Pros and Cons For ‘Power Showers’ Systems in Flats.  

 

Everybody loves a good strong shower. In plumbing terms this means an ideal pressure of between 2 and 3 pounds per square inch (Bar). There are two ways to achieve this. Firstly a pump can push water from the loft tank with a hot water tank in the house. Secondly the pressure from the mains may be good enough.

 

Shower Pump Method:  Shower pumps increase the water pressure to your shower and indeed the whole of your bathroom. The pump is often concealed beneath the bath or in a convenient cupboard. Pumps are fitted in the system between the cold water supply and the hot water cylinder. Pumps can have drawbacks such as vibration noise, extra fittings in particular the electrical connection and of course extra money to install. But they do ensure you get a good shower pressure.

 

Be aware of what system your home runs on. If it is the mains supply then you will not have a water tank and you cannot increase the pressure by installing a pump.

Mains pressure will vary from house to house but it is not possible to raise your pressure using a pump. Only tank fed systems (‘combi’ or ‘magaflo’) can be improved with a pump. It is good to know your pressure rating before doing any work.

 

Mains Pressure - Combination Boiler Solution: To increase your water pressure you can replace your current boiler with a ‘combination’ boiler. This frees up space in your home by removing the hot water and cold-water tanks. Your water arrives under a mains pressure of around 1.5-2.5 bar. Not significantly different to the “power shower”.

 

Pros:

More space less plumbing.

No end of hot water with high pressure.

Pipe work changes are minor.

 

Cons:

You lose your airing cupboard.

May mean moving your boiler.

Hot water showering is limited to mains pressure and flow is determined by your boiler rating.

 

The mains pressure ‘Megaflo’ solution means swapping your existing hot water for an unvented “megaflo" cylinder, and taking away the cold-water tank. Water then depends on mains pressure at around 1.5-2.5 bar. Definitely not as strong as a power shower, but very good with the hot water at a greater flow than with a ‘combination’ boiler.

 

Pros:

More space less plumbing.

No end of hot water with high pressure.

Pipe work changes are minor.

 

Cons:

‘Megaflo’ take up more space than standard cylinders

Siting of the cylinder can be a problem due to overflow pipe work runs being limited.