Mixer or electric shower:
which suits your home?
The right shower depends less on the shower itself and more on the water system behind it. Get that match right and almost any good shower will perform well.
Mixer showers
A mixer shower blends hot and cold water from your existing system. They suit combi boilers and pressurised (unvented) cylinders well, because both supply hot water at mains pressure.
On a tank-fed (gravity) system, a mixer can still work, but the flow depends on how high the cold tank sits above the shower. Many need a shower pump to perform well.
Electric showers
An electric shower heats cold mains water as it flows, so it doesn't use your hot water at all. That makes it a reliable choice in almost any home with a cold mains supply, and a good back-up if your hot water runs out.
The flow is usually gentler than a good mixer shower, and it needs its own suitable electrical supply.
Power showers and pumps
On a low-pressure tank-fed system, a power shower or a mixer with a separate pump boosts the flow. Pumps should only be fitted to tank-fed supplies — never directly to the mains.
Not sure what you have?
If you have a hot water cylinder and a cold tank in the loft, you're on a gravity system. No cylinder at all usually means a combi boiler. A cylinder with no loft tank is usually pressurised. Try our shower chooser on the shower installation page, or ask us to check.
New showers, mixer valves, electric and power showers, trays and enclosures — fitted properly and sized to your water pressure.
Keep reading.
Hard water in Herts & Essex
Why our water is so hard, what it does in your home, and how to check your postcode.
Read the guideTypes of water softener, explained
Harvey's, Kinetico, Monarch and Tapworks compared — power, salt and regeneration.
Read the guideLow water pressure: causes and fixes
Why taps and showers run weak, what you can check yourself, and when to call a plumber.
Read the guideReady for a
better shower?
Tell us about your bathroom and water system, and we'll come back with a fixed quote before any work starts.