An Overview of an Electric Shower Installation

An electric shower combines electricity and water, so it’s vital that it’s installed correctly and then it will be safe to use.

When you get a new electric shower, it’s essential to have it installed by an electrician or Part P-certified plumber that can carry out the work safely.

Our recommended electricians have all the credentials and skills to install or upgrade your shower, so here is a brief overview of what you can expect during the process.

If you need to replace an existing electric shower unit, on a like for like basis, it may be tempting to install the shower yourself. After all, the water and power cabling is already in place, so it should be simple to install the new unit and riser rail.

However, the new shower unit could have a higher wattage compared to your old unit, so an electrician should replace it as it may be necessary to change the cabling.

Installing a shower is a job for a professional, and our recommended electricians will be able to safely carry out high quality work.

Some electric showers are easier to install than others; the easiest shower units are models that have multiple routing entry points.

The cables used in shower installation are larger and less flexible than you may imagine. So, a shower unit with more working space in the casing and plenty of easy to use connection blocks make the installation process far easier.

It’s also a good idea to look for swivelling water connections that have adequate room for the electrician to use a spanner.

Also, the riser rail and shower handset will need to be high enough for the tallest person using it and low enough for younger children.

The shower unit will need to be plumbed into a cold water mains supply that has a 15mm diameter pipe.

The electrical supply requirements can be more complicated than the plumbing needs. The sizes of the cabling and fuses can vary a great deal depending on the power supply needs of the shower.

Our recommended electricians may install a 10sq mm cable; this is a good option because it means that you can replace your shower in the future and you won’t need to install a larger cable.

The electrics in your new shower will need to be connected to their own separate fused electrical supply circuit. For added safety, a ceiling mounted double pole switch can be installed to turn the power to the shower off and on.

Many of our recommended electricians are members of self certification schemes such as NAPIT and NICEIC that will identify them as competent people to work on your electrical systems. Your local council’s Building Control department will have more details on how these schemes work and what they mean.

Before an electrician starts work they should agree that their work will conform to building regulations and they will provide you with a BS7671 certificate on completion. This certificate will be needed if you want to sell your home to prove that the electrical work has been safely completed.

For your peace of mind we've made sure all our recommended electricians do this and conform to these regulations.  If you would like to talk to our electrician in your area you can do that here.