Electric Shower Installation in Milton Keynes
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An electric shower is the only shower that does not care what your hot water system is doing. It takes cold water and heats it as it passes through, which makes it the obvious answer for a second bathroom, an en-suite, or any property where the hot water system cannot support another outlet.
It also has the most common upgrade trap in domestic plumbing attached to it, which is covered below and which catches a large number of people who buy a more powerful shower expecting it to be a straight swap.
We install and repair electric showers across Milton Keynes and the surrounding towns, and we handle both the plumbing and the electrical supply in house rather than coordinating two trades. Gas Safe registered, registration number 981362.
- Gas Safe registered 981362
- Fixed price agreed before we start
- Milton Keynes and 20 miles around
- 8am – 8pm, Mon to Sat
Last updated
How it works, and what the kW figure means
Cold water passes over a heating element and comes out hot. That is the whole mechanism, and it means the shower is entirely independent of your boiler and cylinder.
The kW rating tells you how much heating power it has, and that translates directly into flow rate at a given temperature. A higher kW shower does not produce hotter water, it produces more of it. An 8.5kW unit and a 10.5kW unit will both deliver water at whatever temperature you set. The 10.5kW one will deliver noticeably more of it.
Why it feels weaker in winter
This surprises people every year. The shower heats incoming water by a fixed amount determined by its power and the flow rate. In summer the mains water arrives relatively warm. In winter it arrives considerably colder, so to reach the same outlet temperature the shower has to reduce the flow.
Same shower, same setting, less water in January. Nothing is broken.
The upgrade trap
A higher kW shower is frequently not a straight swap
An electric shower runs on a dedicated electrical circuit, sized for its power draw. The cable and the protective device were chosen for the shower that was fitted. A more powerful shower draws more current, and the existing cable and protective device may not be adequate for it.
That means an upgrade can require a new cable run from the consumer unit, which is a considerably bigger job than swapping the unit on the wall, and which needs to be established before you buy the shower rather than after.
We check the existing supply, the cable size and the protective device before recommending a replacement. If the honest answer is that a like-for-like kW replacement avoids a rewire and will be perfectly adequate, we will say so.
The electrical side
- A dedicated circuit from the consumer unit, not shared with anything else
- Cable sized for the load, taking into account the run length and how it is installed
- An appropriately rated protective device at the consumer unit
- RCD protection, which is a requirement for a circuit of this type in a bathroom
- A pull cord isolator with a visible on/off indication, so the shower can be isolated from within the room without a switch that can be touched with wet hands
- Installation of a new circuit is notifiable under the Building Regulations, and you should receive the relevant certification
We do this side in house. That matters more than it sounds, because the common alternative is a plumber fitting the shower and someone else doing the electrics later, which is where responsibility for the whole installation gets blurred.
The plumbing side
Simpler, with one thing that matters.
An electric shower needs a cold mains supply with adequate pressure and flow. Most units specify a minimum working pressure, and a supply that is marginal produces a shower that cuts out intermittently, because the unit has a flow switch that shuts the element off if flow drops too low. That protects the element from running dry.
Note that electric showers should be fed from the cold mains, not from a gravity cold tank in the loft unless the unit is specifically designed for it, and a pump cannot generally be used to make up the difference.
What goes wrong
Scale, which is the local speciality
Milton Keynes water averages around 300 mg/l of calcium carbonate through Anglian Water, with MK8 at roughly 317 against a UK average of 207. An electric shower is a heating element with water running directly over it, which is close to the ideal conditions for scale formation.
Scale on the element reduces heat transfer, causes local overheating and eventually kills the element. Scale in the solenoid valve and the flow switch causes intermittent operation. Scale in the shower head restricts flow, which in turn triggers the low flow protection.
Practical consequences here:
- Descale the shower head regularly, because a blocked head causes problems beyond poor spray pattern
- Electric showers do not last as long in Milton Keynes as national averages suggest
- A water softener genuinely extends their life, covered in our hard water guide
Temperature fluctuation, tripping and no heat
Temperature fluctuation.
Usually another outlet drawing cold water, or a partially blocked head reducing flow. Occasionally a failing thermal cut-out.
It trips the electrics.
Element failure allowing water to the electrical side, or a fault in the supply. Repeatedly resetting is the wrong response.
No hot at all, but the shower is running.
Element or thermal cut-out failure. The unit still passes water, just unheated.
Electric showers in Milton Keynes: the local picture
1970s estates, Beanhill, Coffee Hall, Netherfield, Fishermead and Conniburrow. Compact bathrooms where an electric shower over the bath is common, often on original circuits that were sized for a lower kW unit than people now want.
1980s and 1990s estates, Furzton, Emerson Valley, Shenley Brook End and Loughton. Gravity hot water systems, which is precisely why so many of these properties have an electric shower fitted as the practical answer to a weak gravity shower.
Newer estates, Brooklands, Whitehouse, Fairfields, Oakgrove, Tattenhoe Park and Glebe Farm. Usually unvented cylinders delivering good mains pressure hot water, so an electric shower here is typically a second bathroom or en-suite decision rather than a necessity.
Older property in Stony Stratford, Newport Pagnell, Olney and Wolverton. Longer cable runs and solid walls, both of which affect how involved the electrical side is.
Before you buy
- Check the kW rating of your existing shower before choosing a replacement
- Have the existing cable and protective device checked if you want more power
- Confirm your cold mains meets the unit’s minimum pressure requirement
- Confirm the supply is a dedicated circuit
- Check there is a pull cord isolator, and that it works
- Plan to descale the head regularly, given the water here
- Consider whether a softener is worth it if you are spending on the bathroom anyway
- Ask who is doing the electrical side and what certification you will receive
Frequently asked questions
Can I just swap my 8.5kW shower for a 10.5kW one?
Often not without work. The existing cable and protective device were sized for the original unit. This needs checking before you buy.
Why is my electric shower weaker in winter?
Incoming mains water is colder, so the unit reduces flow to reach the temperature you set. Nothing is wrong.
My electric shower keeps cutting out. Why?
Usually low flow triggering the protection, from a blocked head or a marginal supply. Sometimes a failing flow switch or solenoid, both of which scale in this water.
Do you do the electrical work too?
Yes, in house. You do not need a separate electrician for the supply.
Can I fit an electric shower on a gravity system?
It needs a cold mains supply with adequate pressure. A gravity cold feed is not generally suitable unless the unit is specifically designed for it.
Are electric showers expensive to run?
Per minute, they use more energy than a shower fed from a gas-heated system, but they only heat what you use and heat nothing in advance. Whether that works out cheaper depends on your usage and tariff.
How long should one last?
Less than the national average here, because of the water hardness. Descaling the head and considering a softener both help.
Do you fit electric showers in rental properties?
Yes, and they are a sensible choice in rentals where a second shower is needed without loading the hot water system.
You may also need
Get the supply checked first
Call 07514 312117 or send a WhatsApp with a photo of your existing shower, including the kW rating on the unit. Gas Safe registered 981362, CIPHE member, fully insured.