When you hear someone mention an electric shower you might think of a shower of sparks, or even a rainstorm complete with lots of lightning! But electric showers are actually just your bathroom shower, powered by electricity. If that title with its mixture of water and electricity sounds a little nerve-wracking then it's time to learn all about electric showers and what owning one can do for you.
Right now, when you take a shower the water is pulled from the tank of your hot water heater or boiler. Cold water instantly replaces the hot water you use, which also serves to immediately lower the temperature of the water. The longer your shower last, the less hot all of the water in the tank becomes. And the heater goes to work immediately trying to bring that cold water up to its ideal temperature. An electric shower will instead transform cold water into hot water very quickly as its used. Your water pressure is what forces the water through the electric shower, where it's heated very quickly before flowing out the head.
Advantages of an Electric Shower
An electric shower saves you money. Your water heater will work less, which will cost you less over time. Even a brief shower takes over 40 gallons of water, and that's 40 gallons that your water heater worked to heat and then keep at a certain temperature. The electric shower heats that much cold water very quickly one time, and then its done.
Because you're heating only what you use, the energy saving won't just cost less, but it's better for the environment, too. And since electric showers only need a water source, not a hot water tank, they can be used almost anywhere.
Another advantage of having an electric shower is the ability to take a steaming hot shower at any time. You'll never have to water for water to heat again, or be the last one to shower and get only lukewarm, or sometimes downright cold, water.
Disadvantages of an Electric Shower
If you have low water pressure, the shower pressure might not be enough for you. Newer models do address the issue of low pressure, though, to a more advanced electric shower head designed for lower pressure areas, while more expensive, could still allow you to happily switch to an electric shower.
Electric showers can cost more than a regular shower head, and if you have very hard water in your area, scaling can be a problem (just as it probably is with your regular shower head). You can spend anywhere from 100 pounds (about $150) and up on an electric shower head. Make sure you're buying a good brand name like one made by Mira or Triton, and you'll have one built to last.
You'll probably want to pay to have your electric shower installed professionally. While the plumbing (to the cold water supply) might be simply enough for a DIY-er, a certified electrician is your best bet for safe electric shower installation.
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