How to Fit an Electric Shower 

An electric shower is ideal for a family or household where there’s a limited supply of hot water, as it only takes water from the mains cold water supply, meaning no stored hot water is used. Providing hot water on demand, an electric shower is always ready to use any time of the day or night. In this guide we explain how to fit an electric shower and how one works.

How does an electric shower work?

Inside an electric shower there’s an element that heats the water as it passes through. The temperature is controlled by changing the rate at which the water passes over the element. Electric showers don’t have a thermostat, which means if the temperature of the incoming water varies, the temperature of your shower will too.

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An electric shower can be fitted over the bath or in a shower enclosure. But when deciding where to fit it ensure there’s enough room to remove the cover in case it needs servicing in the future. The water supply pipe could enter from the top or bottom depending on the type of unit, so ensure you have the right amount of cable coming out of the wall to connect to the terminal block.

Preparation

Before installing the shower you’ll need to prepare pipework and install an electricity supply:

• Start by running a single 15mm pipe from the cold water supply near the storage tank to the wall where the shower will go.
• Hold the shower unit in position and mark where the inlet pipe and power supply cable are.
• Before drilling into the wall check there’s no hidden pipes or cables with a pipe and cable detector.
• Run the pipe through the wall at the place you’ve marked.
• Fit an isolating valve in the pipe and insert the correct connector for the unit.
• Next, drill a hole in the wall for the electric cable. The length of the run and the kilowatt rating of the shower unit will determine the size of the cable you’ll need
• Run the cable from the shower unit position to a ceiling-mounted double-pole pull-cord switch – this should have an on/off indicator and must not be fitted in Zone 1 or 2 in accordance with the IEE wiring regulations.
• An electric shower needs to have its own dedicated circuit from the consumer unit, and an electrician should make the final connection. You’ll also need to ensure the circuit is protected by a residual current device (RCD).

How to fit an electric shower

Follow the steps below for how to fit an electric shower.

Step 1 – Mark the position of the fixing holes

Take the shower unit and mark the position of the fixing holes using a chinagraph pencil. Drill the holes with a masonry bit. If you’re drilling into tiles use a tile bit or use masking tape to prevent the bit from slipping. Insert wall plugs and squeeze silicone sealant onto each one.

Step 2 – Feed in the pipe and electric cable

Next, feed the pipe and electric cable through the back-plate of the shower unit and screw it to the wall using the supplied screws.

Step 3 – Connect the inlet pipe

The inlet pipe can now be connected to the shower unit. Use a pipe wrench to tighten the compression fitting.

Step 4 – Connect the live and neutral cores

Fit the cable to the unit by connecting the live and neutral cores to the terminals marked load, and the earth core to the earth terminal.

Step 5 – Fit the cover

Fit the cover and ensure the rubber seal is in place.

Step 6 – Fit the rail

Now the unit is connected you can fit the rail. Position it high enough so the shower head doesn’t dangle less than 25mm from the spill-over level of the bath or shower tray, as dirty water can siphon back into your clean water supply.

Step 7 – Connect the hose and handset

Finally, connect one end of the hose to the handset and the other end to the shower unit and position in the holder. Check the electric shower is working properly before use.

Did you find this how-to guide helpful? Anymore questions? Leave a comment below and we’ll get back to you.

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