Looking for new shower recommendations

sublime1 · 21-05-2010 06:56PM #1

Hi

I'm looking for some new shower recommendations. I have a very old and tiny cottage in Dublin city centre. There is no cold water tank or immersion - the existing electric shower is connected directly to the mains. I don't know the KW of the existing shower. I'd like to buy a shower that both looks good and gives a decent flow. I have no room to install a cold water tank or immersion without doing larger work than I'm currently able to do. So it has to be direct to the mains again. I realise I'm very limited.

What are my options? I don't mind spending a bit extra for something special. Who are the good manufacturers.

Thanks in advance for any advice.
cheers

sullzz · 21-05-2010 07:47PM

you are very limited to choice as you want to keep it mains fed , however, both the mira sport or triton t80 are both good models

Joey the lips · 22-05-2010 07:34AM

As above... however there is a 3rd option if the T80 is not viable... I seen a house who sand a tank outside the house below frost level and then used a sump pump with a flow switch to send water to a t80. It worked a treat and was well insulated and sealed. However with the recent frost I would have loved to pay a return visit.

Micky Dolenz · 22-05-2010 02:39PM

Joey the lips wrote: »

As above... however there is a 3rd option if the T80 is not viable... I seen a house who sand a tank outside the house below frost level and then used a sump pump with a flow switch to send water to a t80. It worked a treat and was well insulated and sealed. However with the recent frost I would have loved to pay a return visit.

Do you know the max working water pressure of a T80?

OP both of these showers will do you, pressure and flow rate depends largely on the mains pressure.

Joey the lips · 22-05-2010 10:00PM

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

Do you know the max working water pressure of a T80?

OP both of these showers will do you, pressure and flow rate depends largely on the mains pressure.

1.2 bar from memory is the suggest operating pressure... why out of curiosity.

Micky Dolenz · 22-05-2010 10:03PM

Joey the lips wrote: »

1.2 bar from memory is the suggest operating pressure... why out of curiosity.

I didn't know and I knew you would .

Joey the lips · 22-05-2010 10:08PM

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

I didn't know and I knew you would .

Cool... The reason I know its suggested is its the rated pressure of the T450I which is a triton pump... But they do work fine at a constant 1 bar.

sublime1 · 23-05-2010 09:01AM

Hi everybody, thanks very much for the replies. The existing shower is a T80 - god knows how many years old. I took a look at the 2 recommended showers on the internet, and yes functionally they seem fine. What about aesthetically - do I have many options there? I'd like the shower to look as good as possible?

cheers

sublime1 · 24-05-2010 05:26PM

Just to answer my own question, it seems that there is a nice chrome version of the Triton T80z. Looks good. Hopefully it'll just slot in as a replacement.

Joey the lips · 25-05-2010 09:22AM

sublime1 wrote: »

Just to answer my own question, it seems that there is a nice chrome version of the Triton T80z. Looks good. Hopefully it'll just slot in as a replacement.

Yep... The T80 Aspitante...about 200 euro more in price though..

sublime1 · 04-08-2010 05:47PM

Well now the fun has started. So I went and bought the shower I wanted (Triton T80Z), the guy in the shop warned me that I needed a minimum of 1.2 bars of pressure for it to work off the mains. I asked my plumber to check - he said I had almost 2 bars of pressure, so no problem there. The shower gets installed, the plumber says it´s working fine, lovely hot water. The next day I try it out for the first time, loads of water coming out, but it´s cold. No matter what I do with the dials and knobs, the water temperature doesn´t change - it´s not heating. I call the contractor, he comes to the house, hey presto, hot water comes out of the shower! Must be something I´m doing wrong, it´s all working fine. Next day the same thing happens, I can´t get hot water from the shower. Again when the contractor comes it works for him. He even gets me to do a "trial run" with him watching - it´s not exactly complicated - switch on the power outside the bathroom, then press the big button in the centre of the shower. It works fine while he´s observing. I feel I´m starting to doubt my sanity - he already has! The next day, the same story again, cold water. And so on for the next 4 days. This morning, out of the blue the water heats, and the whole family has a nice warm shower. So it seems to be an intermittent problem and doesn´t occur at any particular time of day.

As you may imagine, I´m very concerned about this, and very puzzled. I don´t believe it´s a pressure issue, as the water pressure has been very strong in the shower whether or not it´s been heating or not. There was never a pressure issue with the old shower, and what used happen was that if someone ran a tap or flushed the toilet, the shower would just run a little slower and a little hotter. This isn´t the case here, where we´re just getting cold water coming through at a normal pressure.

We called the engineer from Triton who immediately started to question the water pressure. To add insult to injury he said that my plumber wasn´t able to measure the pressure, that only HE had the right equipment to do so. This struck me as an incredible statement as it´s basically giving Triton a veto on what constitutes acceptable pressure.

This is exactly the nightmare scenario I wanted to avoid before changing the shower (hence my original question on this forum), and yet somehow I have ended up with a dud shower and sweet FA support from Triton.

What can I do? I´m being told my only option is to get a water tank. I am so annoyed about this....

Micky Dolenz · 04-08-2010 06:00PM

Here's what you do.

Go back to the shop you bought it in and request a service call as your shower does not work. It is their responbility as the seller of the product to guarantee it. they will basically put a call into Triton on your behalf.

