Mains or tank fed electric shower ?

cronley

Im looking for the strongest flowing electric shower. Which electric shower gives the stronger water flow - mains or tank fed. Or, is there any difference - i.e. if they are both 8.5Kw heating elements, will they both only heat the same volume of water per second to the same temperature.
Is one 8.5Kw make of shower stronger flowing than another e.g. Triton V Mira etc. I know that different sprayhead settings make a difference to the flow strength, but is there any difference in flow strength between Triton & Mira sprayheads at the same settings.
Am I right in thinking that in Ireland, the most powerful shower you can get is 8.5 Kw, because our voltage is 220.

Slick50

cronley wrote: »

Im looking for the strongest flowing electric shower. Which electric shower gives the stronger water flow - mains or tank fed. Or, is there any difference - i.e. if they are both 8.5Kw heating elements, will they both only heat the same volume of water per second to the same temperature.
Is one 8.5Kw make of shower stronger flowing than another e.g. Triton V Mira etc. I know that different sprayhead settings make a difference to the flow strength, but is there any difference in flow strength between Triton & Mira sprayheads at the same settings.
Am I right in thinking that in Ireland, the most powerful shower you can get is 8.5 Kw, because our voltage is 220.

This will depend on your local supply pressure. If you you have a good mains pressure, you will probably find the mains shower sufficient. If your mains pressure is not great in general, the pumped electric shower is probably the better option, but this too will need a good feed from the header tank. The manufacturers will specify what feeds, minimum header hights, their various products will need. The two brands you mentioned are pretty much on a par. I am sure you can get up to 9.5kw showers here. If you have a decent local plumbing suppliers they will probably be able to advise you of what works well locally.

Buford T Justice

8.5Kw is plenty to heat the water you need. Mains or tank fed, it could well end up the same pressure reasonably.

Tank fed would be more reliable though....

cronley

Slick50
You seem to suggest that mains fed will give stronger shower flow. This does not make sense to me - if both mains fed & tank fed showers have the same wattage heating element, the stronger pressure mains, means that the water is going thro the heating element faster , & will not heat the water to the same temperature as the slower flowing tank fed shower - so you might have stronger flow with mains feed, but the water will not be as warm as tank fed unit.
In comparing two showers with the same wattage heater, the logic seems to me, that same wattage heaters will only heat the same volume of water to the same temperature in the same space of time, & consequently there is no difference in flow strength. Is there a flaw in this logic.

Joey the lips

cronley wrote: »

Slick50
You seem to suggest that mains fed will give stronger shower flow. This does not make sense to me - if both mains fed & tank fed showers have the same wattage heating element, the stronger pressure mains, means that the water is going thro the heating element faster , & will not heat the water to the same temperature as the slower flowing tank fed shower - so you might have stronger flow with mains feed, but the water will not be as warm as tank fed unit.
In comparing two showers with the same wattage heater, the logic seems to me, that same wattage heaters will only heat the same volume of water to the same temperature in the same space of time, & consequently there is no difference in flow strength. Is there a flaw in this logic.

Nonsense.

Shower perfermormance in terms of strength


1.Power shower

---

Uses hot water and cold tank

2.Electric Shower

---

Uses mains cold

3.Pumped Electric

---

Uses tank cold.

Shower performance in terms of reliability

1-3-2 above

Shower performance in terms of practicality for a family

3-2-1


99% of the population would want a power shower but for practical reasons 99% end up with a pumped electric...

Slick50

cronley wrote: »

Slick50
You seem to suggest that mains fed will give stronger shower flow. This does not make sense to me - if both mains fed & tank fed showers have the same wattage heating element, the stronger pressure mains, means that the water is going thro the heating element faster , & will not heat the water to the same temperature as the slower flowing tank fed shower - so you might have stronger flow with mains feed, but the water will not be as warm as tank fed unit.
In comparing two showers with the same wattage heater, the logic seems to me, that same wattage heaters will only heat the same volume of water to the same temperature in the same space of time, & consequently there is no difference in flow strength. Is there a flaw in this logic.

I think your logic is sound enough regarding the volume/flow rate to temperature given the same wattage. The flow rate from you mains is always going to be higher than the tank feed though. So in most circumstance the flow from the mains will be sufficient for a good shower, where as the flow rate from the attic feed often won't be, hence the addition of a pump. The temperature control on each is actually a flow rate restrictor, 8.5-9.5kw being capable of heating the flow of each normally.
Joey the lips is right regarding the best shower though, being the pumped shower from your cylinder and attic supply, but expensive to run especially with kids/teenagers around.