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Power Shower vs Electric Shower: Which Is Right for Your Home?

The differences and benefits of power showers vs electric showers often leave many homeowners confused. With rising energy costs and an increasing focus on reducing water consumption, it’s more important than ever to find a shower that provides a great experience without significantly impacting your bills or carbon footprint. Whether you’re looking for strong water pressure, energy efficiency, or compatibility with your home’s plumbing, understanding how these two shower types compare can help you make an informed choice. Read on for a detailed comparison on power showers and electric showers and discover which option best suits your needs and home.

What Is a Power Shower?

Power showers are an excellent choice for homes with low water pressure that still crave a hot, powerful shower experience. A power shower works by mixing hot water from a cylinder (typically heated by a boiler) with cold water from your mains supply until it reaches the desired temperature, much like a mixer shower.

What sets a power shower apart is its built-in pump, which boosts the water flow rate, providing that strong, invigorating pressure (hence the name). While the pump requires electricity to operate, a power shower doesn’t have its own heating element like an electric shower. Instead, it relies on the hot water from your boiler, combining it with cold water to achieve the perfect shower temperature.

Suitability Of Power Showers

Power showers are most suited to:

  • Houses with gravity-fed water systems
  • Homes with low water pressure
  • Homes with a large enough hot water tank to suit your bathing requirements (otherwise you may run the risk of your shower running old after a few uses.

Power Shower Benefits

  • Increased flow rate and therefore, a powerful shower
  • Typically, cheaper and easier than installing a mixer shower and separate pump
  • Installation is typically straightforward if you are simply replacing a mixer shower
  • While they do use a lot of water, many now come with eco options
  • Modern models boast thermostatic valve options

Biggest downside of power showers? Disadvantages of power showers include that they are not compatible with combination boilers as they need access to a hot water cylinder to work. As combi boilers do not have this (they heat water from the mains as and when required), the two are not compatible.

We recently installed this Aqualisa Aquastream Power Shower to boost a customer’s system after they reported poor pressure from their thermostatic shower, this was due to the shower valve being only suited to a high-pressure system not a gravity system:

This customer’s mixer shower had very poor flow, so we replaced it for a power shower:

What Is An Electric Shower?

An electric shower is versatile and a great choice if you want an instant hot shower while prioritising energy efficiency. Unlike a power shower, an electric shower only requires a cold-water supply, thanks to its built-in heating element. This allows it to heat water on demand, without relying on hot water from your boiler or hot water tank, as a power shower does. This makes electric showers particularly well-suited to homes with combi boilers, as they operate independently of the boiler system, providing a reliable and efficient hot water solution.

Our detailed guide on how an electric shower works can be found here.

Benefits of Electric Showers

Whilst electric showers have several advantages, their usefulness largely depends on your home’s setup and specific needs:

Independence From The Boiler

One of the main advantages of an electric shower is that it operates independently of your boiler.

If your boiler fails, you’ll still have access to hot water for your shower since the unit heats water directly from your cold-water supply.

This can be particularly valuable in properties with no alternative hot water backup, such as a home without an immersion heater.

Flexible Installation Options

Electric showers can be a practical solution in homes where it’s difficult to connect a hot water supply to a new bathroom.

As long as you have access to a cold-water supply and an electrical connection, you can install an electric shower.

While this situation may not be common, it’s a useful option in certain layouts or renovations.

Suitable For Homes With Limited Space

In properties with smaller spaces, electric showers can reduce the need for large hot water cylinders.

Since they don’t rely on stored hot water, the cylinder can be downsized to serve only the kitchen sink and bathroom basins.

This is particularly beneficial in flats or smaller homes where space is at a premium.

Ideal for Older Properties Or Limited Plumbing Systems

Electric showers were traditionally popular in older council or ex-authority properties where plumbing systems often weren’t designed for modern hot water demands.

In homes with just one bathroom and a combination boiler (common in older setups), an electric shower ensures a reliable hot water supply, even if the boiler fails.

Backup For Specific Situations

In larger homes with multiple bathrooms, electric showers might not be necessary since such homes typically have hot water cylinders with immersion heaters as a backup.

However, for smaller properties with just one bathroom or limited hot water infrastructure, electric showers are a simple and effective fallback solution.

Useful in Flats and Smaller Homes

Flats and compact homes often benefit from electric showers because they don’t rely on the property’s stored hot water.

This can lead to smaller, more space-efficient water systems that are easier to fit into limited spaces.

Electric shower drawbacks? A possible downside of an electric shower is that they rely on your existing water pressure. So, if you have a gravity fed hot water tank in your roof, it probably won’t be powerful enough and you’ll need to install a shower pump as a solution.

The Difference Between Electric And Power Showers

Here’s our handy power shower vs electric shower side-by-side comparison:

Feature Power Shower Electric Shower
Water Heating Method Relies on your home’s hot water supply, mixing hot and cold water to the desired temperature. Heats water on demand using a built-in heating element, independent of your boiler or hot water tank.
Water Pressure Equipped with a pump to boost pressure, offering a stronger and more invigorating flow. Best for low-pressure systems. Depends on mains water pressure. May have weaker flow in areas with low mains pressure.
Energy Efficiency Energy use depends on your boiler or hot water system. Less efficient if water is preheated and stored. More energy-efficient, heating only the water you use. Ideal for smaller households or occasional use.
Installation Requires both hot and cold-water supplies and may need plumbing modifications. Installation can be costly. Requires only a cold-water supply and electrical connection. Typically simpler and cheaper to install.

In a nutshell, when weighing up a power shower vs electric shower, consider your home’s water system, pressure needs, energy priorities, and budget. Power showers deliver stronger pressure, while electric showers are more efficient and easier to install.

Contact our Happy Dog team for expert advice on choosing the right shower for your home, shower repair or installation information. We’d love to help. 

Oliver Osmore has been at the helm of Happy Dog Plumbing since it became part of the Maintracts Services family, bringing with him decades of experience in plumbing, heating, and electrical services. As Managing Director of both companies, Oliver is dedicated to ensuring Happy Dog Plumbing continues its proud tradition of delivering exceptional service and innovative solutions to customers.

Oliver’s approachable nature and problem-solving expertise allow him to work closely with customers, offering tailored solutions to even the most complex challenges. He is passionate about upholding the high standards that Happy Dog Plumbing has become known for, ensuring every job is handled with professionalism and care.

Since its founding, Happy Dog Plumbing has been a trusted name in installation, maintenance, and repair services. Under Oliver’s leadership, the company thrives as part of a larger, customer-focused team, staying true to its roots while benefiting from the expanded resources of Maintracts Services. 

FAQs

Yes, but additional work may be required. Electric showers need a cold mains water supply and a suitable electrical connection, so modifications to your plumbing or wiring might be necessary.

Electric showers are generally more energy-efficient because they heat water on demand, reducing wastage. Power showers rely on preheated water, which can be less efficient depending on your boiler system.

Electric showers rely on mains water pressure, so if the mains pressure is low, the flow may be weaker. A model with a built-in pump might be necessary for very low-pressure areas.

On average, power showers last around 7-10 years, depending on usage, water quality, and maintenance. Regular servicing can extend their lifespan.

Yes, electric showers heat water on demand using a built-in heating element. They operate independently of your boiler or hot water system.