Traditional Rain Can Riser System Mixer Shower

From Glynn 17th July 2014

Hello, We have just had fitted a Traditional Rain Can Riser System mixer shower in a downstairs bathroom. While I understand that these are designed to be “gentle” I would like it to be a bit more powerful. The plumber who fixed the shower said the flow would be OK for a mixer but I’m not completely satisfied. We have a low pressure gravity system with cold tank in the loft and hot water tank in the airing cupboard on the 1st floor. Am I right that the SP2 would be suitable?

Thanks
Glynn
Contact message through Shower Power Booster Web Site on 17th July 2014

Hi Glynn,

The Traditional Rain Can Riser System mixer shower as quoted on the Victoria Plum web site needs a minimum of 1 bar pressure (10 metres head). If you had a 3 storey house with the shower in the basement you would still only just have the minimum to make this work. You not being completely satisfied is not surprising.

Standard traditional shower heads needs 6 litres a minute for a good spray pattern, the SP21S would give you a double boost, and, with 4 metres head at present, the 2 shower power boosters in series, would add 6 metres plus, to give you the minimum 10 metres head (albiet this is still only the minimum). With the rain shower head you have you need far more than 6 litres a minute so you would need a much bigger power shower to pump larger volumes of water, the knock on effect is you should need a bigger hot water cylinder, and a bigger cold water tank in the loft.

I have had several customers who had the same difficult decision to make as yourself. If you had a good mains pressure or a 4 story house to start with you would have been none the wiser.You may have deep pockets such that you completely change the plumbing system and you can happily afford large volumes of hot water when you shower.

If it is too disruptive to change the shower mixer then reducing the size of the shower head, putting the cold only on mains pressure, and putting a SP21S double boost on the hot, would be a good compromise.