As a plumber of over 20 years, I will use my expertise to guide you through all the different electric shower installation costs, including the prices of plumbers and electricians and the requirements for you to have an electric shower installed.
An electric shower installation cost will be between £450 and £650 with the price rising to between £800 and £1’000 if a new fuse box is required to comply with the latest regulations this price should include the cost of an electric shower and materials for a fresh installation of an electric shower.
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The costs to install an electric shower can vary somewhat this is due to any additional costs involved in the installation, such as a new fuse box; with that being said not all new installations of the electric shower will need a new fuse box
The best way to find out if you would need a new fuse box is to look at your current fuse box and look for:
- Do you have an old fuse box which has fuse wires
- Do you have space in your current fuse box
An old fuse with fuse wires
A Newer fuse box with space will look like this
All-electric showers nowadays must be installed with a 10mm cable that can not be cut, adjusted or lengthened and must be connected directly into the fuse box that is protected by its own MCB, also known as a micro circuit breaker
Also, the shower must be isolatable by a Double pole switch with neon and mechanical indicators to allow you to turn the electric shower on and off.
As part of the regulations, all fresh installations of the electric shower must be installed and certified by a Part P-Certified plumber or electrician.
How Much Does It Cost To Replace An Electric Shower?
If you already have an electric shower and it needs to be replaced, the cost will be between £250 and £300 this is providing it is a like-for-like replacement and extra cable is not required the price should include the cost of the electric shower and materials
How Much Are Electric Showers
Electric showers can vary in price as there are so many different brands such as Triton, Mira, Redwing, Aqualisa, and many more Trion showers are genuinely one of the cheaper showers; however, don’t be fooled because they have some tremendous electric showers such as the Triton T80Z will cost you between £100 and £120 being one of there best showers
Triton also has lower budget shower units such as the Triton Cara2, which costs between £50 and £70 from places such as Screwfix or B&Q
Then you have Mira Sport which is the best-selling electric shower in the Mira range however, this shower is set you back between £240 and £270
Next, You have Aqualisa with one of their best-selling electric shower called the Aqualisa Quartz Electric, with will cost between £155 and £250
Can I Replace An Electric Shower Myself?
If you are changing an electric shower that is like for like this means the water supply and power cable are already in place, then you can install your electric shower however, if the shower is a higher wattage or you need to adjust the cable then you can not install the electric shower yourself.
This is because you are not allowed to lengthen an 8mm or a 10mm cable; therefore, you will require a Part P certificate that complies with the regulations
To Find the Kw of your current shower, there should be a label and the bottom of the shower unit which will have the details you will need to make sure you buy the right shower, and so the shower will be like for like
For more information on how to replace a like for like electric shower, I have a guide for you
Is Some Electric Showers Easier To Install Than Others?
I would stay there is not an easier electric shower to install over others on a fresh installation as the water and electricity will be installed to whatever shower unit you have
If you are just replacing a like-for-like electric shower, then the Triton T80z shower is the right shower unit as this shower has many different entry points for both the water and electric cable so that you don’t have to adjust the cable.
For more information on selecting the best electric shower, I have a buyer's guide of all the different electric showers for you.
How Long Does It Take To Install An Electric Shower?
A fresh installation of an electric shower will take between 3 hours and 4 hours to install however if a new fuse box is required, then the installation will take between 6 hours and 8 hours for a replacement electric shower that is like for like then the installation will take between 30 minutes and 1 hour
Will Low Pressure Affect My Electric Shower?
Electric showers are installed onto the mains water supply and work on very low pressure; however, if the water pressure is extremely low, an electric shower will not perform as it relies on pressure to operate.
If you are unsure about your water pressure, you can buy a water pressure gauge and test the water pressure of your cold main if your water pressure is above 1 bar, then you will most likely be ok
If you are still unsure about your water pressure, there is another option for you, and that is a power shower
A power shower is similar to an electric shower where you do still need electricity however, the electric does not need to come directly from the fuse box but from a 2.5mm cable, and the water is fed from the cold and hot water tanks
A Power shower has an integral pump that forces the water out to the shower head at pressure.