Measuring working pressure on a mains line is simple and all plumbers would have gauges that would not be a million miles out. There is however a difference between standing pressure and working pressure.

sublime1 · 04-08-2010 06:20PM

Thanks for the reply Micky. That´s what we did. The shop just said to call Triton. We spoke to their engineer who as I mentioned said it was probably our pressure. He said it would cost Euro 70 for him to come out and it turned out to a pressure, electrical or installation problem. I´m going to get him out, but from the way he´s talking he´s just going to repeat the blurb about it being my pressure.

Does it literally come down to his pressure measurement against my plumbers? That´s madness.

And what about what I described where (to me) the pressure looks strong but the shower just isn´t heating. Does that look a shower problem to you?

cheers

Micky Dolenz · 04-08-2010 06:27PM

The shop were wrong to do that. They are responsible for the products they sell and they are responsible to get back to maker if problems occur. They try that trick with everyone, even account holders so don't worry too much.

Ask your plumber to take a standing pressure reading at the shower outlet, I.E screw head off hose and attach some sort of gauge. Gauges are simple devices and most would be roughly accurate.

I assume those showers have a low flow light? If you are getting good flow it is more than likely an element issue.

Have you made the plumber aware that he will be picking up the call out fee if it is installation related.?

sublime1 · 04-08-2010 06:33PM

Thanks again Micky. Yes my contractor´s plumber measured the pressure before we bought the shower, and he said it was great, around 2 bars.

Good to hear you think it may be the element, that would be Triton´s problem then. How do I prove it though? Especially with it being so intermittent a problem?

Micky Dolenz · 04-08-2010 07:17PM

sublime1 wrote: »

Thanks again Micky. Yes my contractor´s plumber measured the pressure before we bought the shower, and he said it was great, around 2 bars.

Good to hear you think it may be the element, that would be Triton´s problem then. How do I prove it though? Especially with it being so intermittent a problem?

You don't have to prove anything, it is the service persons job to find fault.

Remember that you are the consumer.

sublime1 · 05-08-2010 08:51AM

Well, I know I´m the consumer, but I´m not sure that´s how Triton see things! My contractor has spoken to the Triton engineer a number of times, and the line he´s giving is that the water pressure in Dublin city centre is unreliable, so it must be the problem.

Again, if it was the element, how could it intermittently work? I don´t understand these things well enough to argue a point, but I´d imagine a problem with an element would be the kind of thing that you wouldn´t get intermittently.

Ironically the shower has worked fine the past 2 days. Murphy´s Law says it´ll continue working right up to and including the day the engineer calls out, and then stop once he´s gone!

buzzing147 · 24-06-2015 07:44PM

sublime1 wrote: »

Well now the fun has started. So I went and bought the shower I wanted (Triton T80Z), the guy in the shop warned me that I needed a minimum of 1.2 bars of pressure for it to work off the mains. I asked my plumber to check - he said I had almost 2 bars of pressure, so no problem there. The shower gets installed, the plumber says it´s working fine, lovely hot water. The next day I try it out for the first time, loads of water coming out, but it´s cold. No matter what I do with the dials and knobs, the water temperature doesn´t change - it´s not heating. I call the contractor, he comes to the house, hey presto, hot water comes out of the shower! Must be something I´m doing wrong, it´s all working fine. Next day the same thing happens, I can´t get hot water from the shower. Again when the contractor comes it works for him. He even gets me to do a "trial run" with him watching - it´s not exactly complicated - switch on the power outside the bathroom, then press the big button in the centre of the shower. It works fine while he´s observing. I feel I´m starting to doubt my sanity - he already has! The next day, the same story again, cold water. And so on for the next 4 days. This morning, out of the blue the water heats, and the whole family has a nice warm shower. So it seems to be an intermittent problem and doesn´t occur at any particular time of day.

As you may imagine, I´m very concerned about this, and very puzzled. I don´t believe it´s a pressure issue, as the water pressure has been very strong in the shower whether or not it´s been heating or not. There was never a pressure issue with the old shower, and what used happen was that if someone ran a tap or flushed the toilet, the shower would just run a little slower and a little hotter. This isn´t the case here, where we´re just getting cold water coming through at a normal pressure.

We called the engineer from Triton who immediately started to question the water pressure. To add insult to injury he said that my plumber wasn´t able to measure the pressure, that only HE had the right equipment to do so. This struck me as an incredible statement as it´s basically giving Triton a veto on what constitutes acceptable pressure.

This is exactly the nightmare scenario I wanted to avoid before changing the shower (hence my original question on this forum), and yet somehow I have ended up with a dud shower and sweet FA support from Triton.

What can I do? I´m being told my only option is to get a water tank. I am so annoyed about this....

Is the t80z a bad shower? i got a new bathroom installed, my old shower was acting up, so got a shower too, the plumber recommended a t80z

Well, when all was completed, i checked the shower and the water doesnt come out fast at all, not good pressure compared to my last shower, i rang the shop i bought it in they said they cant take it back once its opened.

Why did the plumber put this awful shower in? Because it was easy for him to install?? Or are they a good shower?

Sleeper12 · 24-06-2015 10:17PM

Triton make the best electric showers on the market. Always have done.

Have you ever had an electric shower before?. All electric showers pump out around 3 litres per minute in the winter and maximum of 5 litres in the summer. If your last shower was a power shower it would have pumped out 10 to 20 lifers per minute. I can see how you would be disappointed after a power shower. Plumber should have explained that you have to slow down the flow of the water in on electric shower to get hot water.

Looking for new shower recommendations

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