How to Decide on the Best Shower for your Boiler

When you’re deciding on which is the best shower to get, you probably don’t instantly think about how it will affect your boiler.

But the truth is, the type of shower you can install depends on the type of boiler you have.

3 best shower and boiler matches

To help you make the decision, we’ve compiled the three main options you can choose from. Find out the type of boiler you have then weigh up the pros and cons between each.

1. Electric shower

Electric showers are a good choice for anyone, as their system runs separately to the boiler. They provide heating and hot water on demand from the mains water pressure.

A great advantage to electric showers is that you’ll still have access to hot water even if your boiler breaks down, because the system heats up cold water.

One thing to bear in mind is that you won’t have as high a flow rate as if a combi boiler or power shower heated the water.

2. Electric power shower

If you love a high-pressure shower, electric power showers are an option. However, if you have a combi boiler or an unvented high-pressure hot water tank, this type won’t work.

Electric power showers work by using hot water from a low-pressure hot water tank. They have an internal pump which increases the power.

It’s important to know that electric power showers aren’t the same as electric showers – they have to use ready-heated hot water instead of using electricity to heat the water.

3. Mixer valve shower

You can use mixer valve showers with a combi boiler or a high-pressure unvented hot water tank. You can also use one with a low-pressure hot water tank, but you’ll only get hot water if the water in the tank is heated by a boiler or electric immersion heater.

Mixer valve showers don’t have many working parts, so you should find they will last longer. Also, you’ll get a better flow rate with this type compared to an electric shower.

Got more than one bathroom?

If you’ve got more than one bathroom, it’s best to have an instantaneous electric shower in one and a mixer valve in the other. That way you’ll still benefit from high flow rates, but if your boiler ever breaks down you’ll still be able to have a hot shower.

If you only have one bathroom…

Then go for a high-pressure mixer valve system with a combi boiler. Combi boilers are highly efficient and as long as you get a good quality one, it won’t need replacing for years to come.

So which shower are you going to go for? Need a new boiler before you can make your decision? We have boiler engineers in our network that can help you.

Simply fill in the form below and we’ll put you in touch with up to 4 Gas Safe registered engineers who can give you a free, no obligation quote.