Installing A Shower System Yourself
There is a wide variety of shower systems available but your choice will be largely governed by your household water system.
1 Mixer shower
The simplest form of shower is the
bath mixer shower, where a mixer tap is connected to a hose and shower attachment. The water temperature and force is controlled by the hot and cold taps on the mixer unit. Although this system is inexpensive and has the advantage of not needing any additional plumbing, the water pressure is affected by water being used in other parts of the building.
2 Power shower
A power shower uses a powerful electric pump to increase the rate of the water flow to the showerhead from the water cistern. Due to the fast flow of water you must ensure the waste pipe is large enough to drain the water from the shower tray, as it will receive around 27 litres of water a minute. It is recommended that a 50mm (2in) diameter waste pipe be installed. A power shower is not suitable if the water is supplied from a combination boiler under mains pressure
3 Electric shower
Supplied as a wall unit it uses an electric element to heat the water. The unit is plumbed into the cold water supply and powered by its own electric circuit connected to the consumer unit. You must notify the local building control department that you are carrying out the work and the new electric circuit must be checked by a professional electrician to ensure it complies with Wiring Regulations.
4 Manual and thermostatic mixers
A manual mixer shower is a wall unit where the hot and cold supplies feed a single valve. Manual mixer systems usually have a single or dual dial control. Controlling the volume of water and the temperature is achieved by adjusting the dial or dials. Although more expensive, a thermostatic mixer shower has a built-in stabiliser that prevents the water running too hot or too cold.
5 A shower tower
A tower unit combines the thermostatic mixer shower with a series of adjustable jets. The unit will also be equipped with a fixed showerhead and a hand-held spray attachment. A tower shower can be installed over a bath but it is more likely to be fitted into a shower cubicle or wet room. For a tower shower to work efficiently a ceiling height of 2200mm is required and a pump may be needed to increase the water pressure.
6 Installing a shower cubicle
Let us take a look at installing a
shower cubicle fitted with a manual mixer shower. When deciding on the location of your shower cubicle, you will have to consider several important factors.Having decided on a position for your shower cubicle that allows access to the waste pipe and water supply pipes, make a plan indicating the position of the showerhead and the route of the pipe work from the shower to the supply pipes. From this you will be able to calculate the length of 15mm diameter piping needed.
7 Fitting a ceramic tray
Shower trays can be made from acrylic, GRP (Glass Reinforced Plastic), resin or ceramic. Resin and ceramic trays are installed on a bed of mortar. Acrylic shower trays are fitted with adjustable legs and as they are higher off the floor than solid trays, it is easier to connect the waste outlet to the waste pipe, as it may not be necessary to remove a section of flooring.
8 Fitting the shower
Every shower will come with its own instructions, which you should follow. But we can offer general guidance for installing showers. Every installation will vary according to the model of shower and its location.
Once your shower is installed and all the plumbing work completed, you can tile your shower cubicle using waterproof tile adhesive and grout (see ceramic wall tiles). Remember you will need to gain access to the service valves. Additionally, the bottom row of tiles should overlap the lip of the shower tray against the wall to ensure your cubicle will be watertight.
9 Adding the shower screen
Shower trays come in different shapes and sizes, so the number of panels making up the shower screen will depend on the type of shower tray you have bought. Shower screens are usually made of either glass or acrylic. Glass shower screens must be made of 4mm toughened safety glass and conform to BS 6206. We are taking a look at a basic shower screen arrangement that has a square tray fitted into the corner of a
bathroom, allowing for a two-piece shower screen comprising of one partition screen and a door entering into the cubicle.
by: Marissazj
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