{"id":3948,"date":"2019-07-25T15:00:35","date_gmt":"2019-07-25T15:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bespokehomedesign.com\/?p=3948"},"modified":"2017-02-07T14:07:07","modified_gmt":"2017-02-07T14:07:07","slug":"reconfig-shower-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bespokehomedesign.com\/blog\/reconfig-shower-design\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ultimate Bathroom Buying Guide – PART 1: Choosing A Shower"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
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We all love a good shower\u2026<\/p>\n

Showers are one of the most important parts of any bathroom. They arguably get the most use of any of your bathroom\u2019s features and a good shower can really set the mood for your bathroom, as well as your overall enjoyment of the space.<\/p>\n

Its not a simple as you might think.<\/p>\n

\"shower<\/a>There are a multitude of choices to be made and the even more expensive potential pitfalls lurking along the way.<\/p>\n

Luckily we are here to hold your hand.<\/p>\n

This is the first of a series of buying guides we aim to produce, where we will dive deeply into specific items you will need to consider when renovating or extending your terraced house. We will explain in detail the various options available, the pros and cons of each and importantly the budget implications of your decisions.<\/p>\n

Can You Handle The Pr<\/b>essure<\/b>?<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"shower<\/a><\/p>\n

Before you start flicking through those glossy sales brochures, just talk a few moments and speak to your plumber about the type of hot water system in your house. Not all shower fittings are compatible with all types of boilers, so it pays to know up front what you are dealing with.<\/p>\n

It is also vital to ensure you have sufficient water pressure – especially for some of the more glamorous options.<\/p>\n

Electric Showers\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

\"shower<\/a><\/p>\n

There are essentially two types of shower: an electric, box-on-the-wall type shower and the more common mixer showers with the pipes concealed in the wall.<\/p>\n

Electric showers heat cold, mains pressure water independently of the boiler – which can be useful if your boiler is not up to the task. This type of shower can also be good if you are adding a second bathroom or ensuite, perhaps where the distance from the boiler would make it expensive to run additional hot water pipes or a separate pump to improve the pressure.<\/p>\n

They are generally cheaper to buy and easier to retrofit (you don’t have to remove any tiles or open up the wall to get at the water pipes). Electric showers are also particularly economical to run as you only heat the water that you use.<\/p>\n

However, having that big white (or sometimes silver) box on the wall can look a bit ugly and, depending on the model, they don’t always provide the highest pressure output.<\/p>\n

All in all they are generally a cheap, budget option but they look it.<\/p>\n

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Thinking Of Renovating Your Terraced House?<\/h2>\n

\"renovation-tripwire-ad\"<\/a><\/p>\n

If You Want To Renovate Your Home Quickly And
\nEasily & Avoid The Hassle That Usually Comes With
\nGetting Building Work Done At Home
\nThen You Need To Get Your Hands On This<\/h3>\n

Click Here Now<\/a><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n

Mixer Showers\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

\"shower<\/a><\/p>\n

All other showers pretty much fall into this category, which basically means you mix hot water heated by your boiler with cold mains water, in order to achieve a desired temperature set by you.<\/p>\n

Manual mixer showers are the most common. Here you set the temperature by adjusting either separate hot or cold taps or a dial which regulates the mix of hot and cold water.<\/p>\n

While still cheap and much less visually intrusive, this type of shower can be really infuriating. I’m sure you’ve been there plenty of times (I know I have) – jiggling the taps trying to find that millimetre wide sweet spot between icy cold and scalding hot, and never quite getting it right!<\/p>\n

There is also no way of pre-setting the temperature with this type of shower so you have to go through the same routine every time.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"shower<\/a><\/p>\n

Thermostatic mixer showers, however, offer a bit more sophistication by utilising an internal valve to regulate the temperature. This not only makes it much easier to find the temperature you want, by you will also will be less affected by water usage elsewhere in the home – meaning the shower wont suddenly go freezing cold when someone flushes the toilet or the washing machine kicks in!<\/p>\n

The higher end thermostatic mixer showers also offer precise temperature control, either through a dial on the wall or on newer models a digital touch screen. This means that everyone can quickly get the shower to the temperature they want without wasting all that water while you jiggle the taps – a worthy investment in my eyes!<\/p>\n

Power Showers are a kind of hybrid and there is a variety of different models with some heating the water themselves like electric showers. Essentially they are best for houses with very low water pressure – where any other type of shower would only be a trickle so weak you would have to run around under it just to get wet.<\/p>\n

This type of shower includes a separate pump to get the water pressure up and, as the name suggests, they can produce pretty invigorating results. Power showers are not compatible with every type of boiler\u00a0 either (they don’t work with combi-boilers for instance) and they use a lot more water – an average of 15L per minute compared to 5L per minute for electric showers – which can get expensive if you are on a water meter.<\/p>\n

Time to Use Your Head\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"shower<\/a><\/p>\n

Investing in a decent shower head can make a huge difference to your overall enjoyment of the shower, and there are a number of things to consider.<\/p>\n

A fixed shower head provides the simplest and most minimal solution. They are quick and easy to fit, can be set at any height and usually offer some sort of adjustment in terms of the angle of spray.<\/p>\n

At the higher end of the budget range, fixed rainwater shower heads can provide an experience akin to standing under a waterfall. Usually fixed flush with the ceiling or protruding from it, this type of shower head allows the water to fall completely vertically over a wide area for a relaxing and luxurious experience – though they are best suited for separate, walk in showers rather than over a bath as they can tend to make a bit of a mess otherwise.<\/p>\n

More common is the hand held type of shower head. In this instance the shower is connected to the wall via a flexible tube or hose allowing a range of motion. This type of shower head usually hangs on fixed mounting bracket or rail, and they are great for bathing children or pets. They also make cleaning the shower and bath much easier (so I am told).<\/p>\n

If you simply cant decide, there are also plenty of systems out there which combine a fixed shower head with a smaller hand held unit, giving you the best of both worlds. A multi-head shower unit, something of an extravagance in my opinion, also includes additional fixed shower heads at varying convenient heights for the complete car-wash experience.<\/p>\n

Spray Patterns\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

\"shower<\/a><\/p>\n

All but the cheapest of showers will offer some sort of adjustment of the spray pattern. The main and most useful settings to look out for are as follows:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Wide coverage – this feels like large drops of rain falling gently over a broader area<\/li>\n
  2. Drenching Spray – this is usually more powerful and more focussed making it perfect for rinsing the shampoo from your hair.<\/li>\n
  3. Targeted Spray – a high pressure, focussed spray that provides a sharp jet of water making it perfect for directing at sore muscles.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Take Control\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

    \"shower<\/a><\/p>\n

    A diverter switch is a useful thing to consider as it allows you to switch the water flow between the shower and the bath taps or the fixed and hand held shower heads. This eliminates the need for separate tap sets for each one, reducing clutter on the bathroom wall and ultimately the cost to your budget.<\/p>\n

    If you are looking for all the bells and whistles in your bathroom then you might want to opt for digital shower controls. These little gizmos allow you to set the temperature of your shower\u00a0 remotely from anywhere via a data cable hidden in the wall – no more waiting around in a cold bathroom.<\/p>\n

    Finish Strongly\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

    \"shower<\/a><\/p>\n

    All decent and most half-decent tapware is made of solid brass, and the cheaper stuff is usually plastic. All come in a range of finishes to compliment the other hardware in your bathroom (look out for future posts on this) with the most common being a shiny chrome-like finish.<\/p>\n

    Some other finishes to look out for include:<\/p>\n