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Gravity Fed Mixer Showers |
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| Showers that are
fed from a stored hot water system, that can only feed hot water
to the taps if the water has been pre heated in the cylinder. |
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Imagine a set of taps with a temporary,
rubber, hand-shower attachment. The idea is very simple, you
pre heat the water in your cylinder then turn the hot and cold
taps to blend the water to achieve a comfortable showering or
rinsing temperature. Mixer showers work on the same principal
they are easy to install as they do not need any electrical
connections, and work by blending hot and cold water together.
They are ideal if you have an abundant supply of stored hot
water. |
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| The success of these
types of shower is determined by the capacity of stored hot
water that is available, and from a users point of view, the
flow rate of water that is achieved from the shower rose. I
shall attempt to explain without over complicating the issue.
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| The flow rate
of water from the shower rose |
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Imagine a container of water with a hose connected
to the bottom of it. If you hold the end of the hose above the
level of water in the bucket no water will come out. |
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If you hold the rose just below the level of
water in the container the water will come out, but it can be
held quite easily by squeezing the end of the hose. The pressure
of water is low because the water is almost finding its own
level. |
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Now let the hose fall to its lowest point. This
time the water has a high flow rate and it is difficult to squeeze
the pipe to stop the flow of water. The pressure of water is
high because it is free to run and because it has the whole
weight of the water in the container forcing the water out.
This is commonly referred to as the head of water: the difference
between the bottom of the water header tank and the water outlet
i.e. the tap of shower rose. The bigger the difference the faster
the water comes out, it's as simple as that. |
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To find out if you have gravity system;
first check to see if you have a lagged 'hot water cylinder',
these are most commonly located within an airing cupboard.
Secondly check to see if you have a 'cold water storage tank',
this will most likely be situated in your loft or in older
properties, perhaps in the top of a cupboard within your bathroom. |
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With a gravity system, cold water from the mains
water (1) is piped into a 'cold water storage tank' (2) usually
located within the loft space.
Using the principal of gravity the water flows to feed the
hot water cylinder (3) then when a tap or shower(4) is turned
on, water is allowed to flow around the system under the 'head
of pressure' created by the cold water storage tanks (2) location.
Therefore the higher your cold water storage tank the greater
the pressure available = and a more powerful showering experience.
(Image source: Copper
Development Association UK.) |
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Shower pumps
When selecting a mixer shower for use on a gravity system,
the most important thing to consider is the flow rate that
is achievable from the shower rose. Unless you have water
pressure of at least 0.5 bar, which is equivalent to a gap
of five meters between the bottom of the cold water storage
tank (2) and the shower rose (4) you will need to select a
'Low Pressure' shower valve, capable of supplying a satisfactory
shower at water pressures as low as 0.1 bar, (which is approximately
one meter difference).
You will be able to get a rough idea simply by observing
the flow rate of water that you receive from the bath taps.
Remember that you will be mixing hot and cold water but if
it appears slow then the chances are that the showers performance
will be disappointing. |
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The solution is to fit a shower
pump that pushes the water to your shower mixer thus creating
an invigorating powerful showering experience.
 Buy
A Shower Pump Now |
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The capacity
of stored water.
If you opt for the pumped solution you must ensure that
you have plenty of hot water storage capacity, for pumped
showers can deliver anything between 11 - 25 Litres of blended
water per minute, and this will drain the average sized cylinder
very quickly.
You will have an idea of the amount of hot water that you
have available by looking at the physical size of your cylinder
and monitoring your everyday usage. For example the depth
of hot water that you are able to achieve when running a bath
before the hot water runs out. If you do not have large volumes
of stored water, do not use a pump unless you alter the system
to cope with it. Alternatively fit an electric shower. |
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| Buy
showers online at discount prices. |
| Buy
shower pumps online at discount prices. |
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