Our qualified plumbers and electricians can repair or replace all types of electric showers, power showers and mixer showers
Mixer showers just mix hot and cold water from your household supply. They don’t pump the water, and they don’t heat it up. The hot water is heated by your boiler, just like the hot water in your other taps. Mixer showers don’t need a power supply, they just need to be connected to the hot and cold water pipes. Some mixer showers are thermostatic mixer showers, and have a thermostatic valve which keeps the temperature constant even if the flow of hot and cold water changes (so, for example, if someone flushes the loo and the cold water flow to the shower is reduced, the thermostatic valve will automatically slow down the hot water too to keep the temperature at the shower head constant). You can tell if your mixer shower has a thermostatic valve because it will usually have a stop button on it to prevent you accidentally setting the temperature too high. Mixer showers just consist of a control knob on the wall, or as part of the bath tap, whereas electric or power showers consist of a box mounted on the wall.
Both these types of shower require an electricity supply, although “electric shower” usually refers to a shower which heats, and sometimes also pumps, the water while “power shower” usually refers to a shower which takes hot water from your boiler so it just pumps the water and doesn’t heat it. In some houses, the hot water pressure upstairs is not sufficient to run a shower, so an electric shower is used to heat up (higher pressure) cold water. Electric and power showers have a box on the wall with the flow and temperature controls on it.
Mixer showers: Not much can go wrong with an ordinary mixer shower, except that the ceramic valve inside might eventually wear out after ten years or so. If the shower head drips, then the valve probably needs replacing. The trouble is, if you don’t know the make and model of your shower (which, if you bought it ten years ago, you probably don’t), it can be hard to get a replacement valve which will fit. It might be cheaper and quicker to replace the whole tap. If you book one of our plumbers, they can advise you on the best solution.
Thermostatic mixer showers: If the temperature of your thermostatic mixer shower keeps fluctuating wildly (getting boiling hot or freezing cold), the thermostatic cartridge probably needs replacing. Cartridges are not cheap, usually about £75, but can be replaced within one hour.
Electric and power showers: It is worth checking that the shower head is not clogged up with limescale. Shower heads which are clogged with limescale will reduce the water flow and will prevent some electric showers from working (they need a minimum flow to work). Try removing the shower head from the hose. If the shower works fine without the head attached, then the head is reducing the flow and needs cleaning. If the head has small rubber nozzles, just push your fingernail firmly over each nozzle to release the limescale. Failing that, buy some limescale remover from the supermarket and follow the instructions to treat your shower head. If the head is clean and the shower is still not working, book one of our tradesmen to come and fix it for you, or if necessary fit a new one.
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