subject: Understanding Power Showers [print this page] With the many different types of showers available, it can become confusing to make a choice of what is the most suitable. There are a number of reasons why power showers are among the top of everyone's list when it come to a preference for showers. The choice may be indeed a popular one, but only a few select people know exactly what the term actually means.
The term power shower is a colloquial expression that refers to water being emitted from the shower at relatively high pressure. The water is fed by a low pressure pump or depending on your environment the pressure may be generated in the water circulating system.
One disadvantage of power showers of this type is that they may help to conserve water, as higher pressures mean that a higher volume of water is also produced at the same time, and more water is used for showers than with electric showers. The impact can be significant at a large residence, where several people shower regularly.
These showers can be easy to create and install, but configuring other needed components can be tricky at best. You can use a high pressure water system, that includes a combi boiler and connect a shower unit with an unrestricted water flow. An alternative method involves including a low pressure shower pump, that easily transforms your regular shower into a power shower.
Fortunately, manufacturers have recognized the need and have created what can be legitimately described as a power shower. All of the required resources to supply water at higher pressures are built into the shower that extracts water from the hot water supply and transports it under pressure to the shower-head. The formation can include a single or double pump configuration, and your choice will be determined by the quality of the water supply in your home. These showers are more suited for homes that use gravity fed water systems, which are usually at lower pressures.
The choice of your power shower will be determined by your water system and the lifestyle and type of shower that is needed. This shower can be a lot more invigorating than an overhead shower where water gently cascades onto your body.
There are a few disadvantages and caveats to be noted with these showers.
They should not be connected to mains water supply, and are also not compatible with high pressure systems that include combi-boilers. The pump that is integrated into the power shower counter acts the pressure created in the system and may actually lower volume of water by creating a backflow. The system works a lot better when the water is fed by gravity.
Despite the disadvantages, these types of showers can be a great option, as it provides the benefit of convenience from additional options such as thermostatic controls, that automatically compensate for differences in the volume and temperature of the water. When differences in the temperature are detected, the volume of either the hot or cold water is adjusted to return the balance to the previous state.
Power showers are suitable for older homes where the water pressure is lower than average. Power showers have built-in pumps that boost the pressure of water to the shower head.
