Sign up for our daily newsletter
Getting a decent shower is not always easy. Unless you are decorating your bathroom, you will usually stick to what you have, whether it's weeds, gravity-fed hybrid showers or electric showers run by tap water. However, there may be a better choice: a brand new power shower, as the name implies. Instead of a drop of water, you can wash your hair under a luxurious spray, instead of having to work hard to remove the shampoo from your hair, you can take a shower to blow them away.
It is not always possible to install one. If you have a combined boiler, power showers are not necessary-you don't need a water tank. On the other hand, you should get enough flow from a good combination boiler to run an ordinary thermostatic hybrid shower. Similarly, if you use tap water and a hot water tank, you cannot run a power shower. For practical and safety reasons, the pump can only be connected to a gravity feed system.
Finally, if you use an electric shower, things can get tricky. The electric shower handles the heating by itself, so only a cold water supply is needed. When using a power shower, you need to provide hot and cold water at the same time, so you need to provide hot water for the new shower. This doesn't make this job impossible, but you definitely need professional help to add the necessary pipelines and get the system up and running. In fact, we would say that installing a power shower is definitely the job of a professional, because it is more than just installing an electric shower.
The key is flow rate, pump type and temperature control.
Flow rate simply refers to how much water the shower can pass through in a given time, usually in liters per second. The higher the flow rate, the stronger the shower. However, if your boiler cannot maintain speed, you may run out of hot water-which means that the next person in the bathroom may be unlucky-and your shower will also use more water and run slightly more expensive.
The design of the built-in pumps and the materials used are also different, which will affect the number of rackets they produce. Some power showers are relatively quiet, but you may see anything from a faint background buzzing to a huge buzzing sound during use. However, if you hear a lot of buzzing and clicking noises, this may indicate a blockage in the shower or a problem with the water supply.
Finally, there are three types of temperature control. The manual power shower has a straight manual mixer, so if the water pressure fluctuates or someone in the house flushes the toilet or turns on the faucet, the shower temperature may vary. This also means that the user can increase or decrease the temperature to a level that may cause burns or icing, although most modern showers have an incision to stop the flow of water when it is too hot.
Thermostatic power showers are better because they use a thermostat to sense, adjust and maintain a stable temperature. You can set it yourself. At the same time, the digital power shower uses digital display and digital control to accomplish the same job more accurately. You set the temperature and let the shower do the rest.
Design is obviously important-you want a shower that fits the rest of the bathroom-and simple, logical control is a must; we all hate standing in a cold shower trying to figure out how to turn it on, off, or increase the temperature.
If it is difficult to measure, reliability is also important. Repairing or replacing a damaged power shower is not easy, so it makes sense to spend more money on a shower that can be used continuously. For this reason, we avoid recommending showers with poor reputation or unevenness.
Read next: The best electric shower
Price: Starting at £473 | Buy now from Amazon
This is the most expensive shower on this list, but Aqualisa Aquastream is the king of thermostatic power showers, capable of spraying 18 liters of water per minute at maximum water pressure, and 12 liters per minute even at a minimum pressure of 0.1 bar Premium. If you don't want your shower to be so violent, don't worry. In the normal flow position, it will run at 10 liters per minute.
Elsewhere, this is a very high-quality shower with compact design, white and satin chrome finishes, and simple two-stage temperature and flow rotation control. It also has a quieter pump and an excellent rail and shower head assembly, with four different spray patterns to choose from. Users like its consistent heat and pressure and excellent reliability. It can easily replace the existing Aqualisa powerful shower, and it is also an excellent addition to any bathroom.
Main specifications-maximum flow rate: 18l/min; minimum pressure flow rate: 12l/min; minimum continuous water pressure: 0.1 bar; maximum continuous water pressure: 1 bar; control: rotation power, rotation temperature; size: 160 x 329 x 180mm
Price: From £330 | Buy now from Amazon
In terms of the price and performance of the power shower, Mira Event XS is in the best position, it is 100 pounds or more cheaper than Aqualisa, but it can still spray 16 liters of water per minute at maximum pressure, or at a relatively low At 0.5 bar, 14 liters per minute is very stable. It is easy to use, with stop/start buttons and separate flow and temperature controls. Although the maximum temperature is set to 41°C, you can cover this by squeezing the red button on the dial and turning it up to around 45- set up. 46°C.
Plumbers like Event XS because it is flexible and easy to install, especially when replacing existing Mira showers. Users tend to like it because it is a solid and reliable choice with a consistently strong, warm flow. Coupled with the beautiful white and chrome-plated rails, pipes and four-style shower, it is not difficult to see why it is so popular.
