How to Choose the Perfect Shower for your Home
A beautiful bathroom deserves a beautiful shower. But you need something more than looks a stunning shower must also be functional, too. Here's what you need to do to choose the perfect shower for your bathroom.
Look at the Plumbing System for your Shower
It is important to look at the plumbing system as it relates to your shower, so you don't end up getting disappointed when you try to install the shower of your dreams only to discover that it is not compatible with the system. Of course, everyone wants a large shower with an endless flow of water that drenches with the exact desired intensity, at the right time. But many showers are a disappointment just a trickle of water, or water that cuts out whenever someone runs a tap. If you understand what plumbing system you have, you can avoid these kinds of problems. For example, you may have a gravity system where there is a feed of water from a tank in the attic, and a cylinder in the airing cupboard. The best results from this kind of system are where the distance between the shower and the tank is more than three or four metres. This allows for adequate water pressure, which you need for the powerful rain showers. However, you can fit booster pumps to increase the performance.
If you have a mains pressure system, you won't need a booster pump, as you will be able to get the powerful shower you desire. A combi boiler needs to be powerful enough to supply a power shower and you should fit a thermostatic mixer valve in order to get rid of any fluctuations in temperature.
Decide if You Want a Separate Shower or Over-Bath Shower
Whether you choose a freestanding shower cabin or fit the shower over the bath depends on how much space you have. It does not make sense to squeeze a cabin into a tight space if you have a small bathroom sometimes it is more attractive and functional to have the bath and shower combined. If you are fitting a shower over the bath, and you are buying a new bath, then choose a modern P shaped Bath or an L shaped bath. These shapes of bath give you extra space to stand when you are having a shower but you still get the space to lie down in a bath. Or if you are going for a freestanding shower, why not splash out on a special shower cabin where you can add a steam shower, mood lighting, fragrance, and all sorts of other luxury gadgets.
Pick Your Ideal Showerhead
The showerhead makes a big difference to your shower experience. You can choose between a showerhead that is handheld (often used in the bath), mounted on the wall, mounted overhead, or fixed on a slider rail. Overhead showers are often called rain showers and deliver a drenching spray of water from above. Some showerheads come with temperature controls built in so that whenever you turn on the shower it is at the exact temperature for your needs. Multiple jet showers are available where you get not one'showerhead but a set of different jets that can be directed as you wish.
