Shower Installation in St Helens, Done Properly
A good shower depends on matching it to your water system. Get that wrong and you end up with a trickle, or a shower that runs hot and cold every time someone flushes the toilet. Matthew looks at your boiler, cylinder and water pressure first, then recommends a shower that will actually perform in your house.
We fit showers over baths, in separate enclosures and as part of a full bathroom fitting job, across the whole of St Helens.
Types of Shower We Fit
- Mixer showers blend hot and cold water from your existing system. They can be concealed in the wall or surface mounted.
- Thermostatic bar showers sit on the wall with exposed controls. They hold the temperature steady, which is safer for children and older people, and are a tidy upgrade with less disruption.
- Electric showers heat cold mains water as it passes through. They give you hot water any time, even when the boiler is off.
- Power showers have a built-in pump to boost flow on gravity-fed systems.
- Pumped showers use a mixer valve with a separate pump, usually fitted near the hot water cylinder.
Which Shower Suits Your System?
This is where most shower fitting problems start, so it's worth getting right.
- Combi boiler (mains pressure). A mixer or thermostatic shower runs directly off the combi. Never fit a pump to mains pressure. A combi has a limited flow rate, so we size the shower to suit it. If your boiler is struggling, it may be time to look at a new boiler.
- Gravity-fed (tank in the loft, cylinder in the airing cupboard). The pressure depends on the height of the cold water tank. Showers here usually need a pump, either a power shower or a separate shower pump.
- Unvented cylinder. Mains pressure stored hot water gives strong flow, good for larger shower heads and more than one outlet at once. See our unvented cylinder page for more.
| Shower type | Works with | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Electric | A cold mains feed | Works with any boiler; needs its own electrical circuit |
| Mixer (thermostatic) | Combi or unvented systems at mains pressure | On a tank-fed system it may need a pump |
| Power shower | Tank-fed (gravity) systems only | Has a built-in pump; not for combis |
| Pumped mixer | Tank-fed (gravity) systems | Separate pump boosts weak flow |
Shower Trays, Enclosures and Walk-In Showers
The tray and enclosure matter as much as the valve. We fit low-profile stone resin trays, quadrant and offset quadrant enclosures for smaller rooms, and bath screens where a separate cubicle won't fit. The tray must be fully supported and level so it doesn't flex and crack the seal.
Walk-in showers with a single glass panel are popular because they're easy to clean and make a small bathroom feel bigger. If you want a level floor with no tray at all, that's a wet room. Read our guide to wet rooms for what's involved.
Sealing and Tanking
Most leaking showers aren't leaking from the pipes. Water gets past failed grout or silicone and soaks into the wall or floor. Behind every new shower we fit, the walls are tanked with a waterproof membrane before tiling, and the tray is sealed to the wall properly.
If you've got staining on the ceiling below the shower, stop using it and get it looked at. Our leak repair page covers how we trace the source.
What a Shower Fitting Involves
On the first visit, Matthew checks your boiler or cylinder, the pressure and flow at the taps, where the pipes run and how the water will drain. You'll get a clear recommendation and a written price before anything is ordered. On the day, we turn the water off, fit the valve and pipework, test for leaks under pressure, then set the temperature limiter on thermostatic valves. We clean up, show you how it works and leave the isolation valve easy to reach.
Fixing Low Shower Pressure
Before replacing anything, we test the flow and pressure. Common fixes include:
- Descaling or replacing a blocked shower head or hose.
- Opening a part-closed isolation valve.
- Fitting a shower pump on a gravity-fed system.
- Swapping to a shower that suits a combi's flow rate.
Electric Shower Replacement in St Helens
Electric shower replacement is one of our most common jobs. A like-for-like swap is often done in a few hours. If you want a more powerful unit, the cable size and protection on the circuit must be checked, because a higher kW shower draws more current. Bathroom electrical work is notifiable under Part P, and new circuits and upgrades are carried out and certified by a Part P registered electrician who works with Matthew.
Signs your electric shower needs replacing include a burning smell, scorch marks, a unit that trips the electrics, or water that never gets properly hot. Switch it off at the isolator and don't use it until it's checked.
For dripping showers and other small jobs, see our plumbing repairs page, or call Matthew on 07759 813431.