Bathroom and Shower Tips Section - Part 1

Introduction
When planning to install a new shower, the main things to consider are the water pressure and the piping arrangements. By "piping arrangements" we are refering to the supply pipework and the drainage pipework.

Brief Notes On Pressure
Many tank fed showers in small domestic installations suffer from low pressure, but there are ways to increase it. The cold water tank can be lifted; sometimes 150mm is all that is required. To do this a strong and secure support should be introduced beneath the tank. If you choose this option, the pipework feeding the storage tank will have to be increased in length to accommodate the new position of the tank, and the distribution pipework from the tank to the shower itself will also need to be lengthened.

Q)How Does Raising The Tank Help?
A)Raising the tank increases what is called "head". This is the natural pressure caused by gravity and the weight of the water in the tank.Alternatively, if raising the tank is not possible or desirable, a booster pump can be fitted. Booster pumps are a mechanical option and come in two main types, which are single pumps and dual/twin pumps.Whichever type of pump is chosen, it will require an electrical power supply. This may require the services of a qualified electrician if an electrical supply does not currently exist in the proposed location of the shower.

A single booster pump must be fitted in a position between the spray and the shower mixer control. This will boost the pressure of the supply water from the mixer control to the spray, giving the desired effect.

A dual/twin booster pump must be fitted to the supply pipes. It increases the pressure by boosting both the hot and cold water supplies before they reach the mixer. This installation can be used to supply an adequate and balanced pressure to the mixer, which necessary for some types of mixer showers.To reduce resistance, alternatives are swept bend fittings or bending the pipework itself, although when bending the pipework, care should be taken not to "fold" it.

Brief Notes On Safety Issues
If a mixer is being installed, the cold water supply must be taken from the cold-water tank as opposed to a pipe already supplying another appliance e.g. a toilet cistern or a sink. This is because the appliance may be used at the same time as the shower, resulting in extreme temperatures. This runs the risk of scalding. For example, If Person A is in the shower and Person B flushes the toilet; the cold water will refill the toilet cistern, reducing the rate at which the shower is supplied with cold water. The shower will still be fed with the same amount of hot water, but the temperature will not be diluted with as much cold, hence the temperature of the water being sprayed over Person A will rise. This can happen almost immediately after flushing the toilet or using another appliance.

In contrast, hot water can be taken from the same pipe as other appliances. This is because of the lower risk. If the hot water supply is reduced by drawing it off at another appliance outlets e.g. a sink, the shower temperature will decrease only to cause discomfort, not physical scalding.

If the hot water supply is to be taken from a cylinder, the connection point should ideally be made above the height of the top of the cylinder.If a thermostatic mixer shower is being installed, then hot and cold water supplies can be taken from the same pipework as other appliances. Although reductions in pressure may occur when water is drawn off elsewhere, the in-built thermostatic mixing valve controls the temperature: a valve that allows only water at a temperature below its preset maximum temperature flow through it.

Selecting The Shower
In order to select the most economical type of shower it is important to recognise certain factors that can determine which shower is best for you. A mixer shower for example, would be the best choice in a household where both the hot and cold water are supplied at equal pressure from the main storage system.Most modern showers are designed to be flexible with different water pressures, such as stored hot water and cold mains. It is important to note whether or not the chosen shower is capable of coping with certain systems and that it can regulate a safe level of water through the boiler.
Such systems include those of hot water supplied from the mains via either a multipoint water heater or combination boiler.
To ensure the shower is adaptable to such conditions, it may be worth checking installation requirements with the manufacturer or to have it fitted by a registered plumber.

Mixer Showers
Mixer showers are basically valves mixing hot water and cold water to obtain a suitable mixed temperature by means of a manual control of some form. They are fed with water that has already been heated at their hot water inlet.

Push-on Mixer Shower
The hose and spray parts of the shower can be connected to taps as and when required. Essentially they are a temporary rubber solution to having a flexible hose with a sprayed outlet. The water temperature is manually altered using the taps, which may belong to a sink or bath.

Bath Mixer Shower
With this shower, the hose and spray parts of the shower are combined with a bath mixer tap. The taps and shower flex are all one unit and whether the shower is used or the taps are used is decided manually using a pull up lever. The spray head may be screwed on and off the flex. Please refer to the photograph, supplied by Wilson Dobson Bathroom Interior.

Manual Mixer Shower
The hose/flex and spray of the shower are parts of a wall unit. The hot and cold water supplies are connected to a single valve.The temperature and pressure of the water are controlled by either one or a number of knobs. It is usually the more expensive versions that include such versatillity. The average range may have only one single knob.

Advantage: Being part of a wall unit means that the physical height of the temperature adjustment knob is more convenient, and the spray may be mounted in a shower cubicle or over the bath. With the push on mixer shower and the bath mixer shower described previously, the hose/flex would normally be held in one hand during use. Doing so is unecessary with a manual mixer shower

Thermostatic Mixer Shower
The hose and spray of the shower are parts of a wall unit and the hot and cold water supplies are connected to a single valve. It is complete with a built in stabiliser to automatically adjust the water temperature, thus preventing it from becoming too hot. They are essentially a manual mixer shower with an in-built thermostatic mixing valve, suitable for all installations. They are most often installed in hospitals, schools and other facilities open to the public or individuals who would otherwise be at high risk of scalding.

Advantage: The controlled temperature makes them extremely convenient. The automatic adjustment means that the flow temperature is not affected by use of water elsewhere on the premises.

Shower Curtains