Aqualisa Colt Exposed Valve Shower with 90mm Shower Head, External Shower Valve, Exposed Mixer Valve, Shower Set, Replacement Shower Valve

Bathroom showers cover electric showers, power showers, mixer showers and bath shower mixers, together with fixed overhead heads, handsets, riser rails and diverters. The right type depends first on the water system in the home.

Match the shower to the water system

• Electric showers: heat cold mains water as it flows, so they need only a cold supply. They are rated in kilowatts, and pumped versions suit low-pressure supplies.
• Mixer showers: blend hot and cold water, so they need a hot supply from a combi boiler or cylinder. High-pressure models suit combi and unvented systems; others are made for gravity-fed systems.
• Power showers: mix stored hot and cold water and boost it with a built-in pump, so they suit gravity-fed systems with a loft tank and cylinder.
• Bath shower mixers: mount on the bath deck or wall and divert water from the bath spout to a handset.

Thermostatic or manual

Thermostatic valves hold the set temperature if pressure or temperature in the supply changes. Look for thermostatic mixing valves made to BS EN 1111 for high-pressure supplies or BS EN 1287 for low-pressure supplies. Check whether a valve is exposed on the wall or concealed behind it, and how many outlets it controls.

Installation

Fittings must be suitable under the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999. An electric shower needs its own circuit; in England, new circuits and electrical work in the zone around a bath or shower are notifiable under Part P of the Building Regulations, so the work must be done by a registered competent person or notified to building control.

For trays and spare parts, see shower trays and shower fittings and spares.