Main specifications-maximum flow rate: 16l/min; minimum pressure flow rate: 8l/min; minimum continuous water pressure: 0.008 bar; maximum continuous water pressure: 0.5 bar; control: rotation power, rotation temperature, stop/start button; size: 210 x 310 x 115mm
Price: £180 | Buy now from Plumbworld
Triton AS2000SR is an alternative to the widely-loved and frequently used AS2000XT. Although it is not as powerful as the old model, it makes up for this in a quieter way. Not only has it been recognized by Quiet Mark, but users often comment on how quiet it is. Nevertheless, it can still provide up to 14 liters per minute at maximum pressure, and-with just a start/stop button and rotary temperature and flow control-it is also very easy to use. Triton also provides a nice rail with soap dish and five pattern head and hose.
For experienced plumbers, installing it shouldn't be a tricky job, Triton even provides installation videos for any DIY hero to make similar replacements. We still recommend hiring a plumber to avoid any headaches, but at least this shower will not cause any headaches once it is up and running.
Main specifications-maximum flow rate: 14l/min; flow rate under minimum pressure: not specified; minimum continuous water pressure: 0.0075 bar; maximum continuous water pressure: 1 bar; control: rotary temperature control, rotary flow control, start/stop button; Dimensions: 215 x 302 x 114mm
Price: £147 | Buy now from Amazon
Buy with a limited budget? The manual version of Mira Vigor is priced from 150 to 180 pounds. Although it does not have the locking and controlled heat of the thermostatic shower, you can still get an excellent and reliable shower and always maintain a good flow rate. The thermostatic version pushes the price. It's about £50 high, but it's well worth it if you want to avoid any annoying cold shocks.
Even if you use the manual version, you won't have any safety issues; it is factory set to a safe maximum temperature to avoid any accidental burns. At the same time, you can still get a flow rate of 12 liters per minute at a maximum holding pressure of 0.5 bar. The rotation control has an outer wheel, and the flow can be adjusted through the internal temperature selector to keep the compact design beautiful and clean without affecting the ease of use. All in all, this is a great shower for your second bathroom or entry home.
Main specifications-maximum flow rate: 12l/min; flow rate under minimum pressure: not specified; minimum continuous water pressure: 0.008 bar; maximum continuous water pressure: 0.5 bar; control: rotating temperature and power; size: 280 x 310 x 130mm
Price: £180 | Buy now from Amazon
Bristan Hydro Power 1500 is another good budget option, offering you a thermostatic power shower with a maximum flow rate of 10 litres per minute for less than £200. Its working pressure is very good and flexible, it can handle any pressure from 0.1 to 1 bar, and it is easy to install, with a choice of side or bottom air inlets and a smart and easy design.
There are some small caveats for this. Although Brestain did bundle a lid, any pipes entering from the side would be visible, and users complained that it was a noisy shower. If you are looking for maximum water flow, you should check out the more powerful showers in this list. However, even if there is not too much water pressure, you can get a very consistent temperature and flow, and there is an ecological mode that reduces the water flow without letting you get a drizzle shower. At the same time, reliability does not seem to be an issue. A solid shower is provided at a very reasonable price.
Main specifications-maximum flow rate: 10l/min; flow rate at minimum pressure: 7.9l/min at 0.3 bar; minimum continuous water pressure: 0.1 bar; maximum continuous water pressure: 1.0 bar; control: button start/stop, rotating temperature Dial; size: 250 x 260 x 130mm
Best coffee machine of 2021: the best coffee machine we have tested
The best corded and cordless vacuum cleaners you can buy
The best cordless vacuum cleaner to buy
The best mattress you can buy
The best electric heater you can buy
Best air fryer: our recommended air fryer for every budget
The best leaf blower for your garden
Best webcam: Get HD and 4K cameras for just £30
The best Shark vacuum cleaner for all your cleaning tasks
Emma Hybrid mattress: Hybrid has been discontinued
DreamCloud luxury hybrid mattress evaluation: now 40% cheaper
Tenda Nova MW3 review: cheap and cheerful mesh Wi-Fi
Simba Hybrid Pro Review: The price of Pro is reduced by 45%
Bissell PowerClean review: our favorite carpet cleaner
Drayton Wiser Heat: Fine control in a tight budget
Kärcher K4 Power Control: the next generation
Tado smart thermostat review: a successful smart heating system
The best Black Friday coffee machine deals
Best air fryer: our recommended air fryer for every budget
Best washing machine deals of November this year
The best furniture paint
The best air purifier you can buy
The best Wi-Fi extender you can buy from £35
Copyright © Expert Reviews Holdings Ltd 2021. all rights reserved. Expert Reviews™ is a registered trademark.