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Showers made simple

Our extensive range of showers are styled to suit traditional or contemporary suites with manual shower mixers, thermostatic shower mixers and pressure balancing mixers available in recessed and surface mounted options, in addition electric showers and integrated power showers are also available and for those who require that little extra touch a wide selection of pumps can be added to create the perfect power shower. Installation of our shower valves and mixers require standard 15mm or 22mm fittings available at any DIY store or Plumbers Merchant. All taps are guaranteed against defect in manufacture for a minimum of 5 years.

 

To get a shower to perform well it is important that you understand your water systems flow and pressure if you are not sure then plese use our identify your water system page (see bottom of page for details).

 

Terminology:

Types of thermostatic shower valves

 

Thermostatic shower valves

Thermostatic shower valves are designed to hold a given water temperature, lots of thermostatic shower valves will have a safety device that will stop the water from flowing if there is no cold water available thus avoiding scalding. Thermostatic showers are used not just for showering but are also used to fill baths. New plumbing regulations state that the hot-water supply to any fixed bath must be designed and installed so that the temperature of the water cannot rise above 48oC.

Thermostatic shower valves should always be used with combination boilers to avoid scalding.

 dual control thermostatic shower valve

Dual control shower valves

This is where you have a separate hot/cold control from the on/off.

 

 

 

 

Sequential shower valve

Sequential shower valves

This is where the shower has one handle it will be off and as you turn the valve handle it will run from cold to hot, so there is no separate flow contol.

 

 

 

 

Recessed shower valve

Recessed shower valve

This is where the body and pipes connecting the the shower are hidden behind the wall.

 

  

 

 

Surface mounted shower valve

Surface shower valve

Where the body is surface to the wall pipes can be recessed or surface mounted.

 

 

 

Bar shower valve

Bar shower valves

Bar shower valves are surface mounted valves which are usually thermostatic and have a flow control at one end and a temperature control at the other end.

 

Types of manual shower valves

 

Manual Shower valve

Manual shower valves are still very popular for filling baths and showering, although the mix the water they are not thermostatic so should be used with caution.

 

manual shower valve with diverter

Manual shower valve with diverter

Manual shower valves with diverters are the most popular manual shower mixer as they are cheap and are able to be used to operate two items i.e fill a bath or operate a shower handset.

 

Types of Electric showers

 Electric showers are extremely common especially in flats where a water tank can not be higher than the shower head. Electric showers are instantanious shower that heat up the water as it passes through a heating element, the higher the kilowattage the more water they will be able to heat up therefore a better flow rate will be acheived.

 

Electric shower

Thermostatic electric showers

These are designed to hold the water temperature at a given setting automatically.

 

Pumped electric showers

These are designed to be fitted to a cold water storage tank rather than to mains water pressure, this is usefulif you have mains pressure issues. 

 

Types of power showers 

 Power showers are simply a shower boosted by a pump.

 

Intergrated power shower

Integrated power showers

Intergrated power showers have a pump built in to the shower unit itself when the water is turned on the pump will start.

 

Separate shower pump and shower valve

Standard power showers have a pump for boosting the hot and or cold water and a separate shower valve. The shower valve is located where the shower is and the pump normally next to the hot water cylinder.

 

Plumbing systems & compatibility

 Within our ranges of taps are basin taps, bath taps and bathroom mixers to suit any type of plumbing system with some requiring more specific requirements. Such systems are:

 Gravity fed hot and cold water system

Gravity fed pumped hot mains cold shower

Mains cold water pumped hot whole house or bathroom

Gravity fed pumped hot and cold to whole house or bathroom

Combination boiler

Unvented mains water

Fortec cylinder

 

 

If you are in any doubt as to what water system you have then please visit our Identify your plumbing system information page.