Buying a shower is not a purchase you think about too often. That is of course until you find yourself covered in suds, in need of a rinse and you’ve literally been left high and dry.

Choosing a shower isn’t always as simple as buying the latest product on the market. It depends on the system you already have and the shower you want for the future. Also, with the first water bills landing in our homes, we now need to consider this spend even more.

Buying a new shower could last you anything up to 20 years or as little as four years, so here in Irish Country Living we look at the options available to you and their pros and cons.

The Manual Mixer Shower

Let’s get back to basics. One of the cheapest, but most basic, showers to install in your home is the manual mixer shower that is connected to the taps in your bath.

This may be the old-school way to run a shower, but it continues to be a popular option, especially in many new homes.

“They are easy and cheap to install, so many builders put these type of showers into newly built houses so they can advertise that it has a ready-to-go shower,” says Sean Giffney, chair of the Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors Ireland (APHCI).

To get this type of shower installed you’re looking at about €200, including your plumbing costs. Although it generally has a high flow rate compared with electric showers, it isn’t the most effective system.

First of all, the shower is fed from the water cylinder, so if the heating isn’t on, or you don’t have solar panels, then you are going back to Ireland’s favourite heating device – the immersion. This can impact on your heating bill.

Sean says that this type of shower is susceptible to unequal pressure, so if somebody turns on a tap or flushes the toilet you may have some scalding water coming your way.

Finally, it can take a while to find the right temperature, wasting precious time that could be used for washing.

Pros: It’s cheap to install and easy to use.

Cons: It’s quite basic, can impact on your heating bills and doesn’t always allow for the most enjoyable shower.

Thermostatically- Controlled shower

You can get over a lot of the cons of the manual mixer showers by taking a step up and investing in a thermostatically-controlled shower. These work in a very similar way, in that they take hot and cold water from your tank.

“The difference is that they contain an automatic adjustor which keeps the temperature at the same level right throughout your shower,” says Sean.

So, for example, if the water starts to cool as you’re mid-rinse, the thermostat will close down the flow of cold water so it stays at your desired temperature. It means that you can keep your shower at the temperature you like every time, or at least within two degrees of it. Also, it doesn’t matter who is using taps or toilets in the house, it won’t disrupt your shower.

Pros: This is especially useful for families with children as you won’t have any scalding mid-shower. Also, each time you head into the shower it’s at the temperature you desire. It’s a very robust and durable option.

Cons: It is expensive and if you were to install a complete standalone thermostatically-controlled shower you would be paying in the region of €1,000. Also you are still running your shower off your water tank.

Electric Showers

Somewhere in the middle of the shower market, between the manual showers and fancy digital showers, you’ll find electric showers. They can operate as tank-fed or mains-fed, but the latter is the most efficient option.

The water comes straight from your mains and is heated through a coil before hitting the shower head. This means you don’t have to heat the water (saving on the bills) and you don’t have to wait for it to warm up (saving you on time).

Keith Conlon from Woodies says that Triton and Mira are the best options, but Triton continues to be the most popular.

“Although the Triton showers tend to be €40 or €50 more expensive, they are longer-lasting and have a two-year guarantee instead of one. You can opt for 8.5Kw or 9.5Kw. There is no difference in terms of shower pressure, but the 9.5Kw does heat up the shower faster, by a few seconds.”

Pros: You never have to wait for hot water with a mains-fed electric shower. Also they aren’t the most expensive option. Buying the top-of-the range Triton shower would cost you €279 and getting it fitted a further €200, approximately. Bear in mind though that if you don’t have your shower fitted for an electric shower, that price could reach over €800.

Cons: Electric showers are not quiet. They are so loud you can often hear it throughout the house. Also, they don’t have good longevity. A family might only get five or six years before the motor goes.

Digital Showers

Rising in popularity and becoming more mainstream are digital showers. These are the latest innovation and work because of a small processor box which has a thermostat that sets the shower at the perfect temperature. However, you don’t even see this processor box, which can be hidden away within the shower enclosure. All you’ll see is your fancy digital control box.

And, of course, with the world of digital, it has some nice perks. For example, some showers have controls that can be operated via Bluetooth.

This allows you to set the temperature before you even step into the shower, so no fiddling with the setting while the cold water is running.

You can also adjust the height of the shower and others have colour-coding systems which let you know when the shower is at the right temperature.

Pros: You get the perfect temperature in your shower and you’re not wasting time. Also they have much higher longevity than electric showers.

Cons: You’re looking at a least €1,000 to get a digital shower. Although it is the same price as a thermostatically controlled shower, it isn’t as durable or robust. CL

Under pressure

No matter what shower system you use, you won’t get that full force of water unless the pressure is right. Pressure in every home is dictated by the cold water tank that is supplying the appliances. In most homes, you’ll find that tank sitting on the joists in your attic. However, if the spray from your shower just isn’t enough, you can make a difference.

“One option is to increase the height of the tank by raising it three or four feet up off the joists. It may only be a small distance, but it can make a significant difference. To do this, however, you would not only have to employ a plumber, but also a carpenter to make a stable platform. For the plumbing works you would be looking in the region of €250, while a carpenter could cost from €250 to €400, so potentially a price tag of €650,” says Sean Giffney.

Another, but equally effective, option is to install a separate pump for the shower in the hotpress.

“Instead of the hot and cold pipe going straight to the shower mixer, you would run it to this pump that sits on the floor of the hotpress. Every time you turn on the valve it gives more powerful pressure. For this option, the pump would cost €500 while the connection could be €200, but you don’t need a plumber to do this job. Buying the pump is slightly more expensive than raising the pump in your attic, but it is less work and you do get slightly more pressure.”