HOW TO: INSTALL AN ELECTRIC SHOWER

 

INTRODUCTION

Electric showers are economical to run and provide hot water on demand.

Using an electric shower could save you up to a third of the water you would use for a bath and, because a
shower heats the water instantaneously, you do not waste energy heating stored water. Electric showers are
rated in kilowatts (kW) - the higher the wattage, the better the performance of the shower. An electric shower is relatively easy to install, requiring only a connection to mains electricity and a single cold-water pipe running
from the rising main.

 

SKILL LEVEL

The plumbing and wiring involved in installing an electric shower requires sound basic skills in both areas of expertise.

 

SAFETY FIRST

Ensure that wiring and plumbing are properly installed. It pays to have a professional electrician connect the wiring at the consumer unit. Always turn off the electricity when making connections to the mains.

TO COMPLETE THIS PROJECT YOU WILL NEED...

 

• Double-Pole Switch

• Bolster Chisel

• Compression Fittings

• Copper Pipe

• Craft Knife 

• Earth Sleeving

• Electric Cable

• Electric Shower Unit

• Electrical Screwdrivers

• Engineer's Pliers

• Hacksaw

• Hammer

• Masonry Bits

• Miniature Isolating Valve

• Mole Grips

• Power Drill (cordless)

• Soldered Copper Fittings

• Spanners

• Stopcock

• Tube Cutter

• Wire Strippers

• Earth-Bonding Cable

• Miniature Circuit Breaker

• Glazing Kit/Glazing

• Compound

 

1- PLANNING THE WORK

If you plan to install a shower over an existing bath, your primary

consideration is where you can tap into the rising main. The most

convenient location is often an airing cupboard close to the bathroom. If                                                                                                  that is not possible, make the connection in the loft and run the branch pipe
through the bathroom ceiling to the shower.

If you are building a new shower cubicle, you will need to consider drainage:

• The waste pipe must have the correct fall (slope) - this may entail raising the shower tray on a platform.

• When connecting to a two -pipe waste system, you can run the waste pipe to an exterior hopper head. Alternatively, connect the waste pipe to
the soil stack of a one-pipe system.

Provide access to the trap beneath the shower tray, or it may become difficult to service a blocked waste pipe.

2- PLUMBING

STEP 1: Start by mounting the shower unit in the required position. Mark the              

fixing points using the template supplied by the manufacturer or use the

backplate if there is no template.

 

STEP 2: Using a power drill fitted with a masonry bit of the appropriate size, drill holes to receive the wall plugs for the mounting screws.
When drilling holes in ceramic tiles, stick a piece of masking tape on the glazed surface to prevent the masonry bit slipping.

 

STEP 3: Before you finally mount the shower unit, cut a piece of 15mm (1/2in)
copper pipe long enough to pass through the ceiling or sideways into the
airing cupboard. Try to make neat clearance holes through the wall or ceiling
to minimise the amount of making good. Connect the pipe to the shower
inlet.

Cut copper pipe with a hacksaw     - Wrap a piece of paper around the pipe as a guide to keep the cut square. Alternatively, use a pipe cutter.
File the cut ends to remove burrs.

Ideally pipe runs should be concealed and, in some instances, it may be possible to make the connection at the back of the shower unit so that you can run the pipe into the walls.

 

• If the wall is a stud partition, it should be possible to run the pipework (and electrical supply) between the studs.

• In a solid masonry wall, you could cut a channel in order to bury the pipe under the plaster. This type of work should be carried out before you fit the shower unit and tile the wall. Use soldered joints in this situation, to minimise the possibility of a leak.

 

STEP 4: Inside the airing cupboard or loft, take the new branch pipe up to the
rising main but stop just short of it. Fit a stopcock (not a gate valve) to the
end of the branch pipe, with the flow arrow pointing away from the rising
main.

Alternatively, fit a miniature isolating valve to the branch pipe, close to the shower unit, so that you can turn off the water for servicing.

STEP 5: Turn off the main stopcock and drain the water from the pipe by opening the kitchen tap.

STEP 6: Fit the T-joint onto the rising main and hand-tighten the cap nuts. Measure and cut a short length of pipe to connect the T-joint to the
stopcock.

 

STEP 7: Assemble the component parts and tighten the nuts to make watertight joints. Test the plumbing.

Showers connected to the rising main must be protected with a doublecheck non-return valve fitted to the branch pipe - this prevents dirty water
being siphoned from the bath or shower tray into the drinking supply. This applies only if the handset can come into contact with used water. Caution must be exercised when inserting double check valves in the water supply. If unsure, contact a professional plumber

3- FITTING THE SPRAYHEAD

STEP 1: Mount the sprayhead slider rail   on the wall to one side of the shower unit. Check that there is enough room for the sprayhead to be adjusted up and down to suit all members of the family.

STEP 2: Connect the flexible hose to the sprayhead and to the shower unit.

4- WIRING THE SHOWER

An instantaneously heating electric shower requires a dedicated radial

circuit running from the consumer unit. We recommend that the circuit                       

should include a 30 milliamp Residual Current Device.