What Type Of Shower Is Best For You?
Showers have long overtaken baths as the preferred format of bathing, and there are many different types of shower available nowadays to reflect that trend. It can be difficult to choose what type of shower to have installed, so use this handy to guide to figure it out:
Electric Showers
Very common and popular is the electric shower. It works by heating up water immediately, as and when it’s needed. For this reason, electric showers are very convenient, as there’s no forward planning required, such as remembering to turn on the hot water heater. They also have good water pressure, meaning a good, invigorating shower. However, they can also be quite expensive to run, as they are constantly powered by electricity. Even when you’re not using it, there’s usually a standby light on! This doesn’t deter many people though, as the convenience is quite hard to overlook.
Mixer Showers with Hot Water Tanks
These showers are powered by gravity – a hot water tank is stored somewhere in the house (either in a cupboard or in the loft), and the water inside it is heated up when switched on manually. Because they’re powered by gravity, they tend to have a lot lower pressure than most other showers, although it is possible to install equipment to increase the pressure. This type of shower is often cheaper to run and more energy efficient than an electric shower, so long as it is used wisely – for instance, turning the hot water on for an hour and then deciding not to shower after all is a big waste of money. There’s also the danger of running out of hot water halfway through your shower, if you commonly take very long showers! Of course, long showers also probably outweigh any energy efficiency as you may end up using an entire tank of water for one shower!
Mixer Shower with Combi-Boiler
These types of showers are often the most energy efficient, as water is heated up as and when it’s needed, like an electric shower, but without spending as much energy. They’re higher pressure than hot water tank showers too, and you won’t have a need for a hot or cold water tank. Combi-boilers are about the size of a kitchen cupboard, and also control the central heating and hot water taps.
Digital Showers
Digital showers are a new phenomenon which aren’t common in many households yet, although they’re growing in popularity. The best thing about digital showers is that they’re remote controlled, meaning you can switch the shower on while you’re still in bed, and even choose the temperature before you get in! They’re most likely to be found in bachelor pads, and are very expensive to have installed and to use!
Other Considerations
Another thing to consider is whether you want an enclosed shower, or a shower fitting above your bath. There are pros and cons to both:
Enclosed showers are ideal if you have a small bathroom, as they don’t take up very much space. However, it can get quite cramped and you’ll have to get used to a gust of cold air hitting your body as soon as you open the door!
By having a shower installed over your bath, you obviously still have the luxury of choosing to have a bath if you want. The steam from the shower is also evenly distributed throughout the room so there’s no need to brace yourself for that cold air when you step out! If you choose this option, you’ll have to decide between shower curtains (cheap, easy to clean and replace) or a shower screen (more expensive, harder to keep clean, but look a little nicer).
Lester Fernando writes informative articles related to home improvement techniques.You can read his blogs and find out more here.
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Thanks, it realy helped me choose my new shower type.