Electric shower installation in Macclesfield
In short
An electric shower heats mains cold water on demand, so it works regardless of what the boiler or cylinder is doing — which is why it suits second bathrooms, en-suites and houses with limited stored hot water. It needs a dedicated high-current electrical circuit, so the install is always a plumber and an electrician working together.
Also called: new electric shower · replace electric shower · electric shower not working · shower unit fitted
The appeal is independence. An electric shower takes cold water straight off the mains and heats it as it passes, so it does not care whether the cylinder has run out or the boiler has failed. It also uses far less water than a bath or a pumped shower, and it delivers instantly.
The trade-off is flow. The unit's kilowatt rating governs how much water it can heat to a usable temperature, and in winter — when incoming mains water is several degrees colder — the same shower delivers noticeably less. That is not a fault; it is physics. A 10.5kW unit will feel considerably better than an 8.5kW one, but only if the electrical supply can carry it, which is why the cable and consumer unit capacity have to be assessed before a model is chosen rather than after.
Electrically, this is not a small job. An electric shower needs its own circuit from the consumer unit in appropriately sized cable, protected by an RCD, with an isolating pull-cord switch. That is notifiable work under Part P of the Building Regulations. Replacing like-for-like on an existing sound circuit is simpler; a first installation, or an upgrade to a higher rating, may need new cable run and the consumer unit checked.
On the plumbing side the unit needs a dedicated 15mm cold feed direct from the mains, not teed off a run that also serves a toilet or a washing machine — otherwise every flush changes the shower temperature. Modern units have thermostatic stabilisation which mitigates that, but the correct feed is still the right way to do it.
One thing worth checking on an older installation before spending: mains flow rate and pressure. Electric showers need a minimum working pressure to activate, and a property with a small or partly restricted supply pipe may not deliver it at first floor level. That is a supply pipe conversation, not a shower one.
What the job covers
- Assessing mains flow, pressure and electrical capacity before choosing a unit
- Dedicated 15mm cold mains feed to the shower
- Removing the old unit and making good the tiling where the footprint differs
- Fitting, connecting and commissioning the new shower
- Coordinating the electrical circuit, RCD protection and pull-cord isolator with an electrician
- Testing temperature stability and flow at the head
What it costs
We don't publish a price for this yet, because a number pulled out of the air is worse than no number at all — your plumber has to honour it. You'll get a firm price for your actual job when they ring you back, before any work starts. The quote itself is free and there's no obligation either way.
Common questions
Why is my electric shower weaker in winter?
Because the incoming mains water is colder, so the same heating element brings less water up to temperature. It is normal. A higher kilowatt unit reduces the effect, if the electrical supply can support one.
Can I fit a more powerful shower in place of the old one?
Only if the existing cable and consumer unit can carry the extra load. That has to be checked by an electrician first — fitting a higher-rated unit onto undersized cable is a fire risk.
Need this doing in Macclesfield?
Tell us the job and it goes straight to our local plumber — one call back, usually the same day. Free quote, no obligation.