run the shower cold before turning off. Adds years of life to the unit, particularly in a very hard water area like mine. 

spark240

No combi boiler ?.....there’s no comparison with electric shower ( unless you have a booster pump type )

exocet

spark240 said:

No combi boiler ?.....there’s no comparison with electric shower ( unless you have a booster pump type )

Both electric and combi boiler powered showers are fed from incoming mains pressure water. You can't legally boost the water pressure output from either....well there are ways but not very 3asy to implement. Combi boilers are more powerful than electric showers. The heat output is often 35KW + compared to 11kW on an electric shower...so you can get higher flow rates via a combi.

Phil_aka_Pip

TheMarlin said:

I always run the shower cold before turning off. Adds years of life to the unit, particularly in a very hard water area like mine. 

I've just learned something. Thank you

Hattigol

Electric showers are great. Unless you are one of those people who like to get wet when showering...

MrBump

Thanks all, I think the Mira multi fit option is a good 'un.

BigBearKris

Ugh... mine has just broken... great - nothing like coming back from a morning run to find out it's a strip wash by the sink day.

It's Mira btw.