4 simple steps to electric shower installation

Electric showers come with a predetermined life. Once a shower lives through its life it starts getting tired and losses oomph. When these symptoms crop up it is best to replace an old shower with a new one. But the question that pops up is it feasible to replace an electric shower DIY? It is important mentioning here that the cost of installing these showers often surpasses the cost of the hardware itself by several times.

Therefore installing the showers yourself definitely proves profitable; it saves money. Professionally trained experts opine yes, that is possible. The job is certainly not easy but with sufficient preparation, care and caution it is possible to replace an electric shower DIY by oneself. In the following sections of the blog post let us explore how you can complete the task successfully.    

Replacing an electric shower DIY – few words of caution

The task involves working with electricity and electricity is potentially hazardous. Therefore it is crucial that you make proper preparation beforehand and handle the task with utmost care and caution. But if you are not confident enough about handling the job correctly then you should stay away from doing it yourself. In that case it is better hiring technically sound and qualified professionals. After all it is never worth putting yourself at risk just to save some hard-earned bucks.

In case I’m not confident about DIY electric shower installation who else can install the gadget for me?

This question is not uncommon. In case you do not feel confident about electric shower installation DIY yourself in that case you should not leave the task to anyone else other than a suitably qualified person. A Part P certified plumber is the best person to do this job.

A plumber may possess a range of qualifications from apprenticeship, NVQs, City & Guilds to Chartered. How would you know who is better suited for your job? While hiring a plumber for the installation you should check that the professional is registered with a relevant trade body in the UK. There are lots of such trade bodies that are related to electrical works and plumbing. NICEIC is one such body that is exceptionally reputed across the country.

Invest in an electric shower from a reputed brand

When you get down to practically buy electric showers you get countless number of options to choose from. It is better to stick a reputed manufacturing brand. As you are replacing your existing shower chances are that either it is damaged, broken or getting down on performance. Replacing an electric shower is no less an investment. Therefore always remember that purchasing an item that is likely to last for years together pays back handsomely in ways more than one.     

Some of the trusted electric shower manufacturing brands include the following –

• Bristan
• Gainsborough
• Triton
• Mira
• Aqualisa

An electric shower replacement guide

In order to make the topic easy to understand we have broken down the task of replacing an electric shower into simple steps. First it is important to tell you that the task of electric shower installation for the first time is much more challenging than replacing an existing shower with another.

This is because when you are installing the gadget for the first time there is no supporting infrastructure in place. You have to do everything yourself – like properly placing the water pipes and making the electrical connection. But when you are simply replacing an existing shower unit with a new one the supporting infrastructure is always there. This makes the task easier.

Step 1 – snap off the power connection

Water and electricity are always a dangerous combination. You should never ever mix the two together. Before you start on your mission you should disconnect the power supply to the existing shower unit. Use an electric tester to make sure the power connection is really broken.

If the tiny neon bulb placed at the head of the tester glows when you touch the tip of the tool to an electrical wire it indicates the power connection is still on. Once you are sure the power is snapped you should move on to switch off the water supply to the shower unit suggests a professional who deals in power shower installation near me in London.

Step 2 – remove the existing shower unit

In this step you should remove the existing shower unit from its place to make room for the new one. This task could be little difficult but that depends on the type of the unit that you have. A set of four screws hold the hardware in place in most cases.

These units are easy to remove. Once you undo the screws it is easy to pull out the unit from its place on the place. In order to disconnect both electricity and water connections you may have to remove the shower front for older units. You should be extra careful while disconnecting the electricity and water connections to the existing hardware.

Step 3 – install the new unit in place

Now that the existing shower unit is out of the way it is time to install the new unit. While installing the new unit first you have to check out whether the power and water connections points of the new unit are in the place as the existing one. Shower unit manufacturing brands like Mira provide a number of connection points to a unit.

Thus installation becomes easier. According to an expert who provides electric shower installation near me assures if the new unit has connection points in different positions compared to the existing shower unit then you should make some adjustments. When everything falls into alignment then installation becomes easy, quick and straightforward.

Step 4 – new shower unit installation

Now you are actually going to install the new shower unit on the bathroom wall in place of the existing shower unit. Mark the position of the new unit on the wall with a pencil. If the new unit does not have similar shape, dimension or outline as the existing one then you have to drill holes on the wall to fix it.

First mark the spots where you want the holes and then take on the drill machine. You should better use a drill with a masonry drill bit to lessen the chances of broken tiles suggest professionals working at Electric Works London.

In the next step fit rawl plugs and unscrew the shower front to get hold of the back plate and internal connections. Connect the plumbing pipes and the electrical cords to the right places in the shower unit  

This is how you incur zero cost in electric shower installation. But make sure to use a pipe wrench to tighten the compression fitting at the time of connecting the water supply pipe. Otherwise the new shower unit may spring a leak at a later date.