Cost of Electric shower V Cost of Mixed Shower

Dofarrell

Hi

I am replacing the shower in my bathroom. At the moment I have a gravity fed pumped electric shower but the plumber has suggested there's enough pressure for a mixed shower.

Perhaps this is impossible to answer but is a mixed shower more expensive to run than an electric shower? I know the mixed shower has no electrics but it would require the emersion to be on for 30-40 minutes every day.

Also I should add that the shower is on the ground floor so the cold water would be travelling from the attic and the hot water from a boiler on the first floor.

Any reponse would be extremely helpful as I need to decide on a shower this weekend.

thanks!!

Joey the lips

It all depends on how many people use it.

In the winter when you use your heating there is nearly always a store of hot water. So supply of hot water is down to demand.

As a general rule of thumb if the shower is being used more than 3 times daily (For example you use it in the morning then use it after the gym in the evening) You may not have enough stored even in the winter.

The reason for having a pumped electric is it gives hot water on demand. However it costs money to run( Not much estimated around 0.50c i think) Its noisy and its more expensve maintenance over its life.

on the other hand. You dont need a store of hot water with it. Its great in the summer and if 10 people need showers or your family grows then the water will be there.

Demand should really be considered first.

heinbloed

Perhaps this is impossible to answer but is a mixed shower more expensive to run than an electric shower?

This is answered easy. Ask the installer:

"What does it cost to prepare the thermal energy for the shower water?"

Get this in writing with the calculation method shown.

anuprising

heinbloed , how do we know installer will be telling the truth , my lie detector machine is broke at the moment and interrogation room is being painted .

please show me the calculation as it should appear on the installers written word . many thanks

heinbloed

Anuprising wrote :

please show me the calculation as it should appear on the installers written word . many thanks

Try a business course, the FAS office has them on offer. English courses as well.

anuprising

heinbloed wrote: »

Anuprising wrote :




Try a business course, the FAS office has them on offer. English courses as well.

please can you provide a link to this , and what business course gives the calculation for thermal demand ?

Joey the lips

heinbloed wrote: »

This is answered easy. Ask the installer:

"What does it cost to prepare the thermal energy for the shower water?"

Get this in writing with the calculation method shown.

A little bit over the top. Its not something that raises itself often in conversation

anuprising wrote: »

heinbloed , how do we know installer will be telling the truth , my lie detector machine is broke at the moment and interrogation room is being painted .

please show me the calculation as it should appear on the installers written word . many thanks

Try not be so flippent. I have to protect the bad answer when you give a retort like this.

anuprising

apologys , misplaced attempt at humour

heinbloed

The OP asked a simple question: what does it cost ?

And we hear from Joey the lips that a written and guaranteed calculation is

A little bit over the top. Its not something that raises itself often in conversation

This is about the most frquent question in conversations dicussing alternative solutions, here pumped electric shower versus pressurised shower suplied thermally from a seperate source.

A very intelligent question.

The Association of the European heating industry and many other have this topic frequently covered, the general term in conversations is "efficiency".

http://www.ehi.eu/news-item/intelligent-energy-europe-info-day-2012-funding-opportunities

More then 900 from all over Europe took part in the discussion. I don't dare to ask how many of them take part in this forum.

Market leaders like for example

http://www.cofely.de/en/ (there are many more)


offer guaranteed numbers on the costs of heating systems, on the efficiency of heating systems. Calculated, signed and guaranteed the price of every cup of hot water.
They offer plenty of jobs for those who know the terms "efficiency" and "costs", speak English and have the client's satisfaction in mind. See

http://www.cofely.de/en/careers/vacancies.html

(with 80 jobs available in the heating/cooling and system managment section at the moment)



The capeability to understand contracts and to formulate them, the capeability to answer a very plain client's question like about costs and to take responsibility for it is a must for aplicants, of course.

Joey the lips

In this case efficiency has nothing to do with demand on the water. So its all rubbish.

Demand is what determines the shower. Efficency decides on the model.

heinbloed

You are wrong here, Joey the lips. The efficiency of an expenditure decides on the price to be paid in total. On the costs of warm water in the OP's case.

Money is energy. And the OP asks about the monetarian situation, the costs.

Read the OP's post again. It might help to understand the situation.

There is no energy efficiency without cost efficiency. And vice versa.

Plain economics.....

Some heating system specifiers learn these things at school, others never. Some learn it the hard way:

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/features/2011/1107/1224307163352.html

( last two sentences, specifiers of heating systems sitting in the cold)

Sure they did knew the demand. But nothing about a cost efficient coverage, the efficiency of their investment. Otherwise they wouldn't have to turn to begging for fuel donations.

Joey the lips

Its still rubbish. But i am sure you have given the op loads to read about. Most people will consider it around what i have said because thats how its done

Solair

It's entirely dependent on how you heat your stored hot water.

If you've an efficient heating system and/or solar it can be very efficient indeed.

If you've an inefficient heating system or are entirely reliant on an immersion heater it can workout both costly and impractical.

There's no way you could generalise about it without knowing the specifics of the water heating system in your home.

Some people use both and switch over to an electric shower during the summer months.

If you've several people using the shower in the morning, you'd also need to ensure your hot water cylinder is up to the job. Many are too small and don't reheat quickly enough to cope with 3+ people.

A good thermostatic mixer shower is however a much nicer showering experience than a noisy pumped electric unit.

Dofarrell

Thanks everyone, that is helpful, I'll now have some informed questions for my plumber.

During Summer I'll be 100% reliant on immersion so it could be expensive.
Had not considered demand or size of tank, not an issue now but could be in the future so something to think about.
I'll talk to plumber about efficiencies.

A follow up question! Could someone recommend a good thermostatic mixer shower. I was thinking about getting a solid mid-priced Mira with separate flow and heat controls.

Any thoughts?